The home office is a topic that can easily start a heated discussion among almost any group of people. Opinions aside for now, home-based businesses have grown tremendously in number over the last decade, and with some careful planning there is no reason why a home office cannot be productive and successful.
Home offices and home-based businesses have unjustly faced a bad reputation in the past. Mental images of some one working in their pyjamas with dirty laundry and dishes piled high around them are gratefully fading from people's minds and being replaced with a more professional image.
Home Office Desk
Just like an ordinary office, your home office has to work for you and your clients. And the first step (which also happens to be the most important) is location.
Usually when this is said people's reactions are, "But I have no other space!" A little creativity, and possibly some rearranging, can likely prove you wrong. Let's face it: if there is one unused space in your home, it is probably the least practical space in your home.
The most important factors in choosing the location within your home for your office are:
> Will clients (or other business contacts) be invited to your office?
> Is there a high activity lever in your home? Children bustling about or frequent houseguests from out of town?
> Is the space/room you are considering a suitable size to meet the needs of your office without being too small or too large?
A few further points to consider:
> Your office must have a window.
> If the washroom is down a hall and up a flight of stairs, the location is no good.
> At times you will want to be able to close your office. Either you will be entertaining or just not wanting to think about work or your office for a while. Make sure you somehow have this opportunity, whether it be walls and a door; a curtain, screen, or partition; an accordian-style room divider...
> Don't rule out a room because it currently lacks something you will need. Telephone jacks and Internet cables can be put in, as can better lighting, electrical outlets, etc...
> Your office does not have to occupy an entire room.
If you have children, no matter their ages, do not even think about locating your office in a nook off the playroom or in a relatively open space somewhere between the living room and kitchen. Even young children can quickly be taught to knock before entering your office, and to only enter with your permission. Distractions are the most common complaint of home-office workers, so pay extra attention to make them less likely, and less time-consuming.
If your office will allow visitors, try to locate yourself near a door. Not only is there a chance that your home may not be as tidy as you would wish, but you won't necessarily want every visitor to get an in depth look into your personal life. When I say near a door, it can be the front door, a secondary door located at the front or side of your home, or even the garage door if you have the luxury of a garage that does not resemble a neglected storage facility. When giving visitors your address, clearly state, "Please ring the doorbell at the door located next to the garage door." or the door that applies if it is not the principal door to your home. A simple way to minimize the number of people who may have to walk through your home is to use a space/room that backs onto or abuts the interior entry. There is a good chance that creating a door directly from the entry into your office will be a fairly simple alteration.
Depending on your profession, you should be looking at different spaces in your home. A translator, for instance, can easily turn a closet into an office! All you would have to do is remove all shelves and clothes rods, have outlets installed on the back wall of the closet, plaster & paint, slide a standard-sized desk (not an L-shape) in, hang some shelves above the desk to store supplies and books, and voila! You're all set. An artist, on the other hand, would not be able to transform a typical closet into a studio no matter how creative (s)he may be. A lot of people find this very hard to believe, but if your office is much larger than what you really need, it will be more prone to clutter and disorganization. Who can resist the idea of leaving a pile of folders on a chair to file later? If you don't have the extra space, you'll find yourself doing the filing promptly. At the same time, if your space is really too small you may find yourself trying to store certain items in other rooms of your home, and that is another way to quickly become disorganized.
Look for Part 2 of this series: Interior Layout & Set-up for the Home Office.
Special Price!!! Sauder Shoal Creek Desk in Jamocha Wood
Nov 01, 2011 06:19:37
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Sauder Shoal Creek Desk in Jamocha Wood Feature
- Center drawer with metal runners and safety stops
- Two outside drawers with metal runners and safety stops; lower drawer holds letter-size hanging files
- Grommet hole for cord management
- Organizer hutch with full shelf and cubbyhole storage
- Quick and easy assembly with patented T-lock drawer system
Sauder Shoal Creek Desk in Jamocha Wood Overview
Sure, lots of office and home furnishing manufacturers can help you create an organized, comfortable and fashionable place to live. But Sauder provides a special kind of furniture that is practical and affordable, as well as attractive and enduring. As North America's leading producer of ready-to-assemble furniture, we offer more than 500 items that have won national design awards and generated thousands of letters of gratitude from satisfied consumers. Features:Center drawer with metal runners and safety stopsTwo outside drawers with metal runners and safety stops; lower drawer holds letter-size hanging filesGrommet hole for cord managementOrganizer hutch with full shelf and cubbyhole storageQuick and easy assembly with patented T-lock drawer systemJamocha Wood finishSpecifications:Dimensions: 53.13" (135.0cm) H x 23.5" (59.6cm) W x 36.25" (92.1cm) D Weight: 121.259 lbs.SAVE NOW on the special offers below!
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