I have the opportunity to rent out a friends garage with a studio apartment attached and use it as a studio. I am honestly torn. I would LOVE to have a space outside my home but I was really hoping my first space would be a storefront that would get some foot traffic.

 Can you tell me the pros and cons of having an actual storefront vs just having a space somewhere to work?

Thanks so much for any help with this decision.

and did you find that you had a boost in clients (no matter how small) from getting a store front?

If I were to spend money on rent and overhead, I would want it in a place that got exposure and foot traffic.  Working from a room attached to a garage is not that.  To a potential client, it still looks like you are working from home, even if it isn't your own, they are not going to look at it as a storefront.

I can definitely see wanting a place to work.  I would compare the cost of renting this place vs. renting a small commercial location.  I am not speaking specifically from experience, but I am going to guess that you will get a higher return on an actual commercial location vs. a room off a garage, which will allow you to raise your prices to cover the adt'l overhead.

I think having a storefront studio increases my percieved value.  People around here are cautious with their money and would think twice about spending $400+ on a photographer who works out of their home. 

Don't get me wrong, I personally have no problem with home studios.  Actually I used to work for an international award winning master photographer, and she worked from home.  But she lived in an area that's more financially secure and was more free to spend their money on non-necessities. 

I don't get a lot of "foot traffic" but there's basically one way in and out of our town and that involves driving past my studio. :)  For me, my storefront location is well worth it!

 Since I just moved to a storefront location, I'm probably a good person to answer this.

Pros: TONS of exposure. I chose to open the studio in my hometown which is about 10 minutes from where I live now and in Iowa. I have a very small space right smack dab in the middle of town and right near one of the most popular little Cafes in town. There is a lot of foot traffic. I don't think it is the location alone getting the exposure. I also joined the the Chamber of Commerce and contacted the newspaper who ran a story about me. I've also had quite a few WOM referrals trickling in lately, but I do think the studio location makes me appear much more credible. It also makes me feel like I can really say that this is my job and I am a professional.

Cons: Too much exposure? I thought I knew what I could handle, but I have had some health problems and major computer issues which has put me behind quite a bit. I have things sorted out now, but I am still playing catchup.

The overhead would obviously be a con, but mine is very minimal at this point because the studio is so small. I am working on tweaking my business plan and running through all of my financial info to try and find out what I would have to do to get into a larger location (if business stays as good as it is.)

If you plan on having set hours (heck, even if you don't) you need employees. At least one anyway. I spend at least 2 hours a day playing secretary and really should be spending more than that (I'm still a little disorganized at this point.) It is very hard to juggle all of the roles that you will have as a business owner while keeping you clients happy.

Being away from home. I have spent a lot of late nights working and miss my hubby and ours dogs a lot! I will be getting a laptop so I can work some home, so that problem will be solved.

Overall, I agree with Jessica and Wendi. If you are going to get a location I would probably be on the lookout for an actual commercial location. However, if you don't have anywhere else to shoot I would strongly consider the garage situation, as long as it is adequate for what you need.

Hope that helps a bit.