Launching a home business is the perfect way to be an entrepreneur around other commitments. But there often comes a point when you’re ready to expand your home-based business further afield. Perhaps the kids are getting a bit older, or you need to get some storage or office space. You might want to start looking at working with other people. They could be freelancers or full-time employees. If you wish to go beyond the confines of your home office, there are lots of ways you can start to grow your company. Here are a couple of the things you can do to take your business further as you have more time to work on it.
Expand Your Products and Reach
When you launched your business, you might have focused on one product or a limited set of products. Starting to expand what you sell is one of the first steps in growing your business. With a wider product base, you can begin to bring in more customers and sales. Think of the product you began with and consider what helps to complement them. For example, if you sew baby blankets, you could start to make sleeping bags, bibs, and other baby items. Choose products that will tempt your existing customers so that they expand their orders.
Finding Somewhere to Base Your Business
When your business starts to get bigger, you might feel cramped in your home office. Even though it might still be only you working, you might want somewhere else to work. You could also need some storage space if your stock is starting to take over your house. If you wish to get out of the house, you can start looking for the perfect office space for rent. If you’re on your own, you might only want a small office or even just a desk. If you’re planning on hiring employees, you’ll need somewhere that suits all of you.
Hiring Employees
You can’t do everything on your own forever, and you may need to start hiring some help. You don’t have to start with full-time employees. Many business owners begin by taking on freelancers for different projects. They could be for both long-term and short-term work. After a while, you might want to consider taking on a permanent employee. However, this a little more complicated than working with freelancers. You need to make sure you don’t rush into anything, and that you know all your rights and responsibilities.
Turn Your Business into a Franchise
Turning your business into a franchise is another way to grow it. You might want to stay working at home but encourage others to start a home business too. It’s an excellent way to expand to new locations without having to do the work of running different branches. Of course, you should still provide guidance and supervision. But you won’t have to have a huge office or even several of them to manage.
You can grow your home business in a number of ways to suit you. However big you want it to be, you have options to expand.