I used to think a business needed a big office to be taken seriously

For years, I ran my small marketing firm from a rented space in a downtown building, paying over $3000 a month. After the pandemic, I moved everything to my home and was sure clients would leave. Instead, a client in Phoenix told me over Zoom, 'Honestly, I just care that the work gets done.' That shift in thinking saved my business a ton of money. Has anyone else found that old-school status symbols matter less now?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_pat1mo ago

But you still need a real space to meet big clients in person. A zoom call can't replace a handshake and reading the room. That home office vibe just screams side hustle, not serious partner.

norathomas1mo ago

Oh man, the whole fancy office thing feels like such a weird flex now. Spent all that money just to have a fancy address to impress people who never even visit. That client in Phoenix nailed it, nobody cares about your chairs if the work is good. Honestly, the biggest status symbol now is just having a stable internet connection.

campbell.tara1mo ago

Right, because nothing says 'serious business partner' like dropping $36k a year on a conference table that nobody touches. Real trust is built in a shared Google Doc, apparently.