Building Your Home Office
Now that you have all of that business stuff out the way, it's time for you to create the space for which your million dollar deals will be made. Again, you don't need to rent some fancy smancy space in a luxury building in order to have a top notch technologically efficient work space. Moreover, you don't need to spend a lot of money to create your new at home work space. You will be surprised, but many of the items on our list can be found at wholesale stores, pawn shops, garage sales, barter and trade sites such as Craigslist and eBay. Don't fall into the trap like so many starting a business going out and getting items that are brand new and shiny. Because people today are so quick to dispose and get rid of things for the newest and hottest items, there's a lot of serviceable equipment ready for use for your home based business.
Here is a list of twenty one items that you absolutely need to create and efficient home office space that works. I call these items the OFFICE TOOLS FOR SUCCESS:
OFFICE TOOLS FOR SUCCESS:
Computer Equipment
Nowadays, you can get an affordable workable computer that will allow you to access the internet and create word based documents for less than $300.00. It doesn't matter if it's a desktop or laptop as long as it's a computer. Again, you don't have to spend a ton to get it done. So if you don't have a computer, don't make that huge investment right now. If you can't afford to purchase a computer right now, there are several local and national retail rental chains that will rent you a computer for a nominal weekly, bi-weekly or monthly charge. Now some people may have a hang up about renting from these places because the charges overtime can get outrageous. However, you're in business now. This means that your expenses can be written off on your taxes. If you need a computer, consider this as a viable option.
Internet Connection
You can't do any type of business today without having access to the internet. Anyone that tells you otherwise, is absolutely crazy. If it's happening today, it's happening on the net. Therefore, you are going to want to ad with that computer of yours an internet connection. Now there are a variety of ways to get an internet connection today. So depending on whether you opt for a laptop computer or traditional desktop, the type of internet connection will be determined by the equipment you opt for. Believe it or not, there are some places that still use dial up. I would strongly suggest that you seek out an option other than dial up as it's simply impossible to get anything done these days on the net with it. You will need to do some research in your area and based on availability make some decisions as to which internet connection is right for you.
E-mail Account
If you don't already have an e-mail account with your own personal e-mail address and online in-box, shame on you! If you're going to do business of any kind on the web, you are going to need an e-mail address. Therefore, we recommend visiting one of the many sites online that offer free e-mail addresses and establishing an account.
Desk
Now if you going to have a computer with internet, you're going to need something to set that computer on. Therefore, you're going to need to put a desk of some sort in your workspace. Again, you don't need to spend a lot of money for a desk. A great source for a computer desk is most definitely Craigslist. You may also want to consider checking the local goodwill, Salvation Army, or thrift store. If you have the resources to purchase a computer desk, my only advice would be to purchase one that's ergonomically correct; one that fits to your specific height.
Chair
In that same vane, you also want to locate a comfortable chair to use in your workspace. I find that I cannot function at my optimal performance when I am uncomfortable. Subsequently, if my rump is unhappy, it reflects in my work. Now because a good chair is important, I would recommend purchasing one from one of the local or national office store chains. You can get a very comfortable office chair (self assembly) for around $50.00.
File Cabinet
Now that we have our desk and chair in place, we are going to need a file cabinet. Now you are probably saying, why do I need a file cabinet? Well, even though most people today store files in a computer, there are some files that you want to store the old fashion way. For example, tax documents you must hold on to for seven years. Your corporate documents, customer applications and other records, you may not necessarily want to house these on your computer. Having a file cabinet with a lock on it means that you have ensured the safety of these records, making sure they are available when needed.
Telephone
Now that are computer, desk, chair and file cabinet have been put in place. It's time for us to add some additional hardware to the mix. The first piece of hardware that we want to add to the mix is the telephone. If you are creating an office space in your home, you definitely want to install a separate phone line dedicated specifically for doing business. I recommend doing this for a couple of reasons. Number one, it eliminates the confusion of business calls being missed because someone else is using the primary house phone. Number two and probably the most important reason, you are in business now. So at tax time, you want to be able to write off as many as your business expenses as possible. When the phone is listed in your business name, there is no difficulty at for this information to be reported to the I.R.S. I would also recommend this same course of action for your cell phone account.
Fax Machine
If you are going to have a business line installed in your home, it only makes since to have a dedicated fax line installed. Though many computers now have fax software, there are many computers that don't. Therefore, having a fax machine ensures that you are able to get information to whomever whenever regardless of which device there using. Finally, this is an item that I would by new. You can by an inexpensive fax machine for less than $80.00.
Laser Printer
This is another item that I would purchase brand new. Typically, you can get a base model for under $140.00. If you are just getting started in business, I would go straight for the base model laser printer and stay away from the color based printer models. I recommend this because the color cartridges are costly and it's not a wise expense to incur when starting a new business. If you need color copies, visit one of the local copying stores and have your documents copied.
Time Management Devices
Many business deals are won and lost as a result of bad time management. Time management is the act or process of exercising conscious control over the amount of time spent on specific activities, especially to increase efficiency or productivity. Time management may be aided by a range of skills, tools, and techniques used to manage time when accomplishing specific tasks, projects and goals. This set encompasses a wide scope of activities, and these include planning, allocating, setting goals, delegation, analysis of time spent, monitoring, organizing, scheduling, and prioritizing. A time management system is a designed combination of processes, tools, techniques, and methods. Usually time management is a necessity in any project development as it determines the project completion time and scope.
Clock (Wall or Desktop)
Your investment in a good wall clock and/or desk clock will help aide you in meeting those benchmarks and time sensitive deadlines often critical to your business.
Calendar (Wall or Desktop)
Likewise, a calendar is a necessary tool in your time management system. A calendar allows you to keep visual track of various important dates and times which are critical to your business. Nowadays, cell phones are sold with software applications that allow you to enter important dates and times into your cell phones calendar. However, if you don't have this application on your cell phone or if you do not have a cell phone, a good pocket calendar from the dollar store will work just fine.
Surge Protector
Now that the basics of our home office are in place, it's time to complete are office with a few essential pieces of support equipment and materials, the first of which is a quality surge protector. A surge protector (or surge suppressor) is an appliance designed to protect electrical devices from voltage spikes. A surge protector attempts to regulate the voltage supplied to an electric device by either blocking or by shorting to ground voltages above a safe threshold. If you do not currently own a surge protector, THIS IS A TOOL THAT YOU CANNOT BE WITHOUT. Your investment in your computer, fax, laser printer and other electrical devices is at risk without it. Typically, you can find an inexpensive surge protector at your local office supply store for under $40.00.
Paper Shredder
A paper shredder is a mechanical device used to cut paper into strips or fine particles. Government organizations, businesses, and private individuals use shredders to destroy private, confidential, or otherwise sensitive documents. Privacy experts often recommend that individuals shred bills, tax documents, credit card and bank account statements, and other items which could be used by thieves to commit fraud or identity theft. Like the surge protector, you can find an inexpensive paper shredder at your local office supply store for under $40.00.
Standard Desktop Supplies
The remaining items that round out our essential pieces of support equipment and materials list are pretty much self explanatory: