You Too Can Design the Home Office You Have Only Dreamed About

Posted on August 18, 2008
Filed Under Make Money at Home |

One of the most important activities you will engage in when going into business for yourself is setting up your home office. Your home office will be the place you conduct business, and while it can be in the corner of your kitchen, you will really want to find a spot where you are away from family activities and can have some privacy and silence while you work.

The size of your home office is less about the size and more about functionality. When you are deciding where to put your office, think about places that lend itself to being set up as the nerve center of your business. There are many factors to take into consideration when charting your home office organization.

Is There Enough Lighting Available?

Proper lighting is essential. You do not want to spend hours in a dimly lit work area, which can result in eyestrain, headaches, and blurred vision. Prolonged periods in inadequate light could lead to serious problems further on.

Check the Number of Electrical Outlets

Take into consideration what appliances you will have in your workspace. Your computer system will require an outlet for your CPU, monitor, scanner, printer, speakers (sometimes), and other ancillary equipment you may have.

Is the area well ventilated and dust free?

Computer equipment needs to be maintained at a certain temperature in order to work properly. The same can be said of human beings, so you will want to have proper ventilation that is warm, comfy in the winter months, and cool in the summer months. If you are overheated and your computer is overheated, you will pass out and the computer will crash and burn. Dust is another factor to consider. Do not place your computer in a place where the fans are sucking in exorbitant amounts of dust. It is not good for them, and it is not good for you either.

Do you have telephone access?

Depending on your Internet access, you will need either one or two telephone lines in your home office. If you are on dial-up, you will need two phone lines - one for the computer and one for you to talk on. It is also much easier to track your telephone usage if you separate your personal phone line from your business telephone line.

Having separate telephone lines in your home office is important because you don’t want to be online if a client is trying to reach you. Make sure that this separate line is set up to receive phone calls while you are online. If you have broadband, one phone line will suffice. These things need to be considered prior to opening your door for business.

Do you have Internet access?

In today’s modern home office organization, you should not only have a telephone but also you might consider springing for broadband or DSL. There are a number of very reasonable DSL packages available from your local telephone company that will get you online at faster speeds and keep your telephone line clear.

If you already have a broadband connection, make sure you have access to the cable connection where you are located. If you choose to go with a wireless connection to your broadband access, be sure and secure and encrypt it with WPA encryption and not WEP. WEP encryption was hacked about 10 years ago, and if you are doing secure transactions online, spring for a wireless modem/router with the latest encryption available. Better still, you might want to stick with straight cabling for faster speed and safety.

A third option if you are near a WiFi hotspot you could go wireless or you could also consider using a wireless card to hook into your main router and main broadband connection point. If you decide to go wireless make sure you properly secure your connection from prying eyes and encrypt it for further safety.

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