When you work from home you need to find a way to be productive and stay motivated while you’re in your relaxing surroundings. With so many distractions there it is very difficult to dedicate the time to work, but by setting up a perfect home office you can make working from home work for you.
Picking the Right Room for Your Home Office
You will need to consider how you currently use your home and try and work out which room in the house will be suitable for your home office. Ideally you do need an entire room rather than setting up in a corner of the living room or the bedroom. In fact never set up a desk for work in your bedroom, you’ll find it very hard to switch off at the end of the night.
Pick a room that is close to the front door if you’re going to welcome clients to your home. If you’re not going to have clients coming around, pick a room that isn’t close to the front door as you don’t want your partners’ friends and family members interrupting your concentration when they pop over for cups of tea in the day.
If you can make it soundproof, do it, as you don’t want to deal with outside interferences. Dogs barking and children playing or crying don’t bode well for your concentration levels. It’s also not ideal when taking business calls if the general noises of the home filter through.
Position Your Desk
It’s important to find the best position for your desk to avoid problems with screen glare and to ensure it works well in the room. Ideally you should place the desk in a perpendicular position to your window. If you can set the desk up in a way that won’t cause glare on your screen it’s an excellent idea to place the desk directly in front of the door too, especially if you’re going to be welcoming in clients.
The Office Layout
You are going to need a lot of technology to work at home. This means a lot of cables so you need to organise the layout to avoid tripping risks. When possible use wireless printers and scanners and set up your laptop and PC to work on the same network.
Ensure there’s a clear walkway so you are not going to be at risk of knocking over any equipment by pulling on the wires. You’ll be up and down from your desk all day so a clear walkway and ensuring the office is kept tidy is essential.
Have a Dedicated Business Phone Number
It’s also a good idea to set up a dedicated business line. Call the BT customer services phone number and arrange for a second line to be installed in your office. This will save you having to use extension leads heading into the office and stop you answering the phone to friends and family during your working hours. It’s far more professional and the cost is minor.