If you are planning to set up a home based office, then you need to plan well because you are going to spend a lot of your time in your office and it is really important to feel comfortable within the space. There is not anything worse than working in a frustrating environment. You dont have to work 9-5 in a crummy office, when you can design your own office space. Your home office space should reflect your taste and imagination.
You dont have to spend your entire budget designing your office or giving it a new look. Simply placing a table or chair does not serve the purpose; you need to plan your home business very seriously. This is so important especially if you have clients visiting your office.
Most people spend very little time designing their office and they take it very lightly. Setting a home office is not an easy task; you need to design your business area very professionally.
Some easy tips:
Decorating using Mother Nature- If you are a person who loves working and spends the whole day in the home office, try bringing the outdoor beauty inside the office. If you have wide windows then you can keep them open and enjoy the breeze, sounds and fresh air, but if they are small, you can consider some beautiful scenic wallpaper.
You can also add fragrance to your office by arranging fresh flowers daily or you can even add elegance by keeping some greenery around the room. This will really pump in some fresh air that will stimulate you to work. You can consider the calming sound of cascading waters by adding a small tabletop sized water fountain.
Avoid distractions- Design your home office in such a way that you are not distracted by the outdoor commotion. For example, the sound of your favorite serial on the Television or the smell of brownies being made in your kitchen can be enough to distract you and break your concentration.
Space for movement- When you design your office leave some space for easy movement. Reserve a spot where you can relax and easily stretch yourself.
Volume control- High volumes trigger stress levels and increase stress hormones, while on the other hand low volumes soothe the nerves. Hence, take precautionary steps to keep the sounds within the office environment very low. Move away any office equipment that squeaks and consider carpets, curtains and dividers to reduce the noise.
Check Ergonomics- Improper ergonomics can have an enormous impact on productivity as well as health. Consider some easy quick ways to mend the problem.
Many start-up home based business owners have high hopes, but insufficient funds and end up using all the capital in designing the home office. So think before you do invest and adopt a penny-pinching mentality. If you identify a fancy table, set a revenue goal and award yourself once you are able to buy it.
The right home office furniture and setting can reduce your stress and improve profitability. So design wisely and keep smiling.
Designing A Home Office
If it is to be shared or remain as a bedroom, careful consideration needs to be given as to how you are going to separate and keep safe your documents and other business paperwork. Also, if you have clients or other visitors, think about how you will accommodate them, as you still need to make a good impression and appear professional. When considering having your office at home, remember that quiet surroundings are very important. If you have a young family, think about how you will work during school holidays or other times when they are at home. It is also a good idea, if possible, to have your office away from the kitchen and the bathroom, as both rooms can be busy and noisy. This would be especially important when you have clients visiting your office, or when making telephone calls.
Once you have chosen the room, you now need to decide upon the layout. At this stage it would be prudent to measure the available space, making notes of all aspects of the room. Drawing your layout on graph paper is one way of producing a fairly accurate impression as to where you would place furniture and electrical equipment. Do take a note of where the power points are as this will have a significant bearing on where you put electronic equipment without having power leads and cables all over the place. Don't forget the position of the window or windows as this affects the amount of light the room gets, so buy some blinds or curtains if the room gets very bright (especially important if you use computers a lot). Choose muted décor, it doesn't have to be boring but loud colours are distracting and your office should present an air of calm and professionalism. Careful planning at this stage is vital because you are going to be spending your working days here. Get it right and you will enjoy your office, but get it wrong and you will be miserable.
Your final task is to furnish and equip your office. Refer to your drawings and choose furniture carefully. Don't overstuff your office with furniture and equipment as it will just look cluttered and cramped. Also, you will be less inclined to want to be there if it is uninviting. Ensure there is enough storage and shelving though, you don't want your desk space cluttered with stuff that should be stowed away. If you have space, houseplants give a nice touch but remember to look after them as nothing looks worse than dead or dying plants.
This is your chance to design the office of your dreams, so go ahead and make your workspace an inviting and comfortable place where you actually want to be, the effort will truly be worth it in the end.
Both Kris Koonar & Graham Baylis are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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