Collaborative post – may contain affiliate links

You’ve decided to take the plunge. You’ve left your corporate structured, nine-to-five job with its regular income and its stability. There was scope for progression there, but somehow it might feel that ploughing your heart and soul into somebody else dreams is not for you. For you, the joy of business is planting the seed yourself; then watching your dreams grow large as you nurture them.

So, you’ve got your idea. You’ve even managed to pull some savings together to get you off the ground. You have reordered your lifestyle to accommodate the personal risk you’re taking and you’re off. You are in business! Now comes the real challenge, the hard work and, if you play it right, the freedom to live as you want while your business flourishes.

The type of business you are operating will largely dictate the type of physical space you need to operate in. Obviously, if you need a space where your customers need to come to you, like a restaurant or store, then real estate is pivotal in your planning. But for so many types of businesses these days, such as web design, copywriting, and so many service-based industries, it is less about the physical office. With the growth of cloud computing, a lot of your work can be done from anywhere in the world. It might sound cliche to say that you want your office to be a sun bed on the beach of some idyllic Greek island, but with a laptop, internet connection and good online business support, you can connect with your customers or provide your services remotely.

This kind of freedom does sound amazing though. There’s no boardroom, no need for a tie. If you want to set a business with partners in other cities, or even on the other side of the world; there are so many online collaboration tools out there. You could have face to face conferencing, brainstorming sessions, have PowerPoint presentations, set agendas and deadline reminders for your team.

You might be supplying a product which you never need to handle, manage warehouse facilities for or ship yourself. By outsourcing fulfillment, you are free to be where life suits you. There’s no need to pay rent on a building that frankly depresses you. There’s no worry about hiring or firing teams to handle your stock. It almost feels like virtual reality.

The returns in terms of quality of life from making this kind of switch can be immense. You would have the flexibility to live your life how you need to; if you have a young child, you can be around as they grow up instead of stuck in a building away from them for most of your waking life. But, there are some things to consider. With the conventional nine-to-five, it’s much easier to leave your work at home. It is very important to set yourself rules, work during set times, and be sure and always find the time to enjoy life as much as possible.