Business owners sometimes find it challenging to find office space that best suits their needs. The logistics of running a business can be stressful and the last thing you want as a business owner is to get distracted from concentrating on your core business. Serviced offices are a good alternative especially considering that different businesses have varied office space needs.Whether you are a startup looking for a small, furnished office or a larger company in need of temporary office space, serviced offices offer custom solutions to suit different requirements. These offices save you the hassles of setting up office in terms of furnishing, equipping, décor and other aspects before you move in. Here is a guide to help you find office space that is just right for you.Your budget is obviously a major consideration. One of the advantages of serviced offices is that you pay only for what you need and the rents can be quite flexible. Considering that setting up office can be extremely costly, moving into a ready office can save you a lot of money especially if you need a shorter contract. Be aware that certain regions attract higher rent so if you are on a budget, look for space located in a suitable region where rents are a bit lower.Being able to find cheaper office space is a plus. However, it is important to ensure that what you are getting is of good quality. Your quest to save money may actually cost you more in the long term if the quality of the services is not good enough. Sometimes it is a good idea to pay a bit more, save money in the long term, and give your customers a pleasant experience whenever they visit your business premises.Consider paying for additional services like refreshments, support services, customer service staff, discounted international calls and postal services among others, which will be included in the rent.When selecting a location, most business owners prefer a place with easy access for them, their staff and customers. With serviced offices, the rent covers the cost of security as well and you can rest assured that customers have easy and safe access to your business. Other features to look out for are parking, office equipment sharing, and fitness facilities.No one likes unpleasant surprises. Before signing the lease, read and understand exactly what you are paying for. Ask about any hidden charges that may not be obvious. Often, the charges for services like electricity, heating, internet connection, maintenance and boardroom charges are covered in the rent. Find out what is included in your bill and what is not.Your needs will certainly determine the size and type of office space you select. You can start out with smaller space and add more to accommodate more staff and customers as your business grows. On the other hand, if you realize that you do not need all the space you are paying for, serviced offices allow you the flexibility to downgrade to just what you need.

A Home Made Business might also be called a Lifestyle business. It’s a business that you start from scratch, usually at home. A home made business allows you to work around your kids and family at times that suit you.Why start your own home made business?A home made business might be a way to supplement your income, replace a full-time salary so you can spend more time with your kids, or just to give you more freedom and flexibility in your life. We sometimes reach a stage in our life where we want to work for ourselves and be our own boss.What is the best home made business for you?Think about what you enjoy doing. What do you spend your time on when you’re not working? What do you talk about? What are you good at and what do others compliment you on? If you’re not sure, ask! Ask your friends and family what your skills and strengths are. Their answers might surprise you. You might have a formal education or a senior executive position in a company, but you could be the most amazing party organiser or extremely organised. Use these skills to consider what you enjoy and how you could leverage them for a business. For example, if you’re a great party organiser, think about organising corporate events, children’s parties, or other events or activities locally. If you’re supremely efficient and organised, show others how to organise themselves. Set yourself up as an office or home organiser or show women how to organise their wardrobes.Consider whether you want to work locally. For example, dog walking, party planning, cake making, or other “localised” services. Or are you comfortable working online as a virtual assistant or personal assistant. Online opportunities are endless – you could organise people’s diaries, travel, admin or a myriad of business services depending on your unique skills.Perhaps you’re a great photographer, cook, good with children or animals, event planner, graphic designer, have a great eye for interior design, love sewing and making your own clothes… don’t let your beliefs or limitations stop you from dreaming big.What are the steps in involved in start your own home made business?Start Small. Put aside thoughts that starting a business has to be an expensive or risky venture. Focus on starting a small business from home that you work on a few hours a week and build up slowly. To start with you won’t need a shopfront, offices, staff or expensive machinery or a lot of stock.Test out your market and your ideas. Research your market and your ideas. Find out who else is doing what you do and how they do it. Can you find a gap in the market, or do it better than someone else?Perhaps you can find a specialist niche in your skill set. For example, if you’re a hair-dresser, beautician or aromatherapist, could you offer a mobile service and bring hair, beauty, tanning, nail or massage services to people in their homes?Another huge area is diet, health and nutrition. Have you lost weight or successfully found a way to live with Crohns, diabetes, or enjoy a low salt, low sugar diet that works? Share that with others and start a local group. People will pay for expert advice that will help them meet their needs and solve their problems. If you can help someone lose weight, gain confidence or make money, you’ll be on to a winner.Plan, plan, plan. This doesn’t mean spending weeks (or money) on a 30-page business plan. Keep it simple and plan for success.Firstly, write down your goals and what you will achieve with your home business. Then use the four P’s of marketing to write a simple one-page plan:Product – what do customers want? What need does it satisfy?Price – what is the value of your product to the customer? What are your competitors charging?Place – where do your potential customers look for your product or service? Where do they congregate?Promotion – Where, when and how will you get your marketing message across to your target market?Promote your idea before your spend a lot of time developing products and services. This might sound counterintuitive but you want to ensure you have a hungry market and a clear niche before you invest a lot of time and money in creating products and services that might not sell.Tell everyone you meet about your idea and your business and solicit their feedback and ideas. Search out others in your niche and see if you can work with them, or learn from them. Perhaps you offer complimentary services and can share your marketing costs or joint venture together.Last, but not least, just get started. Take one small step every day towards your goals and don’t let anything stand in your way. Good luck!