The Definitive Guide To Decking Out Your Home Office

THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO DECKING OUT YOUR HOME OFFICE For the self-employed and remote workers a home office is invaluable. It's a space for doing business, a place to keep all your equipment, and if it's set up right, a place you'll enjoy being in. Whether you have a designated room or a space in the corner, here's the definitive guide to decking out your home office. 3 1. CHOOSE FURNITURE TO FIT Whatever your workspace, comfort should be a An ergonomic chair to help with posture and prevent back problems. priority. When furnishing your office, you should look for the following: 20-30 inches A monitor/laptop stand - to adjust the height of your screen. Ideally the screen should be 20-30 inches away from your eyes. Your desk should be at the correct height for you to work comfortably and big enough to give you room to position your monitor or laptop so it's not too close to your eyes. 2. CREATE THE PERFECT WORKING ENVIRONMENT 5 must-haves for making your home office an environment conducive to working are: Go minimalist and get rid of all the clutter on your desk to create a more productive work space. Go zen by getting some plants - desk plants have also been proven to help lower blood pressure and increase productivity. Try to get plenty of light - natural light is best. iPod dock - music can help you relax and prevent boredom. You may also be surprised to know that the colour of your work space can affect your work – go for blue if you need to relax more or red or orange to energise. Relax Energise Avoid the corporate look. This is your space so paint the walls your favourite colour and hang photos of friends and family to make the space more enjoyable. 3. ADD THE EQUIPMENT BASICS You'll need to have some or all of the following basic equipment, depending on your business: PC or laptop Phone Depending on how much space you have available. If you'll be travelling to business meetings, a laptop may be more suitable. You could use your home phone but this could be inconvenient for your family and your business. Printer Wifi Having an all-in-one printer, scanner and fax will help conserve as much as space as possible. So much of work now relies on a strong connection to the internet. Good Wifi is essential. Shredder External hard drive To get rid of any confidential information securely, especially customer details. To back up and secure your data. Clock A small, stocked fridge To help you get to into your work routine. 12 56 To prevent you wandering off to the kitchen. 4. SET UP GOOD LINES OF COMMUNICATION Communication is key to every successful business: Mobile phone - dedicated for business Dedicated business email account use so you can take calls on the go. Tablet or other gadgets 23-56 890 Second phone line - if you're trying to use your home landline for business, you'll have to compete with other family members. This is inconvenient and means you may miss important calls. A dedicated second phone line for your business projects a far more professional image. Social media for Specialised software for your business your business Creating the right home office will make you a much more efficient and effective worker, improving your business and making your job less of a chore and more of a pleasure. Vonage Produced by