How to Run a Business from Your Home Garage: 4 Practical Considerations

Editor's Note: Take a look at our featured best practice, Five Stages of Business Growth (25-slide PowerPoint presentation). This presentation introduces a framework for entrepreneurs to use when building and navigating their business from a nascent, startup state to an enterprise with a global footprint. This framework, called the 5 Stages of Business Growth, is based on the fact that all businesses experience common [read more]

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All the big guys of the business world have done it, so why couldn’t you? The garage is the perfect space to dedicate to a small business because it’s somewhat separated from the house and provides enough room to move around or install equipment.

Plus, the garage provides you with valuable office space that doesn’t cost extra. Also, it’s right there, by your house. If you want, you can go to work in your PJs, and no one will bat an eye. Your precious projects are nearby, which makes it easier to work after your 9 to 5 or when inspiration strikes unexpectedly.

Still, there are a few considerations to keep in mind, depending on the type of business you want to run.

Here are some of the most common ones:

1. Check the Local Laws

Before you even start cleaning and organizing the garage space, check the local zoning laws and see if you are allowed to run a business from home. Most municipalities have these laws that regulate the type of land use allowed and more.

Check with the local authorities and/or your Homeowners Association and make sure you meet all the requirements. Otherwise, there may be trouble in the future.

2. Can You Get In and Out of Your Garage Easily — With Any Equipment You Need?

There is a long list of businesses you can run from a garage, from software development to car repairs. That’s why it’s important to do some planning once you know the object of activity and the number of people your garage will have to accommodate.

If you run a car repair shop, you have to get all sorts of equipment inside the garage, plus the cars. The same goes for other types of businesses such as assembly services, pet groomers, or laundry services.

To make things easy for you and reduce loading and unloading times, it helps to look into qualified garage door openers. Besides, with such a device, your garage business will be safer, and you can even control them remotely.

3. Make It Comfortable

The garage is designed for cars and storage space, so it often has lower insulation and none of the comforts of living space. But if you want to turn it into a working space, this will have to change, especially if you plan on spending time there during the cold and hot seasons.

Start considering the right types of garage insulation to reduce the loss of heat during winter or to keep the hot air outside during summer. Also, you may want to add drywall, paint, and some decorations to turn it into a comfortable space.

Next should come office furniture, equipment, and other tools that are needed to optimize the work routine.

4. Be Prepared to Move On

Businesses that use innovation to change and grow are the most successful because they can accept and adapt to change.

As your business grows, you may want to hire more people or bring in better equipment. This may also mean that you’ll outgrow the usefulness of your garage space and need to think about renting a bigger, better-positioned office space.

When the time comes, be prepared to leave your garage and move on. It may be difficult, given the benefits, but growth often requires such accommodations.

Key Takeaways

The garage space is ideal for starting a small business from home, but it needs a few changes first. Starting with finding the right garage door opener to finding the right equipment for your business, you will have to make a few investments for things to go well from the start.

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