OfficePlace saw an uptick in people renting out our meeting rooms the past year. We attribute this to people that are still working from home but want a temporary respite from it to meet clients face to face. We’ve also seen an uptick in freelancers choosing to rent our office space because they need to get away from the home-based distractions from the pandemic. With the rest of the family either taking remote classes or still working from home, you would be surprised how easily lines between work and home life are blurred. Renting an office space or meeting room as a freelancer can be an easy way to keep those lines from being blurred.

Check out our article this week on renting an office space or meeting room as a freelancer.

Freelancers increase their productivity when working at an office.
It is obvious that more people adapted to working from home the past year, but many people still seem to get more things done when they are working in a professional environment. When surrounded by other business-minded people, it is much easier to make that mental shift from work to home. It is also easier to focus at an office. You won’t be consistently looking at the dishes that need to be done or the growing laundry pile. More focus means more productivity and more productivity means more revenue.

Renting a meeting room can look more professional to clients.
There was a time when meeting on Zoom five days a week was fine but now that people are heading back to the office, more in-person meetings are wanted. If you normally run your freelance business out of your house, you probably don’t want to have clients there. Renting a meeting room for a few hours provides a place to meet in person if you are not ready to handle the expense of renting an office yet.

Renting an office gives you better boundaries.
Working from home allows for a lot of flexibility but you have to remember that along with work, you will be dealing with the demands of household and family. Having an office allows you to have a very distinct line between work and home whereas running your business out of the home 24/7 can blur those lines. If you do decide to rent an office, you can always bring in some décor from your house so you don’t miss the home office too much.

Renting a meeting room gives you the chance to make a good first impression with new clients.
When the pandemic hit, many business professionals had serious withdrawal from meeting their clients or coworkers in person. There is something about meeting face to face and making a connection that can’t be done on Zoom. If you are still working from home or you have a remote-based business, renting a meeting room can give you the chance to meet a client or customer in person and make a great first impression. Whether you rent the meeting room for an hour or several hours, making a good face-to-face connection can help solidify a business relationship and turn the meeting attendee into a paying client.