Largo Library Reaches Out to Home-Based Business Owners

It’s no secret that the state of the economy the past few years has forced people to think outside of the box when it comes to ways to earn a living.

The old method of starting a business meant looking for a piece of property to purchase or rent, spending money to get the operation up and running, and then hope the combination of location and marketing helped your concept take off.

Recently that business model has changed, to the point that owners and employees don’t even have to leave their homes in order to be successful in the business world.

According to a study conducted by the U.S. Small Business Administration, 52% of small firms are currently home-based; in Largo there are approximately 1,037 home-based businesses in operation.

New technology, such as Skype, GoTo Meeting and Dropbox, allow these “homepreneurs” to conduct business without having to report to an office every day.

But even with all the advantages that working from home can provide, there are times when being home-bound isn’t the best way to represent yourself to current or potential clients.

That’s where the Small Business Center at the Largo Public Library comes in.

Created in August from funds that were available courtesy of a federal grant, the center, comprised of four meeting rooms and shelves of reference materials, provides a private yet accessible place for business owners to meet with clients, work on projects or utilize all the amenities the library has to offer that can’t be found at home.

“We wanted to use the grant money for development of something like this in conjunction with Largo’s ongoing small business initiatives,” librarian Tammy Winkler said.

“We had the space available, so we decided to create an area where home-based business owners could take advantage of all the services that are available at the library.”

In addition to the meeting rooms, which vary in size and the cost to rent them, users have access to fax machines, copiers, notary service, and of course all the resource and reference books in the building.

“We have materials that can be very useful for small businesses,” Winkler said. “They can find out contact information for people within a certain radius, information on competitors’ demographics, company directories, things that small business owners should know if they are going to operate their business successfully.”

So far the response to the center has been positive, but the lack of advertising has prevented people from taking advantage of the service.

“We had one woman come in three weeks in a row, and she was very pleased with the center,” Winkler related. “Our marketing department is currently working on a brochure which will really help get the word out about what we have available here.”

“We’re hoping that when the word does get out, the center will get much more use. Because it is a great resource for people who run a business out of their homes.”

For more information, including meeting room rates and reservation times, visit the Small Business Center website , or call 727-587-6715.