How to Create a Home Office Area to Meet With Clients
With many home businesses it is necessary to meet with clients sometimes.
You simply cannot expect clients or prospects to feel comfortable in your lounge room, surrounded by toys and kids.
And the kitchen with its sink full of dishes has limited possibilities.
Even if you don't have children, you need a space for your clients that suits them.
This will help your clients feel that you are a professional at what you do and enable you to discuss business matters in a quiet and relaxed atmosphere, free of interruptions.
The ideal solution is have an accessible office from outside.
This will separate your personal life from your business -- a necessity when running a business from home.
If this area can be at the front of the house, so much the better.
You'll be able to have a visible sign directing your clients to the correct place.
You can restrict family access to a side or back entrance.
Your waiting room -- if you need one -- can be your front porch or even the foyer of the home.
To create a suitable meeting area in your office, you need to visualize what you will use each area for.
You haves your workspace -- which is usually occupied by a computer and chair -- and you have storage space that is close to the workspace.
You can use the rest of the space for the meeting area.
You should design your meeting area with comfort in mind.
Whether you have a sofa and easy chairs or whether you have a table and straight-backed chairs may depend on your space and your business.
Try using straight-backed chairs.
Try them out yourself first.
Some are more comfortable than others.
You may need a table to demonstrate something on.
Or you may need to use a laptop or an overhead projector.
Make sure your client space is appropriate for the kind of business you have.
If you need to simply talk to clients, then a sofa or easy chairs may be the best option.
Two easy chairs are better than one sofa, unless you are likely to interview two people at once.
You may need a small coffee table to provide tea or coffee options, but be sure this does not intrude on your available space.
For instance, instead of the usual coffee table in front of the sofa, try a small round one at one end.
You can put two easy chairs along one wall, but you'll need to pull the far side of each forward slightly so you are facing your client, rather than both staring at the opposite wall.
The obvious place for a small table is then between the two.
You simply cannot expect clients or prospects to feel comfortable in your lounge room, surrounded by toys and kids.
And the kitchen with its sink full of dishes has limited possibilities.
Even if you don't have children, you need a space for your clients that suits them.
This will help your clients feel that you are a professional at what you do and enable you to discuss business matters in a quiet and relaxed atmosphere, free of interruptions.
The ideal solution is have an accessible office from outside.
This will separate your personal life from your business -- a necessity when running a business from home.
If this area can be at the front of the house, so much the better.
You'll be able to have a visible sign directing your clients to the correct place.
You can restrict family access to a side or back entrance.
Your waiting room -- if you need one -- can be your front porch or even the foyer of the home.
To create a suitable meeting area in your office, you need to visualize what you will use each area for.
You haves your workspace -- which is usually occupied by a computer and chair -- and you have storage space that is close to the workspace.
You can use the rest of the space for the meeting area.
You should design your meeting area with comfort in mind.
Whether you have a sofa and easy chairs or whether you have a table and straight-backed chairs may depend on your space and your business.
Try using straight-backed chairs.
Try them out yourself first.
Some are more comfortable than others.
You may need a table to demonstrate something on.
Or you may need to use a laptop or an overhead projector.
Make sure your client space is appropriate for the kind of business you have.
If you need to simply talk to clients, then a sofa or easy chairs may be the best option.
Two easy chairs are better than one sofa, unless you are likely to interview two people at once.
You may need a small coffee table to provide tea or coffee options, but be sure this does not intrude on your available space.
For instance, instead of the usual coffee table in front of the sofa, try a small round one at one end.
You can put two easy chairs along one wall, but you'll need to pull the far side of each forward slightly so you are facing your client, rather than both staring at the opposite wall.
The obvious place for a small table is then between the two.
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