Thinking Outside the Box

This is a phrase we hear so often that the idea and the phrase itself are now “inside the box.” But does being “inside the box” where “everyone” is doing the same thing really make an idea bad, non-profitable, inefficient, etc.? Well, it depends.

What Happens on Saturn, Stays on Saturn


In his blog, “Do they celebrate on Saturn?” Seth Godin says that, “years ago, ‘everyone’ wore a hat. But by ‘everyone,’ we really mean men of a certain social stratum in certain cities, and they all wore the hat because everyone else did.” He points out that in other communities “everyone” wasn’t doing the same thing at all, and they never even heard of it on Saturn.  “Peer pressure,” he says, “is a little like barometric pressure. It’s constant, it’s around us, and we assume that it’s universal. If it’s not helping you achieve your goals, ignore it.”

Taking a Look at an Example

Now let’s examine a case in point – starting a new business. The commonly held belief is that “everyone” that starts a new business goes out and:

  • signs a long-term lease for a space or buys property and builds
  • furnishes the business space
  • installs a phone system
  • gets Internet access
  • hires employees or contractors
  • buys equipment
  • buys inventory
  • starts advertising
  • gets a website

When Your Goal Is a Shoe String

This is what peer pressure makes people think they have to do to start a business. But if your goal is to start a business “on a shoe string,” what can you ignore that will not help you achieve your goal? Depending on the business, you might be able to eliminate building a space or signing a long-term lease by renting a virtual office in a business center.

Virtual office spaces also offer many of the “must-haves” for a new business, such as telephone and Internet. Many features and services offered by virtual offices are much less expensive than purchasing the individual items or hiring employees to provide the services. Merris Business Center a virtual office Brentwood TN business owners can count on that includes:

  • a receptionist
  • a reception area
  • a phone number
  • Internet service
  • phone answering/mail service
  • well-furnished, rent-by-the-day office
  • short-term office suite rentals
  • well-equipped meeting rooms

As you can see, the list above filters out many expenses that would help you meet the goal of starting a business on a shoe string.

Need More Than a Virtual Office?

Merris Business Center also provides executive office suites and premier office space in Brentwood, TN with administrative support and services. If you’d like to learn more about all that Merris Business Center has to offer please contact us at (615) 933-5100