A Home Office That Works For You!

If you're serious about working at home, you'll need to create a comfortable space where you can work undistracted. Whether your home office is a corner of the family room or a separate room altogether, this primer can help you get started. What follows are your home office essentials.

The Basics
Computer – While you may be tempted to pick up an inexpensive model,consider buying the best computer you can afford. It pays to purchase amodel that will last for several years than to continue to pay formultiple upgrades. Busy parents should consider a laptop for thosemoments they need portability. A small laptop can go with you to theplay room, back deck and playground.

Software – There's no way around it. If you want to work athome, you'll need the essentials. If you haven't yet installedWord, Excel and other necessary Microsoft Office software, you'llneed to do so. Most employers expect you to use Word, Excel and PowerPoint, but these programs can be expensive.

If money is an issue, visit openoffice.org and download Open Office for free. Open Office offers software alternatives compatible with the Microsoft programs. Another free program that's an absolute must is Adobe Reader. You'll need this to open PDF files. Download this at Adobe.com.
If you're not sure how to use these programs, there are plenty of free onlinetutorials to help you. The library also offers plenty of "how-to" books and tutorials.

High Speed Internet – Dial-up is no longer acceptable in today'sbusy home office. Employers want reliability and speed. Dial-up may becheaper, but it's not better. Considering how you can write off manyhome office expenses, including your Internet service, why would you usea slow connection?

Desk or work station – You don't need to have anything fancy, butyou do need to have a work area that's sturdy, holds all of yourequipment and supplies without being crowded, and allows you to move incomfort. For some people this is an old kitchen table, for others it'san entire work cubicle. Decide what will work best for your space.

Dedicated Phone Line – Depending on your line of work, you mightneed a dedicated phone line. If you will be spending a great deal oftime on the phone you'll want your own line, one family members won't beusing all of the time.

Headset – If you're going to be working a job requiring you tospend a lot of time on the phone, a headset is a must. Nowadays,headsets are lightweight, comfortable and many consist of a single piecefitting over one ear.

Comfortable Chair – If you're going to be sitting for hours at atime, you'll want a chair offering good back support and comfortableseating. A wheeled chair allowing you to move freely between stations isbest, but not mandatory.

Scanner or Fax – This too depends on your work at home job. If youfind you need to copy or send documents on a regular basis, these itemsare necessary staples. If you only need to fax the occasional contractor paperwork, it's probably more cost-efficient to visit your localcopy center.

File Cabinet – This can be a one drawer or four drawer depending onyour needs. Even if your job doesn't generate a lot of paper,you'll still need to store check stubs, receipts and contracts.

No Printer?
Notice I didn't say printer? That's because most home workers don't needone. In fact, most of us email our work directly to the client. Thatisn't to say you shouldn't have a printer for household or familybusiness, however. If you can't afford to give up spare work space,there's no shame in keeping the printer in a closet until you havesomething to print.

Keep Organized
Once you have the essentials, you can start to set up your office. Thinkcarefully about where to put each item. For instance, a bulletin boardshould be in your direct line of sight so you can see calendars andreminders at a glance. Often used office supplies work best within ahand's reach, while others can be stowed away in a drawer.

Keep your work area neat and tidy. Consider buying slotted trays andfile holders to store important papers. You'll waste less timehaving an organized work space than if you have to hunt through clutterto find paperwork.

A Quiet Space
It's best to have a door you can shut keep out the noise. Of course thisis easier said than done when working in a home with children. Afterthey are in bed however, you may need to close out the world and take afew quiet hours to work.

It's What You Make of ItYou don't need to spend thousands of dollars on the latest equipment orhave an addition attached to your house. Your home office can be anyspace where you can work comfortably and in a productive manner. Whetherthat's a card table in your basement or a 20-piece work station isentirely up to you.

By Deborah Ng



NOTE: It was not mentioned in the above article but I highly recommend installing at least 2-3 different types of antivirus/antispy software on your computer. Free versions work fairly well, but it is always a good idea to invest into one individual FULL version application,which will provide you with greater protection in the long run and employers are more apt to consider you for many projects to come. As a matter of fact, most employers do require that you have some form of an antivirus/antispyware on your computer.