What items you need to adapt your home office
When you begin to set up your home office, one of two things will tend to happen. Either you will be unable to easily identify what equipment and technology you use every day, so you will underestimate what you will need to get your office up and running, and will quickly find yourself struggling. Or you will clearly see each individual item you may need and will be overwhelmed by the thought of meeting every one of those needs down to the very last staple.
Here are some items to help to set up your own home office:
1. Computer
We’ll start with the basics. This will apply to most since very few small business owners who work from home can complete their work without a computer. Do your research so you can select a computer that meets your specific needs. You should consider a laptop if you intend to create a mobile office in addition to your home office.
2. Monitor
You will definitely need a monitor if you have a desktop computer, but it can also be useful (and better for your neck) to have a monitor you plug into your laptop. Depending on the work you do, you may also consider dual monitors.
3. Desk
Ideally, you will have space for a traditional desk where you create an ergonomically efficient workstation. If you need to get creative, you can make a table, counter or other flat surface work as a desk.
4. Chair
Take time to select and invest in a comfortable chair; it is one of the most important parts of an efficient home office. Again, ergonomics and comfort count when it comes to sitting, so make sure you test out a chair before making a purchase.
5. Adequate Lighting
Just as a good chair is important for an ergonomic home office, so is having adequate lighting levels. You don't want to deal with headaches and eye strain from squinting or using lighting that makes it hard to read.
6. Printer or Multipurpose Machine
If you have a paperless office, you may be able to get away without having a printer, but there may be situations when you need to scan, fax and even make copies. If this will be common in your business, look into multipurpose machines that can manage all of these tasks.
7. File Cabinet
Even if you aim to be paperless, there are always some hard copy documents you need to hang on to. The best place to store these documents, and be able to find them later, is in a file Cabinet.
8. Fire-Safe Box
Speaking of storage, you may consider using a fire-safe box to store and protect your most important business paperwork. Many small business owners also use these durable boxes to keep backup copies of their data.
9. Paper Shredder
A shredder is a must for destroying sensitive and confidential information in your business. And for every other piece of non-sensitive paper, consider getting a recycling bin.
