Workshop: Home or Away? (Shop Location)

[Taylor]

What is your preference?
To have a home based shop out of a garage or similar, or located separately away in a more commercial setting?
Home seems convenient, but then this kind of thing happens (distraction).
Commercial generally costs a little more, but for clients it may be nicer... maybe a bit more productive as well?
I'm at home now... but I'm thinking of switching to a shared commercial space with another bicycle business (not to mention, the new location has access to a sandblast, and paint booth!)
I imagine most home shops are going to be a little smaller than the commercial spaces as well.
Not so much asking for advise as interested in who is doing what.
Thoughts, situations, locations?

[edoz]

I can see having a standalone location as a potential for distraction as well. If it is accessible you may have people hanging out wanting to chat, like down at the local bike shop. If it looks like it might be a bike shop, you could get people dragging bike shaped objects in wanting frames repaired that aren't worth the gas they spent hauling it. Or the inevitable "hey can you get this seatpost out?" With your shop being at your home, there seems to be some sort of social boundary where people don't think of you as 'at work' and 'at their service'.

That's just what I've gathered from my limited experience though, others will undoubtedly have different opinions.

[YiPsan]

Home, but preferably a separate structure.

[WadePatton]

i like having my shop 1/8 mile across the field. i can _see_ home/shop from the other, but i don't go back and forth willy nilly. with the level of add many of us carry, avoiding willy nilly is a good thing.

i'm too far from "town" to be a hangout.

i like having some separation, but never want a commute.

[VertigoCycles]

I like having a home location. The distraction level can be high at times but it's entirely dependent on your work ethic and understanding of whomever is living in the house with you. I have customers over here for meetings from time to time and always welcome my local customers to come over to check out progress. There is a down side in my own situation. I have a toddler who destroys the house every day and it's pointless to clean up until night time. If I bring someone through the house, it's not a great presentation but I have yet to see an actual impact from that scenario.

On the other hand...we're headed out east for a visit to MD next month and while we're there I'm going to be looking at commercial spots with living above in Frederick. IF the stars align, we're going to entertain moving back. The idea is to get the benefit of an on-site shop that's also a separate commercial space. Best of both.

[cardinal]

IF the stars align, we're going to entertain moving back.

NOOOO!!!

I won't allow this.

[Proparc]

There is a down side in my own situation. I have a toddler who destroys the house every day and it's pointless to clean up until night time. If I bring someone through the house, it's not a great presentation but I have yet to see an actual impact from that scenario.

Hey, if he doesn't like your toddler,(or his shenanigans) just don't sell him a bike!!

[Dazza]

Home, but preferably a separate structure.

yeah, what he said


because of having the workshop at home
you can be handcuffed to the home workshop
and feel guilty for not being down there
the distraction for me is from having a normal home life, always a new project
as I assemble a Super Record Group set on a new frame
and about to lace up wheels
on Sunday!
What else is there to do on Sunday till the workshop steam loco building extension is built and paid for

then the distraction will be the steam loco making

[Eric Estlund]

because of having the workshop at home
you can be handcuffed to the home workshop

Ah, finding balance! This is something I struggle with working from home. I put in a lot of "off hour" time. Growing up my parents ran a business in a similar fashion- an on site but separate space. I find myself falling into the same 6+ day a week habits. But maybe that's just being a small business owner? Or job passionate?

I see pro's and con's to both situations, but am currently very happy to be working in a dedicated space on site.

[datas_brother]

I'm just starting out, but I chose home for 2 reasons:

1. I can deduct part of my mortgage payment (Germany) to reduce my tax burden without having actual costs.
2. Since I'm keeping my day job for now, I spend less time away from the family while still getting work done.

Setting up a new shop right now in the basement.

Cheers
Kevin

[Carl S]

What is your preference?
To have a home based shop out of a garage or similar, or located separately away in a more commercial setting?
Home seems convenient, but then this kind of thing happens (distraction).
Commercial generally costs a little more, but for clients it may be nicer... maybe a bit more productive as well?
I'm at home now... but I'm thinking of switching to a shared commercial space with another bicycle business (not to mention, the new location has access to a sandblast, and paint booth!)
I imagine most home shops are going to be a little smaller than the commercial spaces as well.
Not so much asking for advise as interested in who is doing what.
Thoughts, situations, locations?

I'm currently in a commercial location but my plan is to move back to my home and build from a separate structure. I think that if you do not plan on having employees or don't' need a larger space or a walk in location that a commercial location can provide it can be a lot more expensive than it's worth. Not only do you pay rent but you have to pay for heat and electricity as well as a another phone and Internet line. Depending on where you live you might get on the cities radar and before you know it you have to get a occupancy permit which can be expensive if they slap a bunch of requirements on you.

