The Entrepreneur's Crib

When I first decided to become an entrepreneur, to step in the shoes of those that made it big by working for themselves like Bill Gates, Donald Trump aka The Donald, Oprah Winfrey, John Assaraf, Jack Canfield and a million others, I thought about everything BUT where to work from.

Well, in all fairness, it did cross my mind, but I shoved it off as a 'nothing serious' matter.

I mean, come on, seriously, there are like thousands of stories about Millionaires that made it big from their basement, or garage, or their dorm room. I am considered one of the luckier ones - I have a house, a pretty comfortable one, with full WiFi capabilities, a home-office equipped with cabinets, a set of really expensive desks and chairs that actually bend 90 degrees backwards for ultimate comfort; and not to mention an air conditioning unit, a stereo system and a large monitor to work with. Oh, and let's not forget the printer, fax machine, scanner and photocopier too. What else could I possibly need?

So that would explain my husband's perplexed face when I told him that I needed 'creative space' to work. But that didn't stop me from driving 20km to the nearest Starbucks and spend RM 18 for a cup of coffee to get some work done. WHY?

For the simple reason that an entrepreneur's workplace (or crib, as MTV would call it) must have that one element that most office spaces lack. Think about it, work spaces that are well-equipped are not necessarily the most productive.

On the other hand, let's take a look at some of the best companies to work for in the world:

1. In 2010, Google was voted as the most attractive company to work in, by 130,000 students. Let's see what magic Google has that most companies don't - they have an on-site hair salon, a gym and swimming pools, ping pong, foosball and billiard tables, free video games, on-site laundry facilities, massage facilities, and more.

2. Plante and Moran ensures that the huge arrangement of flowers in the front lobby is replaced weekly

3. When I worked in Cisco System Malaysia, I truly loved the refrigerators at the main entrance hall - mainly because they were filled with cans of Coke and Iced Lemon Tea

4. I watched a documentary years ago, which highlighted why Nike was such a great company to work for - the employees wear Nike shoes to work!

5. eBay employees are treated to full time fitness trainers and nutritionists...along with their very own meditation centre

What is it that separates these companies from the rest? That one element, the same element that an entrepreneur craves for in his/ her workspace - the element of creativity.

Believe it or not, sometimes being fully equipped is not as important as being empowered by creativity. That's why, some writers have their thinking caps (literally), and put them on (literally) when their out of ideas. That's why you see great companies like Google and Nike providing their employees with world-class comfort - it may cost them at first, but in the end, happy workspaces make happy employees, and happy employees make happy bottomlines.

So if you're an entrepreneur with no place to work, do not underestimate the power of driving over to the nearest Starbucks outlet for a sip of their delectable cuppa and their reliable WiFi facilities - it may lead you to your next breakthrough idea!

Sharmila is the CEO of the Professional Excellence and Lifelong Learning Centre. The opinions expressed here represent that of her own, based on her personal experiences and thoughts. She welcomes comments at her e-mail address, sharm79@gmail.com