Setting Up Your Home Office 

If you plan to work from home, one of the things that will help you succeed is to have a dedicated place to work, a home office of some kind.  The kind of workspace you will need depends on the kind of work you will be doing.  Here are some things to consider when you are setting up your home office. 

What kind of phone service do you need?  Will your home phone be adequate, or do you need to add a business line?  Do you need a cell phone so that you are available for client calls while you are doing errands?  Do you need a fax?  Will you be making a lot of long distance or international calls?   

Answering those questions will help you determine if you need to add extra phone lines or purchase equipment.  If you plan to make a lot of long distance or international calls, you might consider VOIP service instead of traditional phone service.  Remember that your business-related expenses may be tax deductible. 

What kind of internet service do you need?  If you plan to do assembly work or crafts or similar hands-on work, internet service isn’t all that important.  If you plan to start a web-based business or do some kind of free-lance work, you might need cable internet or DSL.   

Even if you don’t use the internet in your work, it can be a wonderful tool for you.  You can learn a lot about running a home business on the internet.  You can find support, ideas and resources there, too.  For instance, www.workingfromhomejobs.com is an excellent website for people who work at home.  You’ll find articles to help you get started working at home.  You can also sign up for their newsletter or even contact a real live person who can answer questions for you and help you with work-at-home issues.   

If you don’t already have a work-at-home job, they have a lot of resources and ideas for ways you can earn a living working at home, too.  Everything from finding assembly work to stuffing envelopes to finding freelance jobs to starting your own business is available on this website.. 

What kind of equipment do you need?  Do you need a computer?  Fax machine?  Heavy duty postal scales for shipping?  Figure out what kind of equipment you will need, and get an estimate for how much it will cost you to begin your business. 

As an aside, you may be able to get a grant to help you with your initial business expenses.  Check out Grant Doctors from www.workingfromhomejobs.com.  This product not only tells you what grants may be available, but teaches you how to put together a grant proposal and how to write a grant application. 

Will you be shipping and receiving?  If so, where will you ship from and receive to?  Will you need space somewhere to store product?  How about packaging?  What supplies and equipment do you need, and where will you store it? 

What kind of work space will you need?  If you plan to do freelance bookkeeping, you’ll need a desk and computer.  If you plan to do assembly work, you’ll need space to do that kind of work.  Try to envision what you want your work space to look like.  In some cases, you can get a tax break if you have a separate work space in your home.  You’ll need to consult a tax expert to see what the requirements are, but it is something to consider. 

Once you’ve answered some of those questions, you are ready to plan out your work space.  Decide where you will work, and start to put your home office together.  Here are some suggestions for arranging your home office:

• Make it efficient.  You will be more productive and your work will be easier if your area is efficiently organized.
• Make it pretty.  This is your personal work space.  Make it a place you want to be.
• If you have small children, make it kid friendly and safe. A few toys in a desk drawer can be a lifesaver sometimes.
• Make it convenient.  You won’t use your well-planned home office if it’s not convenient to do so.  If you have to run upstairs every time the phone rings, or you can’t keep an eye on the kids while you are working, you won’t use your office.