5 Tips to Setting Up a Successful Home Office
By Andrew Patricio
August 24, 2016
Workspace Optimization
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By the small business content developers at BizLaunch.com.
Thousands of small business owners have the privilege of working out of their homes. If you’re one of these lucky ones, the fact that your commute is nonexistent, as well as that you can decorate your office however you like, are a major draw to working from home.
While you might be content working from a closet or a corner of your living space when you’re first getting started, eventually you’re going to need to address some important elements to keep your space conducive for high-quality work.
1. Find the right location.
Everyone has different needs and priorities when it comes to setting up a home office, but the real estate saying, “location, location, location,” has real significance in relation to selecting a useful spot in your home.
For some entrepreneurs, the need for a door to close and “get away” from work is more important than a window. Others may have a necessity for extensive storage, and will find the basement, where room is ample, the ideal office space. Wherever you decide to put your office, make sure that it serves your priorities.
2. Pay attention to ergonomics.
While that lovely emerald green wing chair may compliment your decor better than the drab, but proper desk chair, consider the long-term implications of using furniture not designed to maximize your productivity.
Investigate office furniture that supports your musculoskeletal system and minimizes fatigue. Even if you think you’re saving money by reusing furniture, you may be causing long-term damage to your body if you do not pay attention to the ergonomics of your home office space.
3. Plan ahead with convenient storage.
You may think that with all the cloud storage available online that physical storage space is a thing of the past. No matter how many apps you use to store digital documents, you may still need to keep some physical records and documents for years.
While the extra space in your mother’s coat closet might seem like a good location for offsite storage, you never know when those boxes might be deemed garbage and hauled away, leaving you without your project archive.
4. Obtain the proper equipment.
While spending money on equipment for your business might put a strain on your finances early in the game, realize that investing in your business is investing in its growth. If your budget is small, you can still buy used or refurbished office furniture or equipment at a fraction of the price.
5. Prioritize accurate organization.
Running an office out of your home may take some trial and error initially. For example, if you find yourself mixing up your professional and personal correspondence, you’ll quickly learn that you need to have separate filing options to stay organized. If you have a lot of different materials that you use in the course of a day, keep like things together and make sure that you have a system for keeping everything in order.
Reserve the last 20 minutes of your day for putting things away and getting prepped for the next day. That way, when you get started tomorrow, you’ll have a fresh canvas to work on instead of a pile of yesterday’s half-finished work.
A home office offers many amazing advantages, but it also can produce some challenges if you don’t plan ahead. Using professional strategies, you can avoid most of the common pitfalls and reserve your solutions for untangling work-related challenges instead.
Thousands of small business owners have the privilege of working out of their homes. If you’re one of these lucky ones, the fact that your commute is nonexistent, as well as that you can decorate your office however you like, are a major draw to working from home.
While you might be content working from a closet or a corner of your living space when you’re first getting started, eventually you’re going to need to address some important elements to keep your space conducive for high-quality work.
1. Find the right location.
Everyone has different needs and priorities when it comes to setting up a home office, but the real estate saying, “location, location, location,” has real significance in relation to selecting a useful spot in your home.
For some entrepreneurs, the need for a door to close and “get away” from work is more important than a window. Others may have a necessity for extensive storage, and will find the basement, where room is ample, the ideal office space. Wherever you decide to put your office, make sure that it serves your priorities.
2. Pay attention to ergonomics.
While that lovely emerald green wing chair may compliment your decor better than the drab, but proper desk chair, consider the long-term implications of using furniture not designed to maximize your productivity.
Investigate office furniture that supports your musculoskeletal system and minimizes fatigue. Even if you think you’re saving money by reusing furniture, you may be causing long-term damage to your body if you do not pay attention to the ergonomics of your home office space.
3. Plan ahead with convenient storage.
You may think that with all the cloud storage available online that physical storage space is a thing of the past. No matter how many apps you use to store digital documents, you may still need to keep some physical records and documents for years.
While the extra space in your mother’s coat closet might seem like a good location for offsite storage, you never know when those boxes might be deemed garbage and hauled away, leaving you without your project archive.
4. Obtain the proper equipment.
While spending money on equipment for your business might put a strain on your finances early in the game, realize that investing in your business is investing in its growth. If your budget is small, you can still buy used or refurbished office furniture or equipment at a fraction of the price.
5. Prioritize accurate organization.
Running an office out of your home may take some trial and error initially. For example, if you find yourself mixing up your professional and personal correspondence, you’ll quickly learn that you need to have separate filing options to stay organized. If you have a lot of different materials that you use in the course of a day, keep like things together and make sure that you have a system for keeping everything in order.
Reserve the last 20 minutes of your day for putting things away and getting prepped for the next day. That way, when you get started tomorrow, you’ll have a fresh canvas to work on instead of a pile of yesterday’s half-finished work.
A home office offers many amazing advantages, but it also can produce some challenges if you don’t plan ahead. Using professional strategies, you can avoid most of the common pitfalls and reserve your solutions for untangling work-related challenges instead.