Sharing Office Space Having an office mate can help your business--just make sure you choose wisely.

Kevin Yen thought he was done with having roommates. Then, in1998, he opened Designer Body, a food supplement store catering tothe fitness-minded. The location he found on a busy street inKaneohe, Hawaii, seemed ideal. There was a problem, however: Thespace was too big, and the rent too high. Easy solution: Yenapproached a friend, Joey Aukai, 35, who was looking for a locationto practice physical therapy. Aukai agreed to share the space andrelated expenses.

Although Yen moved out of the space in January, both partiesagree the time spent sharing an office was beneficial to bothbusinesses. Designer Body's customers, because of theirinclination toward physical activity, often get injured, so whenthey learned there was a physical therapist on-site, they becameinterested: "Many [ended] up seeking treatment fromJoey," says Yen. The reverse was also true: Aukai'spatients or their family and friends often became DesignerBody's regular customers.

Furthermore, since the companies kept different hours, theycovered for one another during absences by answering questions andtaking names of prospective clients. "This cuts staffingrequirements," says Aukai.