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 Many hands make light work, or make the work
lighter". Many home business
owners count on their spouses, family members, and third parties
to help them run and manage the venture. As an indication of
this trend, the International Data Corporation (IDC) projects
that the number of home office households with multiple PCs will
soar from 7.8 million in 1998 to 12.1 million by 2002.
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Some couples work together on the business full-time. In
other cases, the employed spouse help out during his or her
spare time. A work-at-home dad may ask his wife to help in terms
of keeping the books, invoicing and other accounting matters on
a part-time basis. Or the husband can take on the responsibility
of finding and managing distribution channels for their
products.
Others tap their children and other family members to either
be thoroughly involved or do specific chores for the home
business - from creating and updating a Web site, to the actual
manufacturing of their products. There are many instances where
the entire family is involved in the home business.
There are also some who use their homes as the main workplace
for themselves and their business partners, co-investors,
contractors or even employees. During the start-up phase,
business partners can decide to forego a classy office and
instead work in the cramped basement or bedroom of one of the
partners until the business can support office rental. If the
entrepreneur
Creating
a home office for multiple users is a matter of putting together
several factors and coming up with the best possible location.
Your home office must match the work style of your group and
qualifies you for a home office tax deduction. The right office
space must also promote efficiency and cohesiveness of
operation, as well as meet the demands of your group's and each
member's job.
1. Decide how much space you need. Space becomes a very
important consideration for a multiple-user home office. If you
are working solo, a small nook can suffice as your office.
However, with several users, you must have adequate space for
desks and chairs, and working area for other equipment essential
to your business. If your business involves production or
assembly of materials, or mailing and shipping, you also need to
reserve a large workspace for this activity. You should also
have ample storage space for filing cabinets, books and
reference materials. The home office should include some space
where your group can discuss, brainstorm and hold business
meetings.
 2. Outfitting your home office.
The layout, kind of furniture
and storage equipment will depend on your budget and the size of
the home office. If you have enough space, you can opt to use
workcenters for each of your users, which you can configure into
U-shape, L-shape or corner desks to provide more working area
and even conference space. There are many space-saving home
office equipment available in the market today. You can purchase
office tables with hutches for increased storage or work
surfaces that slide away when not required. Look for a desk that
is equipped with either a keyboard platform (preferably
adjustable), or legs that can be adjusted. Check also that the
keyboard platform is large enough to support a mouse or other
pointing device.
If you have limited space, check out some of the modular home
office systems, which are basically combinations of various
workcenters. According to BuyerZone, the main advantage of
modular systems is that they can be easily installed and
reconfigured. This makes them more convenient for companies that
will often rearrange or move office space.
If cost is an issue, you can use ordinary but sturdy tables.
Align these tables into a row, preferably against the wall, to
serve as computer workstations. You can then use the center of
the room as your conference and discussion area.
3. Networking your PCs.
In this age of computers, multiple home office users would most
definitely need multiple computer systems. Implementing a
networking solution is the most cost-effective way to have two
or more PCs in a home share applications and files. Setting up a
small network allows you to share peripheral equipment such as
printers, even Internet access and email. Through networking,
you don't have to have a modem and phone line at every desk to
access the Internet, online services, e-mail and desktop faxing.
Choose networking products that are simple, easy to install, and
easy to maintain. There are a number of low-cost networking
solutions available in the market today.
The key in planning a home office for multiple users is to
identify the functions of each member, and then design
everything -layout, space, equipment, storage space, etc. -
based on those tasks. If you are inviting other people to come
into your house and work there, you might need a more formal
arrangement for your home office, including proper lighting and
ergonomic equipment. If it is your son who is helping you out,
you can just ask him to work on the kitchen table.
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