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After you have decided to work at home, your next step would be to create
your own home office. Setting up of a home office can be as simple as
gathering unused furniture and equipment here and there, or as complex as
redesigning your house to create a separate home office.
When working from home, the main rule is to "each his/her own."
How you set up your space can be a uniquely personal experience. You do
whatever it is that works for you; after all, gone are the facilities
managers or bosses who dictates the look of your office. Now, this is your
own.
Nonetheless, there are four factors that you need to consider when
designing your home office: your work style, workspace, the equipment you
will need, and your budget. You need to work on your personal finances to
create a space that would suit your needs, your personality, and the demands
of your business.
Yet, you may find that creating the right home office is not as easy as
it sounds. Your shoestring budget, in particular, may hinder the creation of
the home office that you need and you simply make do with what you have. As
a result, you do not have the right tools in the right places, affecting
your productivity, peace of mind, and yes, even sanity.
Below are ten of the most common home office blunders and how you can
avoid them.
1. Failure to
take ergonomics into consideration.
The first major mistake is to solely base the creation of your home office
on your finances, completely forgetting or disregarding the health
implications of your workspace. You may think of on-the-job injuries as
accidents that involve traumatic injuries, such as fractures, burns, or
other clearly visible damage to the human body. But in fact, the
fastest-growing category of workplace injuries (be it in a corporate setting
or at home) involves damage that is much harder to see; injuries caused by
repetitive motion, excessive force and awkward postures.
You may prefer working just about anywhere in your home, but without
knowing it, the kitchen table, favorite recliner, bed, or desktop are
ergonomic danger zones and can affect your health. If you write often on
your dining table, the constant bending may affect your back. If you are
sitting down in front of the computer for long periods of time, working with
a rigid, nonadjustable, or "executive" type chair can lead to
physical complaints. The forces and pressures challenging your body's health
from using a computer demand an appropriate ergonomic chair.
Applying ergonomics in your home office can spell the difference between
working healthy, productively, and safely, while helping you avoid
repetitive stress injury.
2. Lack of
planning system.
While thrilled with their independence, many home-based entrepreneurs find
it hard to accomplish anything substantial in a given day. It could be the
lure of lounging in bed all day, watching the television, playing with the
kids, and a million and one other reasons.
The reality of being your own boss is much harder than you think. Whereas
in a corporate environment, your deadlines and to-do lists are dictated by
the assignments that you receive from your boss. Now, you alone have to
create your own assignments and deadlines - and this can be very
disconcerting!
When you are your own boss working in your own office, you actually have
to sit down and think what you want to accomplish during the day. Will you
do a little marketing today? Or will you be updating your web site?
Your home office must be equipped with a system that will help you plan
your day and run your business smoothly. You may go as high-tech as the
latest PalmPilot system, or as low-tech as a bulletin board with your to-do
lists. You can also use a traditional paper-based planner or calendar, or
computerized scheduling software. The key is to find the system that works
for you - and use it regularly.
3. Setting up
the office in a wrong location.
Another mistake you can make is to use the wrong room as your office. You
may have a spare room in your house for your office in the basement; but
your allergies to molds may prevent you from staying and working in your
office. The space under the stairs may be a good spot for your office, but
it does not have enough electrical sockets to support all your electronic
equipment. The spare bedroom may have a good view outside, but the room is
too small to accommodate all your files and materials. Your space may be too
cramped in the little nook that your cabinets couldn't be opened because the
printer table blocks it.
In creating your home office, keep in mind that the
place you choose should be comfortable, and allow you to be productive and
efficient. You may sometimes need to compromise, but your office should
first and foremost be a place that you like to be, where you can be inspired
to work and be your creative best.
If the room that you want is not ideal to your needs, make the necessary
changes based on your wants and needs as you'll be spending a lot of time
there. Go to the hardware or office supply store and check if they have the
right storage system for you. You can also hire a carpenter to build in a
desk and bookshelves to accommodate an unusually shaped room. The home
office market has grown enough to make the furniture solutions much more
interesting than they were even five years ago.
4. Lack of
dedicated space.
Your home office must perform like any corporate office that you had worked
for, but you may not be able to achieve this goal if you lack the space
that you need.
If you are an interior designer and you are using a small
corner in the hallway, chances are your area may be too small to fit all
your working needs. Your area must have plenty of space for your drafting
table, swatches, and other equipment needs.
Think about how you intend to use the space, and then plan around it. You
may choose to build closets to provide more filing space. You can also
utilize your wall space and put more shelves to house your samples or
inventory. If your business requires a lot of paperwork, you can invest in
additional bookshelves and filing cabinets.
Your desk must be able to hold your laptop or computer. You need not
place it on your desk, but your printer and fax machine must be easily
accessible near your desk. More importantly, your phones (business and
personal) must be within arms reach to avoid running down at the end of the
hallway to answer the phones' ringing. Otherwise, make sure that you have a
cordless phone to allow you to conduct business from anywhere in the home.
You should also think how to set-up your home office if you plan to
receive customers and visitors. If you will have frequent visitors, you may
need conference space. If you are meeting customers informally, you may
simply put a couch and table in your office. Some home-based entrepreneurs
use a desk that can be turned into a conference table to seat 5 or 6
clients.
Another very important equipment is the door. It lets you define your
workspace, allows you privacy while you work and keeps out possible
disturbances. A door allows you to put an end to the workday or work night
when you close it behind you. This in itself can be very refreshing with
tremendous psychic rewards;
particularly for people who can't seem to stop working when they are at
home.
Once you figure out how you're going to work in your space, you can buy
furniture that walks the line between office and home.
5.
Inappropriate furniture and equipment.
Making do with whatever furniture and equipment you have may oftentimes mean
compromising your workflow. The picnic table that has not been used for
years may be the most cost-effective way to start your office, but if you
have difficulty accommodating your computer, printer, and table organizer,
it could spell disaster.
You need to have furniture that is both functional and comfortable. Your
desk is crucial to your work. It is advisable to get as much surface area as
you can afford and fit into your office. You may choose a big table, or an
L-shaped table particularly if you are using a computer or typewriter. You
may also find it easier to organize your work area if the desk has at least
one file drawer.
If you really cannot afford an ergonomic chair at the moment, be sure to
select a chair for its comfort and ease of motion. The ideal chair is one
that adjusts to your unique body, and that re-adjusts to accommodate the
changes in the ways you sit, type, or roll around your desk. Perched on your
workstation, your chair should be able to swivel around to allow you to do
your tasks easily and reach out for items you need. If your chair isn't fun
to inhabit, your new business will become a burden along with your body.
If you are using a decorative table lamp as your main source of computer
workplace lighting, you may want to consider enhancing your source of light.
Proper illumination of your documents and work area increases your visual
comfort and could improve your productivity. Try adding a floor lamp and
supplemental task lighting, making sure that you reduce the glare from the
window and overhead ceiling light.
(Continue to Part 2
of the article)
About the Author:
Lyve Alexis Pleshette
is a staff writer of Power Homebiz Guides. For a step-by-step guide to
starting a business, order the e-book "Checklist for Starting a Small
Business" from PowerHomeBiz.com
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