[John Winston]

Been in both. From 10,000 feet to 4,000 feet to now a two car home garage. For building frames, the garage seems ideal. Nice, cozy, and on my time. At the house.....great for distractions and great on conveinence.

I do like a seperate space and more of it, but then I like to build other stuf as well. In fact, getting to look right now for a few thousand feet (expanding biz) and I'll make sure I have an area for a shop.

As far as sharing, I couldn't share. The workshop is truly a place I can go and just sit amongst the tools and be at peace. I don't like people in my tools (because usually I have to replace or repair them after their use) and you loose the ability to work on your schedule......like farming it out, which from what I gather on this board, is the oppisite direction one should be traveling-

[abbeyQ]

I have the worst of all setups, in somebody else's garage clear across town. He is my 'partner' although he is going through some rough stuff in life and I haven't seen him in the shop in months. I have keys to the shop so access isn't an issue but it' still loaded with stuff not related to building bikes and space is tight, maybe 350 feet that is dedicated to building.

Although I couldn't justify renting space I would love to move the shop into my garage although that wouldn't net me any more permeant room.

[Andrew R Stewart]

Great thread- I've had 10 different shops that I've built in. Three times in a professional location. Twice at classes. Twice at other's home basements and the rest in my home's basement.

I will agree that home shops can be distracting. But so can remote ones if the word gets out and people start hanging out. It is easier to control one's home from visiters.

It seems to me that going remote is a business deccission as much as a work style one. The added costs of rent, insurance and the inevetable fix up needs that most will see when moving out of the basement or garage make the building far more a business then expensive hobby.

Having said all that here I am slowly fixing up shop #11 in both the basement and garage. As this building thing is still only hobby I'll take the cost savings and timing flexibility of a home shop.

Taylor- Do tell us what you decide or learn.

[Zimmermanbicycle]

I'm in the process of organizing my two car garage to move the building home,the drive across Los Angeles is seriously eating into my work time and with a baby on the way I know I'm going to have a lot less time on my hands!
Now I just need to figure out what to do with the garage full of motorcycles and old bicycles!
-Eric

[Icarus]

My situation right now is sort of the opposite of most home shops in that I pay for warehouse space and actually sleep there. Obviously this isn't an ideal situation but it saves a ton of money and I can work late into the night and then just crash. The shop shows no signs of being lived in so it maintains a nice professional/commercial look. That being said, I don't know how long I will hold out before snatching up an apartment again.

The warehouse I have space in is actually the old Merlin building and is where Fat City used to be across the street. It is neat working in a building with frame building history.

[savine]

I´m working out of an existing framebuilders, thoug had originally intended to work from home as this ain´t my full time job. Though in the long run I´m looking on having the shop at home but at the moment it´s not feasible and the garage & cellar are full up, though I´m bringing a frame jiig home this weekend to help speed up the work on hand.

[Tommy Nash]

I started off building at home in a very small (less than 200 sqf), very low (7 ft ceiling), and dark space which I don't think I could ever go back to. My current work space is in our retail repair bicycle shop (off site) which is great because of the space, light, and that I don't personally have to pay rent utilities etc. I personally prefer keeping work and home separate.

After I finish my current build I'm moving the frame operation to a newly acquired garage space adjacent to our retail floor. This will be nice because we can use my current space as an auxiliary/on the spot repair bench, and I can hole myself away more easily. I'll be sure to post pictures of the new set up.

[Archibald]

My "shops" are on my property. This is good and bad. It used to be good because in the early years I could work all the time, the business paid rent (income), and it lowered my financial burden. Nowadays I wish it was off site. I could escape work easier, the barrier between home, family, & work would be real rather than virtual, and I could use those buildings for other projects/activities.

If I had it to do all over again, and my circumstances were the same, I'd probably do it the same way as I have, but ideally, a separate shop you owned within easy bike commuting or walking distance would be better.

[Dornbox]

I'm currently working out of a detached garage at my house. The perks are pretty sweet, low overhead and it affords me the opportunity to spend a chunk of the day with my 7 month old son. For now, given the current size of my client list, there are very few drawbacks about working from home. In the future, I can see the need for a nicer space which is more about clients etc. but I'm not sure if that has to be a commercial space. I really like the idea of a collaborative though. Phoenix Park Mill with Tony Maietta, Toby Stanton, and occasionally visit from Zanconato is a pretty sweet location but a little far away. For now I'm psyched to ride around the corner to Circle A for the occasional social flyby. I guess home's a pretty sweet setup... if it's properly setup.