Every home experiences power surges. Make sure that all of your electronics are plugged into surge protectors. This will protect your computer and anything else from electrical damage.
Carpet
If you have a choice between carpet versus no carpet for your home office, it's better to go with no carpet. Static from carpet may damage the computer's circuits. If you do have carpet in your home office, buy an antistatic mat or use an antistatic spray to reduce buildup on the carpet.
Electrical Cords
Even with just a computer and a phone, cords seem to always get tangled. Make sure all of your cords are tucked behind your desk. You can buy plastic cord bundlers at office supply stores as well.
Halogen Lamps
If you have halogen desk lamps, don't touch the bulbs with your bare hands when changing them. The residue of oil from a human hand rubs off on the bulb, making the bulb warm up too fast when the lamp is turned on. This quick warming can cause the bulb to explode.
Paper Clip Holders
Beware of those magnetic paperclip holders. Anything magnetic can erase information off disks, mess up your hard drive, and damage your monitor.
Turn Off
Practice shutting down your computer and turning things off when they're not in use. This will save energy and ensure your office is safe when you're not around.
3-Prong Outlets
Be sure to use three-prong electrical outlets in your home office. This, along with using surge protectors, makes sure that your computer and other electronics are safe, even if the worst happens.
Dust-Free
Make sure to keep your computer, monitor, and keyboard free of dust as it can interfere with their effectiveness. Compressed air works well, and you can buy it at any office supply store.
ASSESORIZING
After acquiring your bigger furniture for your home office, it's time to look at the smaller things that can make an effective work area. This set of tips will give you suggestions of other needs.
Bulletin Boards
Make sure you have plenty of places to hang paper and sticky notes on. Bulletin boards come in all shapes, sizes, and styles these days. Find one or two that fit your needs and put them up.
Lights
It's important that your home office be well lit. It really doesn't matter what kind of light you use, just make sure that wherever you read has sufficient light so that you don't strain your eyes.
Calendar
Every home office needs a good calendar to keep track of important dates and deadlines. It needs to be big enough to keep all of your household appointments on.
Paper
Every home office needs paper, and lots of it. Here are some paper products that you'll always need on hand:
