When you decide to start a business and you start to run it from home, you don’t need an office when you get going. In fact most people who start out on business do it from my laptop on their lap in front of the TV. It’s an old stereotype, running a business out of the garage, but anybody who does work from home knows that while it’s quite comfortable to sit on the couch it’s not always the best thing to do if you want to stay productive.
You might think that a small cubicle space is enough for you but running a business from home requires some self-motivation, and an office to keep you going. While you don’t need a giant space with a huge piece of machinery for photocopying and binding (after all, what are toner cartridges?) you might consider the equipment that you need in an office to make it feel more like a workspace and not just your house. With a few hacks you can spruce up an office space and make your day-to-day grind a lot easier.
Spend the money on a proper chair. We talked about sitting on the sofa with a laptop and after a few days of doing that your back will tell you why that’s a bad idea. You can sit at the dining table or with one of the kitchen chairs, but you also might find that it’s a bit too much pressure on your spine. You need an ergonomic office chair that has been created specifically for those who sit for long periods of time. Don’t try to skip out on this one, because a little extra money is going to go a long way.
Consider how you can keep it tidy. Cable tidies are important for an office environment. Cables suck when they are tangled jungles of wires looking ugly and uncoordinated. Not only could you tangle yourself up in these trying to figure out which one goes where, there’s nothing that makes you look at that and think that it’s a place where you can concentrate. All you need are some cable tidies that can keep them out of sight out of mind.
More is better than less. You don’t need to have a cubicle office in your home if you can dedicate a small room. If you are planning to bring clients into your office while you bridge the gap between your home and an official office, make sure that they have somewhere to sit also. This is where a garage office can make a big difference to you so take a look at some garage to office conversion ideas to help.
Bring some nature. One of the best hacks to make your Home Office feel peaceful is to bring in some plants and some flowers. If you don’t want to look after real plants because you’re too busy working, even artificial and plastic plants can make the difference. Those personal touches and decorations do help to ease the stress of work, so don’t forget to add some photos to the walls.
Invest in good light bulbs. If you’re going to create an office space, you need to be able to see what you’re doing. A dull or dark workspace doesn’t inspire any creativity and doesn’t make you feel good while you work. In fact, you could end up with eyestrain and headaches. Make sure that you have more than enough natural light as well as artificial light to boost it if you need it.
