subject: Building The Ultimate Office For Your Home Business [print this page] Assuming you use an office for more than just paying your taxes and 'Googling' yourself, it's likely you spend most of your day in one. If you work in a huge corporate office then there's not much you can do, similarly there is little you can change in a small company but if you own a small company or work freelance have a home office, there is all sorts of fun you can have.
Most offices orientate themselves around a computer, your first priority is to make sure you and the other people you are working with have nice new speedy computers. If they are doing any specific computer work make sure the system is geared towards that i.e. graphics design or accounting. Even if you only need simple computers choose a good, large monitor, this makes sitting in front of it all day much easier and prevents squinting. Don't underestimate the convenience of twin monitors to speed up your work and assist multitasking. Decent computers are less likely to crash or lose all your data which is something that every small business could do without.
On the topic of data, invest in some quality data storage systems, large sized hard drives that back up all data once an hour and another off-site to keep everything safe. This is vital in case of a virus or hack that threatens your data and software and can be set up relatively easily. When setting up the office, label each end of every wire with a simple tag or label so when you need to fix/remove/swap anything it is stress free.
Ensure you have ample storage for any paperwork and books that are needed, mobile filing cabinets are ideal as they can be moved around for maximum efficiency and you can store them in rows if need be. Having enough storage space will ensure organisation and keep your office tidy.
Have somewhere comfy to sit; a large, leather executive office chair is ideal so you aren't tempted to leave your desk for the sake of a numb backside. A sofa is a nice addition too, it is somewhere to sit down and brainstorm without wandering out of the office. If it folds out to a bed then you can always sleep there if you have to.
Garnish the office with a bit of artwork or memorabilia, something that breaks up the white space but distract you all day. Pick out some interesting lighting so you're not zombified by incandescent strip lighting.
Place a small beer fridge in the office, it will cure hunger, save trips to a kitchen and occasional snacks and breaks are motivational. Its good to have ways of relaxing but you don't want to affect productivity so stock the latest magazines or newspapers rather than books which are more time consuming.
Some people like to buy a fish tank which can be a nice relaxing addition to the room but be warned as they are costly and time consuming. You might also end up looking like a dentist waiting room. Instead, invest in a large, flat screen TV which you can use for all sorts of things from having the news on in the background to presentations and slideshows.
by: Tom Doerr
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