I have had my business for a little over 2 years now. I do all my printing and design at home. I meet some customers at the house, but most are met at my dad's sign shop where i used to work. my stepmom used to run their second location and had an embroidery machine she got burned out on it so i also work a day a week in exchange for payment. the machine is also there, as i don't have the room.
i figure 90%+ of my work comes from his customers. it has worked fairly well so far, but i'm at the point to where meeting customers, picking up shirts, going to the bank, etc., etc. is really starting to eat into my actual production time. I feel that having a shop space somewhere will help condense down my running around. i would have my own place for customers to come to, i could keep the emb. machine running while i print, increasing production. another big plus is that i'll have my garage back.
the biggest setback is money. right now it's tight and i'm not sure just having a shop will necessarily bring in enough customers to justify the expense. i would however, have more time to promote the business instead of running around. i also want to be able to afford the embroidery machine without having to work a day a week for it. i'm sure a good, high traffic space might naturally bring people in, but those usually come with a high price.
for the ex-homebasers, at what point did you take a leap and get a space, and do you feel that it justified the expense and how long was it untill you felt comfortable paying the rent?
Have the money or the income first before making the jump to a shop space. The expenses will be double whatever you're thinking right now. If you can get a steal on the rent and you don't need a lot of money to live on, you might just make it. On the other hand, if you need 30k a year to live on and your new shop rent is 1000-1500/month, do the math- it aint gonna work.
Of course you might have a large amount of volume right now, so I don't know your financials.... but.....
I've had a shop, worked from home, and now in another shop. My advice, stay home and stack money for as long as you can.
I started at home first, until I paid and brought everthing, I need for about 2 years and then I move in to a shop were I am today sent 2002. If you can find a place were the rent is cheap and not a store front that will work to. I am in a building were there are other business, not a store front. See if that will work for you. I would say go for it if you can. LaTonya
I have been working from home for a 1 and a half years now,my workshop is under the house (2 car garage space).I have a regular job mon to fri and do jobs on the weekend ,last financial year I made a fair yearly income on just that weekend work, It is great bieng able to walk down stairs to work, also as I use it as a working area, I can claim it at tax time. It is good to not have to worry about paying rent ( AU$380.00 a week (2 car garage size) average when I enquired), clients don't mind coming to my house, they like to have a look at my workshop and the ones who are to busy ,most of the time just Email me Artwork. Having a factory/shopfront definatly does give a good perception, but at the end of the day it is your quote that will ultimatly win you the job and most of the time the client will have nothing more than your email address. once you have a good client base they will keep coming back to you .
Saying that, Not everyone has a large area and there is also something to be said for having a work area away from home so that you don't feel as you are living at work. But working from home is working great for me.
for those who were homebased now with shops 
