Launching a business opens up a whole new world of milestones: There’s the grand opening event, the framed $10 bill behind the counter of your favorite takeout joint, the first piece of national press, and the first successful de-escalation of a client conflict that would have given you heart palpitations five years ago.

Yet for many small businesses born in the living room, the garage, or the spare bedroom, the most exciting early milestone is the first dedicated space—an office, a studio, a workshop, or a factory. So what is it that propels business owners to take their businesses from their home offices into the wider world—and perhaps more importantly, what other shifts can that leap initiate?

Collaboration

For Lola, CEO of a food business, moving her company to a dedicated office came after another major milestone: hiring her first employee. “We were working in our respective homes, and we needed more time together just to build the relationship and our rapport,” says Lola.

More face time helped the two collaborate more efficiently, plus the extra accountability brought another benefit: “Being in the office together made me work more,” says Lola. “At home I’m always multi-tasking. I spend the same amount of time on work, but less work is accomplished.”

Connection and camaraderie

“Water cooler talk” often gets dismissed as a frivolous artifact of workplace culture, but in reality, those interpersonal connections we make at the office are not only socially pleasant, but potentially rich sources of inspiration and energy.

“While I was still working at home, every time I would go out and meet with a client, it felt great,” says photographer Shawn. “So I knew I was too isolated, and I feel isolation is bad for creativity and inspiration.”

Plus, who says we have to live by that puritanical, all-work-no-play mindset in the first place? Sure, every job has some drudgery in it, but that doesn’t mean we have to be constantly holding our noses to the grindstone in solitary work. “If you’re working by yourself, it can get very lonely,” says Lola. “An office gives me a sense of camaraderie.”

Credibility

Having your own space can also give your business credibility in the eyes of others, and, perhaps more importantly, yourself.

“It’s also about being seen,” says Shawn. “Why is that so important? I don’t know, but it really seems like it is. Being out and about just leads to more serendipitous events and meetings, which lead to more ideas.”

“For me, getting my own office was a huge step towards taking myself and my work more seriously,” says writer Margarett. “It was a way to demonstrate to myself that I and my business are worth investing in.”

Ready to take the next step? VIDA is opening this year, and membership tiers to suit every budget are still available.