From Spare Room to Office - Fast!

So you've finally decided to work from home -- you'll need to set up your own home office! It's one of the best parts of working from home. For the first time in your life, you get to choose your desk and where it will go. You get to choose the equipment and the supplies. You get to choose the chairs and the lamps. This is going to be fun! Let's explore the essentials of designing your home office... everything from finding the best space, to buying the right supplies. You'll spend a lot of time in your office, so let's make sure you design it right!

Find The Room

Sometimes it's hard to find the right room in which to locate your home office. After all, when you moved into your house you probably didn't know you'd end up working from home. Look for a room in your house that meets these criteria:

1. Separate from household members and distractions


2. Enough room for a desk, chair, equipment, office supplies, and space to think and move around


3. Enough electrical outlets and power for all your equipment


4. Phone line(s) available


5. Enough heating and cooling


6. Windows for sunlight and fresh air


7. Good ventilation

In an ideal situation, all of the above elements will be present.

If you choose a room that's completely separate from other rooms, "defined work space used exclusively for your business" (as defined by the IRS Tax Code), you can deduct your home office at tax time. So it might be better for your pocket to choose an enclosed space that isn't used in day to day family life.

But what if you can't find any space for your home office? Try to use your imagination before you call an architect to start renovations! Are there any walk-in closets in your home? How about your basement? You can clean up your garage and park cars on the street. Maybe separating some space in an existing room with bookshelves might do the trick.

If you still can't figure out a way to make space for your home office, maybe you should consider hiring an architect or general contractor to add on to your house, or build an office in your basement etc. This might be an easy job... just adding a wall to make one room into two. Or you might end up spending quite a bit of money. But I'd recommend that you don't get too carried away until your business has run smoothly for at least 6 months, and you're sure you're committed to working from home.

Office Layout Plan

It isn't time to go shopping yet; rather it's time to get out the graph paper, rulers, and pencils. Before we buy furniture and equipment we will need to map out our office, or in other words make a layout plan. Have a family member help you measure the length and width of the room and the height and width of the doorway. On your piece of graph paper draw the room to the right proportions. Then consider all of the equipment and supplies that you'll need to run your business. Here are my suggestions:

1. Chair


2. Desk


3. Filing Cabinet


4. Bookshelves


5. Telephone(s)


6. Computer


7. Fax Machine / Copier / Scanner


8. Storage Bins


9. Pens / Pencils


10. Paper


11. Binders


12. Folders


13. Staples, Binder Clips, Paper Clips


14. Envelopes


15. Media Storage Devices (Zip Disks, Floppy Discs, CDs, etc)

Think ahead: is there anything else you might need? Now, map out on the graph paper where you want to place each of these items... design away! Remember, you'll spend much of your time in your office, so try to make it a place that you will enjoy being in, or you might wind up dreading your work. The way you design your home office can make or break your freelance business, so keep the following in mind:

• Only paint with neutral colors, or the paint will overpower your furniture and you'll be distracted.
• Don't jam tons of furniture and equipment into your office unless it's totally necessary. You'll be less likely to want to visit a cluttered office.
• If you're easily distracted, don't put your desk in front of a window.
• Place your bookshelf, filing cabinet, and telephone within arms' reach.
• Place your desk near the electrical supply and phone lines.
• Add your personal touch to everything. This will create a more inviting atmosphere.
• If there's enough room, add a reading chair for those times when you need a change of scene.