Many of the world’s best-known businesses began as small-scale projects headquartered in garages, and there’s still a strong trend for repurposing domestic spaces as startup hubs.
Of course, it’s not always easy to get into the swing of running a small business out of your garage, and a lot of the obstacles are purely practical, so let’s look at what you’ll need to do to overcome a cavalcade of minor annoyances.
Invest In a Garage Door Opener
Having to manually haul your garage door up and down isn’t ideal, both from a convenience perspective and when it comes to security. You want to protect your fledgling firm from physical incursions, as well as from cyber threats.
This is where finding garage door openers on this site and installing them on your premises makes sense. You’ll find it easier to get in and out of the garage when you start work each day, which is obviously useful if there’s no internal door linking to this space.
And when you greet prospective clients or new hires, letting them into your garage-based business using an automatic mechanism rather than a manual approach will make you seem more professional and purposeful as well. For a real-life illustration of successful garage-based business operations, one can look at Family Christian Doors.
Add More Security Features
The door is just one piece of the security puzzle if you’re starting a business out of your garage. If you’re going to be storing valuable equipment or sensitive information in this space, you’ll need another security tech to keep it safe.
Luckily there are lots of smart alarm systems which are made for domestic use and yet are more than capable of keeping tabs on your garage, as well as the rest of your home.
There’s no point taking chances, even if you feel like your neighborhood is quiet and crime-free. A small investment in a security system will save you a bundle in the long run.
Consider Connectivity
It’s more than likely that your business will need some form of internet connection, and relying on the patchy coverage of your home Wi-Fi isn’t ideal, especially in an area like the garage where thick exterior walls will block some or all of the signal.
There are a few options here, the simplest of which is to snap up plug-in extenders that will boost your wireless coverage to whichever part of the premises requires it.
If you need a fully wired connection, running an Ethernet cable from your router to your garage is a sensible step. To attach multiple machines to the same port, buy a switch to go along with this.
Embrace Insulation
Garages are often left with little or no insulation because they aren’t designed to be habitable but instead just need to be able to keep the elements away from the average automobile.
This can make them uncomfortable places to work, as they’ll be too cold in the winter and too hot in the summer. A lack of insulation also means that sound can leak out easily, which might be a frustration for your neighbors if you spend hours a day in lively discussions on Zoom calls.
Insulating a garage to make it more amenable for business use is the answer, and again there are various approaches to consider.
You could go all-out with insulation on the walls and door panels, adding plasterboard on top and creating a more livable space. You could choose a cost-effective alternative and simply reduce drafts and try to keep as much heat in as possible.
In short, select strategies that make sense for your business setup, your garage configuration, and your budget!