Not everyone is fortunate enough to have a separate room for a home office. I am one of those people. Over the past 10 years my office has been in every room of my house except for the bathroom and the kids rooms.
For many years I did not even have a desk or office chair. (I either sat at my kitchen table or used my husbands childhood school desk with a kitchen chair).
One thing I have learned over the years is that you definitely need a space to work in. It took me a few years to find the right corner of my home. I currently have a very nice corner desk complete with shelves and drawers and a comfy office chair
So, you can trust me when I say that I understand how difficult it can be to find your own space within the family home to work on your home business. Yet, you will feel so much more productive and efficient when you have a space you can call your own. This may take a bit of creativity. Here are some ideas to consider:
Family room
Dining Room or breakfast nook
Walk-in closet
Basement
Laundry room
Master bedroom
Now, that you have decided which room your home office will be in, make sure you have the right equipment to get started.
Desk: I used a fold up card table for years , don't let the lack of a desk stop you from starting a home business.
Computer with internet access: I have a desktop for my business but also use a laptop for days when I need to work and the family is active in my office. (which happens to be the family room)
Printer
Phone (I use my cell phone as my office phone, this free up my home phone, but if your home business requires alot of phone work you may want to consider a second phone line.
Voice mail or answering machine
Filing system (you can start out with cardboard boxes until you can afford a better system)
Chair, a comfortable one preferably, although I must admit I used a lawn chair for several years)
Basic office supplies (legal pads, paper, folders, binders, highlighter, pens, stapler ect.)
The important thing is to start where you are. Don't run out and purchase furniture and supplies beyond your budget. Work with what you have and then purchase more when you are making a profit.
Your computer is of course critical. It should be your first investment. Make certain you have a current operating system and any required software you will need to run your business. You will also want to be sure to have adequate anti-virus protection and firewall protection. Always keep regular backups of your data. Your data is the lifeline of your business. Protect it at all costs.If you need to, take an online or local course on computer basics. It would also be a good idea to have an accounting software right from the beginning (and a separate business account) . I use quickbooks. This is because I was a bookkeeper before I worked from home and quickbooks is what I learned , but it is also a very easy program to learn and I highly recommend it.
While, I do keep most of my work information on my desktop, I also have a laptop which makes it very nice to use when I need to move around the house with the kids. If the twins are in the bathtub , I can take my laptop upstairs with me and check emails or write articles. It gives me more convenience. I also have wireless internet service.
If your able to afford to do so, try and purchase a printer which also has a copier, scanner and fax all in one. Your work space is your personal space, a focus for your work and a place where you can have a space to yourself to work on your home business. My kids have their own computer (without internet access) in the basement. I do allow the teens to quickly use mine when they need the internet for homework but otherwise it is off limits. My husband occasionally uses our desktop but usually uses his laptop. This gives me the ability to feel like the desk is my own personal space.
Remember that your office space and equipment can grow as your business grows. Write two lists, one for the items you need right now to run your business and the other one for the items you want. As I mentioned earlier, it was years before I had a "real desk and chair".
Warmest wishes for your online success,
Angela Chavez
The Affiliate Mom
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