Working from home presents many advantages including cutting
on some expenses like office rent and transport, saving time and also the
flexibility to your schedule. In addition, you get to choose your office decor
and the office space you want. However, a home office can be intrusive,
especially if you are not disciplined. You are your own boss: there is no one
to monitor the time you get to work or even to push you. You will be tempted to
watch television or take unnecessary breaks. That’s why when setting a home
office, you need to look for ways that will maintain a working mood. Consider
the following tips when setting up your home office:
1. Make a checklist of the items you need
Before claiming the room that you want to turn into your
office, first, have in mind the items you need. For example, you will need
things like a printer, desktop or laptop, office desk and telephone.
Also, make sure that you know the colours that work best for
an office. Colours
will express a certain mood and warmth to the people.it brings a certain energy
and will determine the physical reaction of a person. Therefore, you ought to
know the different colours and their meaning or influence. You can choose from
white, blue, green, yellow, red rings and so on depending on what you want
people to feel when in your office.
2. Choose the area for your office
Once you have identified the items you need for your office,
you automatically have in mind the space you need for your office. Also, choose
a place away from the noise and has the level of privacy you need especially if
you have kids. For example, if you will be making phone calls, having space
with a door will provide you with a quiet environment suitable for your work.
If you have limited space, you can take advantage of the
bare walls. You can create more space by making floating shelves which will
save the floor space for other items.
3. Lighting your office
If possible, choose a place that will allow natural light
into the office. This will be an added advantage since it will save you that
electricity bill and also increase your productivity. Also, you can choose to
boost the lighting using overhead lighting that will cover most of your working
area. Desk lamps and floor lamps can also increase the concentration of light
in your office. Be keen not to expose your monitor to light. This will bring
eye strain due to glare.
4. Put boundaries
When working from home, it is important to separate your
personal life from professional life. Let your family understand that you are
needing their cooperation to make your home office work like other offices. Let
them know that there are boundaries. Also, make sure you have a different bank
account that is committed to your work. Have cabinets that you can store
confidential documents and then lock. This will make sure that you don’t lose
some of the important records or documents you have.
5. Set up working hours
It is true that time flexibility is one of the benefits that
come with working from home. However, you need to balance office and home
hours. Creating a working schedule will help you balance between the two and
also stay focused. if you will be having clients coming to your home, let them
know the working hours so that they can know when to visit. In addition, have
specific working hours will keep you from distractions or even unannounced
calls when having time with your family.
6. Internet connection
Having in mind that home internet will have more users
making its strength weak, looking for a good and strong internet provider is
the only solution. You don’t want to spend hours waiting for a website to open
or documents to load. This will force you to look for an alternative place to
work, adding to your expenses. Having a good internet connection will make
things easy and smooth in your home office.
A home office needs a lot of discipline and focus. Creating an environment that supports a working environment is the key to more productivity. Wishing you all the best in your home office.