0816_TOEFL-Test-and-Score-Manual-1997

Money Matters ● 85
Be sure to factor in growth. The worst thing is to move in and realize
you will soon outgrow your new digs. If you end up with an extra office or
two, you might consider subleasing to another small business owner. But
be sure your lease allows you to sublease.
Feeling good about where you work is essential. It’s well worth your
effort to find the right broker to help you locate space and sign a lease that
suits your needs.
GREAT
IDEA
Share Space with a
Compatible Business
Another great option is to share space with another
small business. I once met two happy bakers who
shared a commercial kitchen in Orange County, California. The gourmet
brownie baker and his friend, a cheesecake baker, worked around the clock.
The brownie guy baked during the day; the cheesecake guy worked nights.
They split the expenses and kept the ovens hot around the clock.
In downtown Hanover, New Hampshire, Shackleton Thomas, an
upscale furniture maker and a high-end pottery company, share space with
Khawachen, a Tibetan rug and gift store. The three entrepreneurs began
sharing space in an old mill building in Bridgewater, Vermont.
Charles Shackleton, the custom furniture maker and his wife, Miranda
Thomas, a potter, decided to open a store on the main street of the college
town. Selling compatible wares, they thought it was a good idea to extend the
relationship with their friend, rug and decorative items importer, Kesang Tashi.
It makes sense that anyone who can afford a bedroom set for $30,000
would be open to buying a handmade $15,000 rug to go with it.
You don’t have to sell high-end furniture and rugs to share space.
Bankruptcy attorney Renee Sophia Coulter set up a small office in a copy
center located in a strip mall in Livonia, Michigan. Although she also works
at home, being in the copy center is perfect because bankruptcy clients need
lots of copies of records for their court cases. The owner of the shop, Cathy
Anderson, answers Coulter’s phone and rents her a small office in the back of
the shop for just $300 a month. It’s truly a win-win situation for both women.