gdharries.com is the personal website of Geof Harries, a fella living in Whitehorse, Yukon. I own a digital experience agency called Subvert and am happily married with two young kids. I like bikes, fishing, snow and long summer days.

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In search of office space

September 27, 2008

There comes a time in the life of every young business where the owner must decide whether to keep on truckin’ as is or take the appropriate steps to grow into a larger and more sustainable operation.

For my company, that time is near.

Subvert has a lot on its plate, with projects lined up four months in advance. While it’s good to have this much work in the pipeline, it’s also stressful knowing that delays in projects right now can have a dramatic effect on what comes later. As the guy who today does everything - sales, project management, planning, design, development and technical support - I know I can’t keep going at this pace forever.

I’m past the point in my life where I want to work myself to the bone. Now I’d rather spend time with my family, relax in the evenings, do fun stuff outside (ride bikes, xc ski or snowboard) and take weekends off. I enjoy my time away from work as much as I enjoy the work itself, which is a nice balance. To further adjust this balance, I want to find an office that I can go to during the day and come home to a non-work environment at night.

During the past few months, I’ve been searching for a reasonable amount of office space to lease in downtown Whitehorse. Let’s just say pickin’s are awfully slim. There’s a number of garbage spots out there - dark and dingy with little natural light - as well as several new, expensive locations that are too big for my needs. Of course, I want to find something in between. An office that is affordable yet attractive, has lots of natural light, good neighbours, nice location and room to grow. Y’know, the perfect location.

I’m happy to say I think I finally found that very spot. So, after some number crunching and talking to my insurance company about extra fees, yesterday I decided that Subvert can afford the arrangement. Next week I will sign the lease contract with a move-in date for January 1, 2009.

This key step - leasing office space instead of occupying the spare bedroom - is kinda big and scary, but I truly believe the timing is right. I have faith the business will continue to grow at a healthy rate and the extra expense will pay off. If I never took a risk, I may never know what could have been.

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