Getting a bigger office question

[Friendly Stranger..]

I hope that it is okay for me to post this question here considering that for the next 8 weeks or so I am still considered a student. If it isn't then I apologize, but I was hoping to get advice from more experienced individuals.

Here is my situation - I currently have my own office for my other businesses. My office is two rooms and a waiting area. One room I have for teaching and the other I was planning on utilizing for massage and then have my "office" in the waiting area. The way it is set up it looks nice, professional, etc. I currently pay a little over $600 a month which is a good price for the area. My office is also in the lower level of the building (meaning you come in and go downstairs). I do not have a bathroom on my level which would mean if clients need to use the restroom they need to go up to the main floor - same goes for me washing my hands.

An office just recently opened up on the main floor. It is a three room office with a waiting area, so it would give me more room. Two of the rooms have a sink which would be great for washing hands, and it is right next door to the bathroom. Bathroom situation still isn't ideal, but much better. The rent would be $300 more per month.

Right now I am not making any money, and I know it will take time to build a practice. My husband thinks I should take the upstairs office as it would mean people entering the building would more readily see my office and he thought it might be a good idea to offer the room on a session only basis to a few of the people who are going to school with me. They have been saying they would like to work in a spa, but would love to have a place to do those occasional appointments, so dh thought it would be a good idea to allow them to use it and them pay for the hour or so usage. This money is not guaranteed or something I want to even count on.

Right now I am not working and so the rent is being paid by the money I saved before I started school.

If you were in my position would you rent the larger office space with the sinks in the room and the bathroom closer? Would it make sense to pay $300 more per month?

Thanks

 

[Hayden G]

YES!!!

But here's my opinion on the additional room. Try and find a single fulltime renter, then charge the $300 increase to the single renter for the bigger space. (Or whatever is fair.) It's better to rent to a single person so you can budget, than a string of people in and out who you have to coordinate with... letting them in the building, showing the set-up, etc.

Then you can pick up a little extra money by letting the occasional per-session use of your own room to people you trust.

The bathroom proximity, visibility, and not having to navigate the stairs will be good for your practice in the long run, so it might be worth a little discomfort in the now, especially if hubby is supportive of the move.

Stacey

 

[JESUSISLORD]

Definitely go for the bigger office!!! I wouldn't think twice about not going for the upgrade.

 

[England]

YES!!!

But here's my opinion on the additional room. Try and find a single fulltime renter, then charge the $300 increase to the single renter for the bigger space. (Or whatever is fair.) It's better to rent to a single person so you can budget, than a string of people in and out who you have to coordinate with... letting them in the building, showing the set-up, etc.

Then you can pick up a little extra money by letting the occasional per-session use of your own room to people you trust.

The bathroom proximity, visibility, and not having to navigate the stairs will be good for your practice in the long run, so it might be worth a little discomfort in the now, especially if hubby is supportive of the move.

Stacey

The only problem is that I cannot have a renter via my lease. I can occasionally use the space for other uses, but I cannot rent to anyone. If I want to rent to someone on a regular basis or to share the rent then they need to be on the lease, which is not something I am willing to do.

 

[Dark Mistress]

ah, very important distinction. I suppose that's why there's even a question of whether or not you take the upgrade.

 

[Sammy]

ah, very important distinction. I suppose that's why there's even a question of whether or not you take the upgrade.

I am also very worried about making enough money to pay the rent on the place since right now I am still in school and am making zero dollars I am worried about how long it will be before I can manage to make enough to pay the rent and start contributing to my household income.

 

[Pompal 09.]

If you can afford it, then I vote for taking it. It sounds like an excellent opportunity. It all depends on the cash flow from your standpoint.

 

[^*^Death^*^]

TLC, can you have someone work for you as an independent contractor who gives you a perceneforum.xxxe of their fee, rather than their paying rent? Might that get you around the no additional renter clause?

(I'm not an expert on this, but maybe there are others on the forum who know for sure.)

Good luck, either way! School seems forever when you're in it, but believe me, it will go fast, and you'll be so far ahead if you have this situation already working! How cool! I'd vote for the main floor upgrade, too...the access to sinks and bathrooms is a huge advaneforum.xxxe, as well as the potential to allow handicap access, etc. from being on the street level.

