If you want, just get a virtual office, cheap, usually around 80-200 a month where I live so you get a physical address to use (mail, and so clients don't see your home adress), and you can use their meeting rooms to meet with clients.

i believe you need the office if you pretend to play the "corporate game" ... in my case, part of my success is that I'm not a company, and that's how I brand myself.

My office is in my house, close to the beach and I don't accept customers because my house is full of my kids toys.

If you brand yourself like a company, I guess you need an office. but if you explain them why you are proud of not being a company then it's easier.

Can we meet in your office?
- I don't have a office.
What? What do you mean?
- I don't have an office.
Well, what kind of professional doesn't have an office.
- Well the kind of professional that spends more time working from home, than commuting or in corporate meetings. In fact if you hire me, I can work better from home and spend more time and money in improving my skills to provide you a better service... instead of spending money in rent, secretary and "drinks" with clients.

We occasionally tease prospects we think are going to be difficult by not mentioning the office.

When they ask, then we show.

I do wonder what would happen if we had nothing to show.

We all know, that the quality of your offline work has nothing to do having an office or not.

A virtual office seems like a good bet either way for people?

I guess the flipside is how you find working at home?

I don't think it is necessary at all, unless you are the type of person that gets distracted easily and can't focus at home, or you have kids and they "won't" let you get any work done.

You can do everything by Skype and/or Go To Meeting if you want.

Just think what you would do if you got clients that were far away. It's about positioning yourself as the expert. If someone won't work with you just because you work from home, either it's a sales issue, or they are probably going to be a problem client that you won't want anyway.

Offer to start small and show them results and then build on that.

Hi Steve, just signed up for your bootcamp. My office is my kitchen and I do meet clients here, or in a cafe, or at their office or in a pub. Have hired a meeting room to punt up my local directory.

I don't think it matters for business, certainly not where I'm located, but it can be problematic domestically if I have to put in a long week.

Tony

I've never had someone even mention wanting to see my office before...

I've been asked how big my "team" is, but that's about it...

What is usually happening when that question is asked? Sounds like they are seeking confirmation of your businesses "credibility" perhaps...

~Dexx

I dont lose clients over it... but I miss having an office, and plan on starting another one. The cost is made up for by the increased profits you get from supervising the people who work for you directly. Not to say virtual people dont work, but its good to have a few people in an office buzzing away together too...the buzz helps productivity.

I get tired of working at home... believe it or not.

I have a real office and it is actually pretty affordable. I am only there anymore when someone "wants to meet me at my office" but it is something I need just in case.

Well, it's nice having an office to hang around at. In Seattle if you say you work at home and can meet at a coffee shop no one cares one bit. No I can see if you are in certain industries that might be an issue, but when doing marketing or "Internet stuff" I haven't talked with anyone yet who cares. Additionally many big companies are encouraging their staff to work at home. I don't think it's that big of a deal anymore. Go to a coffee shop at 10:00AM, it's mostly business people in meetings!

Nowadays it is not as important to have an office...working from home is very normal and it will be even more popular in the years to come...

I go to starbucks all the time to work on my laptop but everytime time I go all the tables are taken by people in business meetings...Sometimes I have to drive to 3 different starbucks to find a table...I would sit outside but its cold now here in Cali.

I agree it's all about how you present yourself. I've been able to succeed with meeting clients at public places or restaurants, using a P.O. box, and getting a VoIP phone line.

I also suggest getting fax to email. Try to accommodate the things an office would.

When we start up our offline IM in a few months we're definitely going to get an office. I think it would be considerably harder to land $1k+/mo clients without an office. Plus, like many of you said, it's nice to get out of the house and be working together with other people. Keeps you more focused and motivated.

i have been looking into those rent-a-office services lately but only because i need working space for my sales team to clock in and out from. so far when i was a one man show in offline marketing, i never had a problem with working at home. but most of my clients were referrals from other clients and a certain fundamental level of trust was already there from the beginning.

i don't think an office is necessary but if you are looking to hire a team and hold seminars and educational "classes" than you should look into getting a space to do them in.

I've quite a few clients and have never needed an office. I always ensure I meet them at their place, always a nice little inspection for me.

Having a physical office is just an another expenses indeed for the rent, I'm just working at home sound thrifty while some of my employees full time and part time are just working home based as well and we're get connected. So far I see nothing complication in it as far as the business is concern.

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It's not been an issue for me at all, as I work and advertise virtually and have yet to contact a prospect or customer that lived within 500 miles of me! Everything is done over email, the phone and Skype, if needed.

Paul