If you are one of the millions of people around the world who work at home, then you will be ticking the clock away in your home office. The home office is the space where you want to be in control in terms of mood, function, and comfort so you can be productive at work.
There is a wrong notion that the room's appearance doesn't matter as long as you can submit that article, answer a call, or pass the proposal on time. Truth be told, the arrangement and the facilities available affect your flow of work and productivity.
Office Location
There are several rooms in the house that you can use for work as long as proper renovations are done. Here are some of them:
• Basement - this maybe the most spacious room in the house for a home office. You have to consider access, lighting, and dampness.
• Attic- you may encounter problems with regards to insulation, heat and access but the attic offers you a bigger space which is very quiet and private.
• Garage- this may give you a perfect lay-out to design your home office. You can easily let people in without disturbing the other members of the family. It can offer privacy for you home members and a possible boom for your business.
• Hallway- the primary concern for this option is space. You may be able to place a table and a personal computer and that can only be your working space.
• Space Sharing - use some dividers and share the living room, guest room, or bed room to put up your home office. This might also be a practical choice mixing office with other functions of a room.
Office Essentials
• Telephone and Fax- most homes built after the 1970s have provisions for two phone numbers. Check the wiring inside your phone wall jacks to check this. If you have four wires usually in black, yellow, red, and green call the phone company to install an extra number for you. You might need a third line if you will be using a fax machine most of the time.
• Computer- the PC will come easy as most are plug and play. Remember to avoid glares on your monitor when positioning the computer. You may consider getting an all in one printer capable of printing, scanning and photocopying to save some dollars.
• Office Desk- make sure that you have ample space for everything that you need. The usual measurements are 5 feet for length, 29 inches in height, and 30 inches in depth.
• Chair- choose a chair which is comfortable and has enough back support. This way, you can avoid back pains due to prolonged sitting.
• Storage- choose storage that can accommodate legal size documents (18" by 22-26"). If you handle sensitive documents opt for cabinets that have locks.
• Paper Shredder- destroy all those confidential documents to avoid problems in the future
Planning or improving your office doesn't need to follow a set of rules. It is up to you who will use the space. It is just a matter of optimizing functionality where you can easily do your work, talk to your clients, and receive those checks on your working desk.
By:Benedict Yossarian
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