Getting Your Home Office Outfitted

If you are thinking about working from home or telecommuting, you will need to have a home office with all of the necessary accouterments. When you start to set it up, one of two things might happen. You will either not know what technology and equipment that you need so you will find yourself struggling rather quickly. Or, you will know exactly what you need and be a bit overwhelmed when you think of having to get all of those things taken care of.

No matter what the case, don’t be surprised to find that you are running around in circles before being able to focus all of your efforts so that you can create the office that you need in order to be productive. Here is a look at a few of the things that you will need to get that office up and running.

Work Space

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This should be obvious, but if you want to work from home, you will need to have an actual home office to work from. If you are planning to just work from the kitchen table or your couch, you won’t be very organized and you probably will not be too productive either. That said, you need a designated area that will serve as your actual office space. The thing that is typically the best feature of a home office is the door. That 2-inch thick barrier is the only thing that will keep you safe and protected from the distractions of the outside world. This can include kids, TV, spouses, animals, etc. It can truly be a lifesaver. Aside from this, at the end of the day, when you are finished with your work, it can be just the thing that helps you separate your work life from your home life. This is critical for a work-life balance that is healthy.

Secure and Reliable Internet

You can’t really operate a business these days if you don’t have an internet connection. Free Wi–Fi hotspots just don’t cut the mustard either. First of all, free hotspots are not typically reliable enough to do business on, and secondly, they are in no way secure. Using one with a computer that you do business with is asking for your data to be compromised.

You need to get an internet connection for your office. You can get one of the ISPs that make you sign a contract for service or you can go with a no contract internet provider. The point is to get a secure connection for your home office.

Equipment

Efficiency and speed are critical when you are working from home. You need to make thoughtful decisions, though. Do you really need that massive color copier or will taking a quick trip to Kinko’s be more efficient and cost effective? If you won’t be using it every day, don’t pay for expensive equipment.

You should consider investing in a wireless hub for the home office. This is so that you will be able to work from your chair, your desk, or even from a table if you choose. This option can actually enhance your creative thinking and problem solving abilities.

You might also want to think about a dedicated phone line for your office so that you don’t have any clients or business associates having to deal with a busy signal or a child yelling for you to get the phone. You also need to make sure that the phone service has messaging, speaker, and conferencing capabilities.

Desk and Chair

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Having a good desk that is at the correct height and a space to work in is incredibly important when it comes to home offices. You also need a desk chair that will provide you with adequate back support. You might want to do a bit of shopping around before deciding on one. Just because it is the cheapest or the most expensive option, that doesn’t always mean that it is the best option.

You also need to have some sort of shelving units or drawers. This is useful for filing, books, and other materials that you will have in your home office. Even if you are in a particularly small space in your home, it is still critical that you make a bit of room for these things. Without them, you will end up working in a cluttered, unorganized mess.