Storefront vs Home Based Business?

[copythat]

No Renewal of lease

This location we are in is the second place we have rented that has been sold. The first place wanted to raise our rent from $2300 to $4000. That was for a 668 sq. ft location on main street. I moved off the main, and have 1100 sq ft for $1900. We've been here since Feb 2012. As of May 10th 2016, almost all of our strip has been sold to a development company. And we have received our notice, that our lease will not be renewed. By Feb 2018 we will have to re-locate again. Last moved we lost $80K in sales the first year. We have since recovered, only to have this happen again.

So we are focusing on providing free pick up & delivery and working out of our home.

#1 I also want to stay home more with my kids.
#2 With all the savings of high rent & CON Edison high fees <---emphasis on the CON Avg. Summer $700 Winter $900-1100 per month. We will be able to hire a full & part timer.
#3 We have a great following. I will be able to personally visit clients and keep us in the loop on future projects.
#4 No more Pista Print customers coming through my door. I've thrown out so many of these **** ons. One guy I can't forget, comes in on a Tuesday desperate for a banner he needs for his bands gig. 4' x 8' banner for that Saturday. I told him not a problem. I can do it in two hours once the files complete. He said great. How much? I have my pricing above me for everyone to see. It shows $153.70 He says ********. I can get it at PISTA print for $39.99. I said go ahead. He replies but it takes 3 weeks. I just told him that is my price he walks out saying at those prices you will be out of business. That was in 2013.

So home base is my future. I can go and get work and make new sales. And work when I want, until a rush comes in . : )



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[Gino]

It's whatever you wanna do. You either have a shop based out of your bedroom, garage, outbuilding, basement, field next door, industrial park, main street or the mall..... ya just make it what ya can. As for being home close to the kids and family, that's all nice, well and good. There are others who don't have the kinda business that works well out of a house with little ones. Move the business out to a building and now, ya hafta stop things in the middle of possible an important part..... what are ya gonna do ??

If I went out for breakfast and it was in the person's kitchen, I'd feel awkward. If I was buying a pair of shoes and hadda go through the person's dining room to get to the showroom.... again, I'd feel awkward. If I wanted to make a professional appearance, I would go to a professional place and do business from there. Nothing... not professional about working outta your house or garage, but it's the appearance and comfort you can't provide someone, if they're at your house and need to go to a bathroom and your daughter's in there.......... When we were small, we made the rounds and did what we hadda do, to make it. Staying at home, has never been part of that solution for me. Not a good fit.

As for being with family...... if you own the business, no matter where your shop, storefront or facility is located..... you can go anytime you want. This weekend, I'm probably gonna take off Friday to help my stepson with his roof.... as long as it doesn't rain. In the last 3 months, I've taken off so many days to build a new enclosed garden behind my house and took off early to work on it. We're starting to get blueberries and some other stuff, but I've never heard of having to stay at work, solely because you're not at home.

Good luck.....................​

 

[thewvsignguy]

I've been in the sign industry for about 20 years now. We (the wife and I) re-started small from a 2 car garage selling on-line and grew 300% in the first 2 years. 98% of our business was done online with a few local friends needing something fast. We moved to a resort area in Maryland about 7 years ago. Because the house we were renting did not have space for the equipment we leased a 1000 sq. ft office area for 2 1/2 years at $1900 a month so it's seasonal people that we got for walk ins..

Out of those 2 1/2 years we only had 1 month a year where the shop paid for it self. The on-line selling was our bread and butter and the walk in business was not there. Obviously we moved to a busier location thinking with more foot traffic the more business. Well we tried that for 3 years at $1450 a month and only had 3 months a year that the shop paid for itself. And every year both locations we had to pay taxes and property maintenance fee's etc. All in all we spent about $175k trying to make it work, throwing money out the window.

Our lease was about up so we looked for another place to move to. We bought a piece of property with a 2000sq ft shop, 1200 sq ft storage building and a nice size house with room to grow on a 2 ac lot overlooking one of the highest mountains in western MD. Commercial and residential sales have more then tripled in the last 1 1/2 years. It's a small town and word of mouth works best for us and we have been busier then we have ever been in the last 7 years. The on-line sales have suffered because the competitors are selling items cheaper but we still do it and it still makes money and keeps the employees busy.

For us, being home based has been great and saved me lots of money to grow the commercial side of things. Our shop is in front of the property and not many customers have my cell number and I'm keeping it that way. I do understand every situation is different but for us I will never go back to paying rent or a lease if I can help it.