Setting up a Small
Home Office
By Jerri Palumbo, Work At Home Mom Business Expert,
 Founder of VirtuallyAchieved.com,
Co-Founder of VAJane.com

If you are planning to set up a small office home office, make a list of your critical requirements, bearing in mind your type of business. Design a small business home office that meets your specific requirements. Try to maximize productivity and comfort, without investing too much in business office furniture and equipment.

1. Look for suitable small home office space:
If you are presently running your small business from your dining table, you need to look for another area where you will have more space and privacy, like a spare room or garage. Look for space that you can use exclusively for your small business office, which is separate from the main living area.

If you will be meeting clients in your office, you may need an area near the entrance, or may have to rent office space. 

Choose a place with lots of natural light and supplement it with additional lighting. Keep you monitor in a place where it will not reflect any light from a window or other light. The window or light should be on one side to avoid reflections. There should be sufficient light in the room to prevent eyestrain while working for long hours on the computer.

2. Small home office furniture
Get the best chair that you can afford, because you may have to spend many hours every day in it. Look for an adjustable chair and try it out to see if it is comfortable. An ergonomically designed chair will provide good support to your back and arms.

Small home office desks that are designed to make the best use of the available space may not always be comfortable to use. If you get a small desk home office with a pull-out keyboard drawer, look for one that has space to keep the keyboard and mouse at the same level. Look for a desk that is deep and provides enough space between you and the computer screen.

Get one or more filing cabinets in which you can store your critical records. You will also need space to store essential business office supplies.

3. Choose the right small home office computer:
Make a list of the work you need your computer for, before you decide about whether a desktop or notebook is suitable for you. You may need to use your PC for browsing the Web, emailing clients, creating documents and worksheets, designing promotional material, creating a customer database, printing mailing labels, making presentations, etc.

The latest notebooks are just as powerful as desktops and you can take them with you when you meet clients or travel. On the other hand, current desktops are cheaper, smaller, and are easier to repair and upgrade. The latest desktops occupy very little space on a desk and use compact LCD monitors. Look for a quiet, energy-efficient computer.

You will need to get licensed software that is essential for your line of work. Get antivirus software to protect your computer from viruses, worms, spyware, hackers, and other online threats. You can save money by downloading free antivirus programs, though they don’t receive updates as frequently as paid versions.  

4. Essential peripherals for your computer:
A multifunction printer may be the most cost-effective choice for you, because it can work as a printer, scanner, fax, and copier. A multifunction device makes a lot of sense for a small office home, even though it may not be able to do any of these jobs as well as a device that is designed for only one task.

You can get an ergonomic wireless keyboard and mouse to enhance your productivity and comfort. You can use Wi-Fi to set up a wireless small home office network. This will help you to reduce clutter by getting rid of all the wires behind your desk. A network will also allow you to use your notebook to access the Internet from anywhere in your small office home.

A surge protector will protect your computer from power surges and fluctuations. If you are in an area where there are frequent power outages, you will need a UPS  with sufficient backup to ensure that your work does not come to a standstill when there is no power.

5. Use bundled services:
Your mobile connection may provide bundled services like caller ID, voicemail, call waiting, and call forwarding, at no extra charge. You can also get an Internet service that includes voice services with all these facilities for free. This costs much less than paying for each of these services separately. VoIP services, which allow users to make voice calls via the Internet, are another economical option.   

If you are operating from your home business office, get a dedicated phone for your work. Your customers may form a poor impression about you if you use your home phone for your work.

Setting the stage with a comfortable fully functional office environment is one of the first steps to building a productive and efficient business.  Be sure that you buy the best that your budget will afford.  After all, you will be spending a ton of time here as you build your empire!

Big Blend Radio - Jerri Palumbo was a featured guest on The Success Express radio show on February 3, 2010. To meet the rest of the guests and listen to the entire show, please click here. To listen to Jerri's interview, please double click on the Play Button below.