Working from home brings some problems:
Like many professionals, their time is too valuable to spend on administration ace

Sarah runs a successful human resources consulting firm from her Kitsilano townhouse. Today she'll spend 90 minutes at Kinko's overseeing the copying of a client report; two hours at her bookkeeper's; an hour choosing a new cell phone; and two hours setting up a new printer in her home office. By the time she finishes these basic daily chores she'll have only an hour to work before her kids get home.

Sarah's dilemma is typical for home office workers. Like any professionals, their time is valuable -- too valuable to spend on administrative work.

Yet many home office workers need too few hours of support

to merit an administrative assistant, or feel uncomfortable bringing an employee into their homes.

These professionals constitute a valuable and growing market for business services. According to a 2001 EKOS research report, 11 per cent of Canadians now work primarily from home, and 40 per cent work from home at least some of the time.

But these workers are ill-served by the current array of professional and business services and stores. Most are geared either to high-volume corporate clients, or occasional home users. Home office workers get lost in the middle.

How could businesses better serve (and profit from) this market?

One-stop shopping: Home workers must make separate trips for things like photocopying, client meetings, shipping, office supplies, or computer help. Integrating multiple business services under one roof -- and including meeting space -- would be a sure-fire way of attracting home workers in droves.

Water coolers: Office workers benefit personally and professionally from casual interaction with their colleagues. Home workers are relatively isolated. Cafes or public offices could provide a mix of infrastructure (internet connections, desk space) and social opportunities so that home workers can mingle and network.

Real estate: Most houses and apartments are designed for residence only. Houses and condos could be built or tailored for home office workers by including separate entrances for clients, and real office spaces that don't feel like converted bedrooms.

Home office specialists: Stores such as Staples or the Future Shop could designate home office specialists on their sales teams.

Do home-based workers need to form political pressure groups in order to increase their market visibility?

Imagine the outcome if they did:

Sarah starts her day by e-mailing a client report to her sales rep at Kinko's, who will personally ensure that the job is finished to her specifications.

She calls her local business service centre and books a technician to set up her printer; when he comes by that afternoon he'll bring a choice of two cell phones that suit her needs, and will pick up her monthly financial records to take back to the centre's bookkeeper. By 9:15 a.m. her chores are done...and she can dedicate herself to landing the next big contract.