 

[-_-]

I don't know anything about the laws in Wisconsin, but one thing you might want to check in to is can you legally do massage in your current office. The reason I'm mentioning this is because in Florida you must have running water (for hand washing at least) within so many feet of the massage room. I know of places where they rent and the bathrooms are "down the hall" that fulfill that requirement but not sure if "up the stairs and down the hall" would be close enough. But....like I said the laws in Wisconsin may not require running water????

Just a thought,
Angie

 

[CaliBlondi7]

I don't know anything about the laws in Wisconsin, but one thing you might want to check in to is can you legally do massage in your current office. The reason I'm mentioning this is because in Florida you must have running water (for hand washing at least) within so many feet of the massage room. I know of places where they rent and the bathrooms are "down the hall" that fulfill that requirement but not sure if "up the stairs and down the hall" would be close enough. But....like I said the laws in Wisconsin may not require running water????

Just a thought,
Angie

From what I could tell there are no regulations on this. Of course, I could be mistaken, but it doesn't seem to be that there are any. I will dig more into this.

 

[mat l]

Will you still be operating your other businesses out of the upstairs office and if so then how much can you offset the rent with that income?

If you are the only person running your businesses then you are the only person who can spend time coming up with the extra $300 without having extra time to make it. You'll have to look at how much money you make from the other businesses and how much you'll lose/gain by cutting into that time (or creating more time to focus on making money). If you can still work your other businesses while building your massage client base, then go for it. It will be hard work and a bit of a time compromise at first.

I would be nervous trying to come up with $900+ in rent every month if I were just doing massage, I couldn't sublet, and I didn't have any clients. But it sounds like you still have your other businesses to draw income from. Massage and massage related stuff can add to the income streams to easily pay the extra $300 a month, that's only 4 or 5 massages a month in order to pay the additional rent which is completely do-able for someone coming into the business.

I would suspect that you could even come up with more than half of that rent with massage if you are hooked in with the community a doula would seem to be hooked in with.

 

[Louise C]

Will you still be operating your other businesses out of the upstairs office and if so then how much can you offset the rent with that income?

If you are the only person running your businesses then you are the only person who can spend time coming up with the extra $300 without having extra time to make it. You'll have to look at how much money you make from the other businesses and how much you'll lose/gain by cutting into that time (or creating more time to focus on making money). If you can still work your other businesses while building your massage client base, then go for it. It will be hard work and a bit of a time compromise at first.

I would be nervous trying to come up with $900+ in rent every month if I were just doing massage, I couldn't sublet, and I didn't have any clients. But it sounds like you still have your other businesses to draw income from. Massage and massage related stuff can add to the income streams to easily pay the extra $300 a month, that's only 4 or 5 massages a month in order to pay the additional rent which is completely do-able for someone coming into the business.

I would suspect that you could even come up with more than half of that rent with massage if you are hooked in with the community a doula would seem to be hooked in with.

I think part of what makes me nervous is that right now I am not really working the other jobs too. Unfortunately with my school schedule, a dh and seven kids I had to take a break from my other jobs for the time I am in school. Right now I am paying the rent of the current office out of money that I saved before starting school, so when I come back into it in two months I have go and get those businesses started again - almost like starting them over again

My dh is very positive that I can make this work even with the higher rent and is actually going to look at the office for me today. He really thinks it is a good idea to move forward with this - I am the nervous one.

 

[tehpwnerer1918]

tlcdoula, have you decided on what you will do? How did the bigger office look?

 

[g0t_rice57]

tlcdoula, have you decided on what you will do? How did the bigger office look?

Well, I did sign the lease because I found out that I do need a sink. I was really bummed because the largest room is still much smaller than the one I have right now, so I will have to get creative. I think I have it all figured out though. That particular room is going to multi purpose.

Right now they are painting and cleaning the carpets and I will be able to start moving in within the next couple of weeks. I still really like my current office much better, but have little choice in the move. My choices really are to stay where I am at and not be able to do massage for a year there or move and figure out how it will all work out space wise.

When I move in I will let you know how it all goes