Finding business accommodation

The accommodation of your business is an important issue. The amount of money you need to invest depends on the nature and size of your business.

Choice of business space

You should ask yourself the following questions when looking for a business space:

• Will I be starting up in my own home? If you are going to work from home, you should consider the zoning plan: most homes are within residential zones. These are set out in the zoning plan which prohibits the establishment of a business in such a zone. Nevertheless, a home business may sometimes be permitted.
• Will I buy existing premises or have new premises built?
• Will I rent business premises? What obligations does rental involve?
• Which location is most suitable for my business?
• Which locations are available? What are their advantages and disadvantages? For an overview of available business and office space, please contact the Chamber of Commerce in your region.
• What costs are involved?

Working from home

Running your own business from home is highly recommended (if at all practical) because it is cheaper and avoids the need for you to sign a long lease on premises. Starting out from home is also a good way of “testing the water” before plunging into the deep end.

It must be stressed however, that there are limitations to operating a business from home and several factors need to be considered.

• Is your business suited to operating from a home base?
• Is the layout, design and location of the home suitable?
• Is there enough space to carry on the business without disrupting the family routine too much?
• Are you likely to run into problems with the municipality because the zoning is strictly residential?
• Are you likely to get complaints from neighbours about pollution, noise or other disturbances?

If you can overcome these problems, there are a number of benefits to be gained by operating from a home base. For starters, there is the saving in travel to and from the workplace and the ability to be able to work at any hour of the day or night when necessary. Of course, this can also be a trap. When the work has piled up, it is sometimes difficult when you are running a home-based business to avoid the temptation of spending every spare moment you have in the business.