Small Business Freedom

Having a family and trying to run a small business can seem like an insurmountable challenge to many, but plenty of people find that doing both is surprisingly achievable. However, the key to making things work effectively is to have a plan of strategy and being able to decide on where to run your venture.

While working from home has long been seen as the ideal way of being able to juggle a hectic family life with business activities, there is now another option that is also proving to be very appealing, especially to people who are looking to expand their venture.

What to look for?

Keeping overheads to a minimum is top of the list for many people who are starting out in the world of business, and having small children also means that you have to factor in childcare costs if you’re trying to spend at east part of the day concentrating solely on your business.

Thanks to the internet and these recessionary times, however, there is now a quick and easy way of finding desk/office space in shared and serviced offices, at hugely competitive prices. These days, you can hunt out rental space in much the same way as you’d look for a broadband or mobile phone deal, and compare what’s on offer in one place.

Keep an eye out

So, use the web to carry out an office space search using one of the new comparison websites and this will soon reveal that your office or desk space possibilities are actually a very realistic proposition. The great benefit with renting even just one desk in a shared office is that you can have a base for your business that is away from the topsy-turvy home life than many parents have to try and work around.

Better still, you’ll find that desk space rental schemes are well priced and the contracts are very flexible too, meaning that you’ll probably be able to get some desk space on a rolling-basis in terms of contracts and move in and out at fairly shot notice. Going for this sort of arrangement in an already running office area will also mean you get basic utilities along with an essential such as broadband internet.

Move on up

For those with small families but who have designs on building a business further then it’s also worth using the comparison option to find shared office space. This is a step up from desk space rental in the fact that you’ll get the chance to have a greater area to rent. Added to that, the shared office will often come complete with receptionists, post and IT support.

However, this sort of arrangement still comes with the benefit that you can enjoy a flexible contract and again, it can be relatively short–term, especially when compared alongside the hassle of buying a property. Most of the office space rental schemes operate either in city centre locations and/or prime business parks too.

One of the best things about going down this route is that you instantly give your business venture an added seal of credibility. You may even find that these state of the art buildings may well come with childcare facilities in the vicinity too.

After all, with this kind of business arrangement proving increasingly popular, it’s clear that many parents need the added flexibility of having decent facilities close at hand.

About the author: Rob Clymo writes on behalf of Office Genie, the UK’s first proper online marketplace for desk space and shared office space.

Last-Minute Gifts (If You’re Quick!)

Whoa, where did the last week go? It’s day 12 of my Next 12 Days of Christmas and there’s still time to order before Christmas if you’re quick. If you’re worried about your parcel getting through the snow, Next has full details of last order dates and the areas affected by the weather on the last order date page.

So as it’s my last day I’m going to recommend some Christmas gifts. If you’ve got a little girl who wants to save her pennies, this pink spotty teacup money box would make a cute Christmas gift. Or how about this mini cosmetic gift set as a stocking filler for an older girl? As for gifts for the guys, well that can be a nightmare. How about entering today’s giveaway to see if you can win him over £690 of sound and vision kit? Be quick though, because there’s a different giveaway every day up until the 22nd December.

Sadly it’s too late for this Christmas, but did you know Next did photo gifts? Take a look at these prints …fabulous for anyone with little children. I wish I’d found out about them sooner!

Have You Got a Gorgeous Baby?

Of course, haven’t we all?!

The NEXT Baby Boutique Model Competition, in association with Prima Baby magazine, is looking for Britain’s cutest and most photogenic infants aged from newborn up to 36 months (born 19th November 2007 or later) which will be split over two categories: from birth up to 18-months, and from 19-months up to 36-months.

Winners will receive £500 of Next vouchers, a 12-month modelling contract with Urban Angels and take part in a photoshoot for NEXT and Prima Baby.

To enter, upload your photo by 12 noon on the 16th November 2010 by visiting facebook.com/nextonline. Entries can only be made by parents or legal guardians and please be sure that the photograph you upload shows your baby fully dressed and wide-awake!

Be sure to ask all your friends and family to support your entry as they can vote on Facebook  right up until 12 noon on the 19th November 2010. (Only one vote per person per entry and check out facebook.com/nextonline for full terms and conditions.)

By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. more information

The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this.

Close