Running an Ecommerce business can be quite rewarding. It’s no wonder that there are loads of ecommerce businesses popping out every once in a while. Knowing how versatile this industry gets, almost everyone can open their own ecommerce business nowadays, but there are definitely some things you should keep in mind.
If you’re into freelancing, you could easily run your own ecommerce business from your own home. You can set up a home office and work from there. You can rent an office space if you’d like to keep your home and family separated from your work, or you can even rent a virtual office space. We did a bit of researching, and we’ve come up with this short guide through choosing an ideal office for your ecommerce business, so let’s get straight to it.
Home Office
If you ask any freelancer about working from home, they will tell you it’s the best thing you can do for yourself. You have no extra costs; you don’t lose time commuting; you chose who you’re working with, and let’s not forget that you can work in your PJs without feeling out of place. So let’s break down some of the advantages of running your ecommerce business from home.
- Low Cost– You will have to invest resources in equipment, website, design, marketing, but other than that, your space costs are virtually non-existent. Another amazing thing is that in some countries you can get tax benefits from running your business from home.
- No Office Staff– When you’re running your business from home, you can find freelancers to outsource the things you can’t do yourself. You also don’t have to think about looking for cleaning services and people to answer calls, which helps with saving money quite a lot.
- No Commuting– As we’ve mentioned earlier, one of the amazing things you get to enjoy when working from home is the fact that you don’t have to travel long distances to get to work. You simply get out of your bed.
Virtual Office
This term “virtual office” can be a bit misleading. It represents an actual office located on an actual legitimate address. The businesses that use those offices have all of the amenities of a real office, but without having to worry about contractual or financial aspects of leasing one. Here are just some of the advantages of running your ecommerce from a virtual office.
- Legitimizes the Business Cheaply – Virtual offices usually provide a number of other services, things like virtual reception or a virtual assistant. They offer mail forwarding, access to offices in different places all around the world, and you can even get a virtual phone number. Having a business with a virtual office makes it much easier to register with the Federal government.
- No Long-Term Obligations– Finding a full-time office can be quite tricky. Especially if you’re looking for a lease that lasts less than 3 years. You can rarely find flexible terms when it comes to leasing a full-time office, and this can affect the way you run your ecommerce business. With virtual offices, you can make much more flexible plans, for example – month-to-month, or lease one year in advance.
Rented Full-Time Office
As a business owner, one of the most important steps you make in your career is to rent an office HQ. Businesses that show certain signs of success quite often end up renting an office building to help their business evolve. There are a lot of benefits to having a full-time office, so let’s check them out.
- Legitimizes the Business– A separate, physical office which your customers and clients can visit, gives them a feeling of trust and helps you build a relationship with your customers. Having an ecommerce business solely online may turn off some of your potential customers.
- Boosts Corporate Culture– Even if you have a single employee, bringing different personalities into the business mix can really help you build your business. Make sure your office is big enough and that it’s properly equipped. If you’re in Australia, you should look for affordable office furniture in Melbourne, and make sure your employees enjoy their working environment.
Wrapping It Up
These are just some of the options you should consider when thinking about starting your own ecommerce business. All of these options offer numerous advantages, but they all have their downsides as well. Make sure you do your homework and find the best solution for your specific ecommerce business plan.
