Outfitting a Home Office

Your first home office furniture and equipment will probably be made up of whatever extra you already have around. That desk you've been using for correspondence will do fine, you'll say to your self. The computer may be three years old, but it still works well. So why spend more money when you have something that will do the job?

All true. At first. When you're starting out it's important to save money anywhere possible. But it won't be long before you discover that there's a good reason that the money spent is not an indulgence, but an investment. With good office furniture and equipment, you'll be more productive. 'More productive' means: increased odds of making more money.

Central to increasing your productivity is a good computer system. Once your business reaches a certain size, central to that will be a server, a computer that stores data, manages email and printing, and much more. But common items like a fax machine, a copier and more are common because they soon prove indispensable. Large businesses don't buy hundreds of these items because they enjoy throwing money away. They simply find them necessary for doing business and doing it well.

Don't forget, though, that there's more to productivity than just having the latest and greatest tools – as important as those are. Comfort is also important. That, too, is not an indulgence but a practical business matter.

Most home offices are run by a single person, sometimes with occasional help from one other person. An ample percentage of them are 'Mom and Pop' shops, run by a husband and wife team. Either way, the hours tend to be long. Working 10-12 hours a day seven days a week is not unusual. Office furniture and equipment that isn't comfortable to use soon eats into productivity.

It's harder to be productive when your back aches, or you have a headache from eye strain, or when you develop carpal tunnel syndrome from typing for hours with a setup that isn't right. Monitors, chairs and more all need to be chosen well in order to be ergonomic, to fit you and your way of working correctly. That minimizes eye strain, keeps the hands and back at the correct angles and generally helps you feel good when working.

Security is another important aspect of outfitting the home office correctly. After you invest the time looking and the money buying all that furniture and equipment to help you run your business you don't want to find it missing one day.

That means a home security system could well be a valid and useful part of office equipment. Once you outfit your office it becomes even more important than it was just to protect your home valuables. Safes aren't just for banks, either.

Outfit your home office to increase your productivity, comfort and security and you'll be ready to tackle the business world.