Alternatives to commuting into DC

[TD_washingtonredskins]

Haha it looks like I should have been very clear from the start!

They've worked out of a basement before. They've grown the business and are looking to add head count. Working from home for them and potential employees could be a possibility in the future but they want to grow a team and build a business.

So, in short, office space will happen for them, it's non negotiable.

Back to the question, is it a bad commute for Marylanders to come down to McLean/falls church?

My experience with the McLean/Tysons area is that it doesn't always suck to get there, but once you're in Tysons you can count on being in your car for 15-20 more minutes. Same with exiting the area. It's just so packed and congested.

[Kosher Ham]

In addition... an odd part to me is that they would need an office when they never/rarely see customers.

Hello... lunch/dinner/coffee meeting with the potential client (on your tab of course).

[Enter Apotheosis]

Back to the question, is it a bad commute for Marylanders to come down to McLean/falls church?

495 tends to bottleneck at the toll road during rush hour, which can make commuting unpleasant. Just how unpleasant really depends on where in McLean or Falls Church you're talking about.

[Titaw]

A home based business could really be the answer here. Think about each and every employee will more than likely have a computer that was built in the past 5 years which means it will have a built in webcam and microphone and skype is free. Not to mention the fact that Office is now cloud based so there really is no need for an office space. They could really start something that revolutionizes how companies do business.

Besides unless you want to pay for the express lanes anyone coming from the Woodrow Wilson and beyond into Mcclean after 6:00am will be in their car for AT LEAST an hour before they even exit. That isn't even counting how deep the office is in Mcclean/Tysons.

[LadySkinsFan]

I've been supporting people remotely most of my proposal life, about 30 years. Some was support for offices in other states than my office. I have had a fully equipped home office (computer with backup server, laser printer, scanner, up to date software etc.) for many years now since I've been a self-employed consultant. I currently provide service to an Alaskan native corporation, have never met any of the people there, nor have I traveled to their site. It all works very well.

To set up:
1. Put your money into technology instead of office space, it's more cost effective. If you need face to face meetings, you can use Skype and other con call technology.
2. For possible face to face meetings, scout out restaurants that aren't busy during off hours. Maybe you can find one that has a separate room that you can rent for a few hours. You'll have access to coffee and maybe snacks if necessary.
3. If you plan to have a home office, you can deduct that as an expense on your taxes. One caveat: if you own your home and don't rent, the deduction will come into play when you sell your house, so research the so-called benefits of this deduction before you take it. I myself do not take a home office deduction.
4. Make sure you have sufficient backup. You can take advantage of cloud technology companies, but I'm not sure how secure they are with data. If you will be handling non-disclosure type data, get a backup server instead. If you want to know more about this, PM me.
5. Some companies don't want employees to telecommute because they aren't able to micromanage as well. Make sure to hire people who are self-motivated and can manage their time effectively on their own. Make a job plan that outlines duties and responsibilities, and make sure they meet deadlines. I don't know if MD is an "at will" state, but VA is. That means that if an employee isn't performing as agreed and expected, then you can fire them "at will" and you don't have to go through all the documentation HR stuff. So look into where you will incorporate. I hope they have good corporate attorney and CPA to set up the corporation properly.

That's all I can think of now. Best of luck!

[skinfan2k]

Why not pick something like National Harbor? Alexandria? Greenbelt? College Park?

[mcsluggo]

Haha it looks like I should have been very clear from the start!

They've worked out of a basement before. They've grown the business and are looking to add head count. Working from home for them and potential employees could be a possibility in the future but they want to grow a team and build a business.

So, in short, office space will happen for them, it's non negotiable.

Back to the question, is it a bad commute for Marylanders to come down to McLean/falls church?

I live in mclean. it seems like it SUCKS trying to get here in the morning, across the bridge from MD (the whole line of people trying to get out onto the dulles corridor just ties up everything between the toll roal and 270, i think... but i don't KNOW because i would never get on that stretch of the beltway during rush hour under almost any circumstance

and if you are going into Tysons, then you have a whole 'nuther world of suck waiting for you when you get there. that one ebbs and flows, but commuting within the tysons metropex is a nightmare, until further notice (i live less than 5 miles from that mess... but again, only go in if i absolutely have to, say if somebody is dying of cancer)

on the other hand, i work down town... and i consider the bike ride downtown (8 months of the year) rather nice and bucolic

[Bang]

Look into PG county. They're laying out some nice platters to attract business, and with the Beltway, it's accessible the whole area fairly easily.

~Bang