How to Set Up An Office For Your Home Business

Find a dedicated office space: If you're thinking you can move to the kitchen table or some other small corner of your home, forget about it. Inconvenience and cramping will become your constant office mates. Working from home can be a socially isolating experience, but these are not the buddies you want around for company.

Consider existing areas such as a spare room that's currently being used as an overgrown storage space; the basement; the garage. If you don't have a spare room in your home, you may need to consider taking over the dining room or a portion of the family room. If your office is simply a place for you to work and not a location where clients are going to visit you, your needs are far less complicated. For example, you may not require a direct outside entrance. An office door you can close at the end of each work day would be preferable, but maybe you can get away with a folding screen. (You will quickly discover that "Out of Sight, Out of Mind" will become an invaluable asset to your real life - your family and personal pursuits!)

Basic creature comforts: A window that provides ample natural light; sufficient sources of heat and fresh air; a nearby bathroom; and quiet time to work without family distractions and noise.

Telephone Service: There's no shortage of styles or service plans available. Carefully consider your particular needs, but don't even think about sharing your home line! If voice mail is not your cup of tea, consider purchasing a high-quality answering system.

Electronic and Cable requirements: You'll need a separate phone line, DSL, or cable connection. If you install a DSL line, you may be able to get away with using a cell phone for the remainder of your communication needs. Be sure your office space has sufficient electric outlets. I suggest also that you pay particular attention to line conditioning, surge protection, and backup power such as an uninterruptible power supply (UPS), things which may have been taken care of for you in your former corporate office space. Arrange to have an electrician do the work before you move in. Trust me, dealing with blown fuses and fried computer innards is not the way you'll want to spend your work days.

Technological Requirements: Your computer, monitor and printer are pretty much standard equipment needs. Make sure the computer you purchase will handle the software your business requires. (Remember, there is no such thing as too fast a processor, too large a hard drive, or too much memory!) Purchase a monitor that's large enough so you can work all day without eyestrain, and buy the highest quality you can possibly afford -- you only get one pair of eyeballs. And don't forget about file-backup systems such as either a CD burner or a ZIP drive.

Systems of Organization: Carefully think through and devise a system for paper control and paper flow. An Organizing Consultant—that would be me!—can save you a lot of time and expense. Time-management tools are another necessity not to be overlooked. Whether you prefer a paper calendar or a computer for time management, remember to use it regularly to keep your To-Do's and appointments up to date.

Don't go overboard with office supplies, but keep sufficient supplies on hand so you don't run out of something at an inopportune moment. Always have a spare printing cartridge available - there's nothing worse than running out of ink in the middle of a rush job.

Your Company's Image: Hire a graphic artist to help create your unique logo. Your business cards and stationery will leave a lasting impression - make it a good one. An appropriate logo requires a professional graphic artist. Don't rush through this phase of establishing your business, and don't scrimp - it will cost you later if you do!

Once you have your logo, you may want to think about getting a website. Websites are fast becoming the Yellow Pages of the 21^st century. Now, it's easy to find someone who knows the basics of HTML and can throw together a cheap website, but will this project the image you want to your customers and clients?

There is a lot more to website design and maintenance than simply coding pages. Here are some basic questions you should ask yourself before investing in a Web presence:

1. Why do I need a website?
2. Who is my target audience, and how do I know?
3. How do I intend to market my site?
4. What experience do I want visitors to have when they visit my site?
5. What action do I want them to take before leaving my site?

I hope these basic guidelines for setting up your new office have helped. I wish you lots of luck with your home-based business venture!

All the best,