Setting up a home office is a lot of fun… if you like that sort of thing. Whether you go out and buy all new equipment or gather bits and pieces from around your home, there are a few basics you need. Here are 13 tools that will make your home office more productive.
Desk / Work Surface
Desks come in all shapes and sizes. Choosing one can be difficult. You need to consider your space and your needs. Do you want a sitting or standing desk? Or one that does both? Do you like wood or metal? Dark or light? Drawers or not?
Think about how you’ll use the desk. Do you need room for a monitor? A laptop? Keyboard? Notepaper? Reference books? Will you have to deal with wires? Be prepared when you go shopping and the choices might not be so overwhelming.
Chair
A good chair is worth the investment – get the best you can afford. You’ll be spending lots of time in it. Make sure it fits your space, your desk, and your bum. You want a chair that you can easily get in and out of without running in to walls or other furniture. You want one that will rise high enough – or go low enough – to fit your desk.
A good rule of thumb is that, while seated in your chair and bending your arms at a 90 degree angle, your arms should rest level with the desk. Too low or too high and you risk injury.
Your chair needs to fit you, as well. The lumbar support should be adjustable or in the right place to begin with. The arm rests – if the chair has them – should allow you to rest your arms comfortably without straining your shoulders. The seat should be comfortably padded.
Light
A home office with good light is essential. It’s nice if that light is natural but not necessary. A ceiling light and desk lamp are a good start. Maybe a floor lamp? Good lighting lets you get more done by minimizing eye strain. There are lots of options so choose something with the style and light colour that makes you happy.
Surge Protector
You’re going to have some valuable electronics in your home office – computer, printer, scanner. Don’t let something as simple as a power surge cost you. A surge protector is a cheap way to protect your investments!
Computer
Talk about choices! Desktop, laptop, tablet, hybrid? Windows, macOS, Chromebook? Black, silver, red? Apple, Dell, Lenovo? You need something reliable and powerful enough to run business-level software. Do your research. Does your industry use a particular operating system? Do you need to run industry-specific software that might affect your choice? Do you need to be mobile? Can you afford a desktop and a laptop or hybrid? Ask around, talk to knowledgeable people. This is an important investment that needs to serve you for some time, make sure you know what you’re getting into!
Software
Business software – Writing, spreadsheet, and presentation are the basics. There are great free ones – Google Docs, LibreOffice, OpenOffice – and paid ones like Microsoft Office. If you’re using Apple devices there’s Pages, Numbers, and Keynote. Check out the ones that work with your devices and pick the one that fits your needs best.
Email – You’ll want a tool that will allow you to sort and file emails, flag them, and add rules to manage incoming mail. Maybe a feature like delayed send would be helpful. Start with a tool you know and move on from there if it doesn’t do the job. Gmail, Apple Mail, and Outlook are popular ones but there are lots more, too.
To Do List – Keeping track of all the tasks that need to be done is essential when you work from home. Between family, home, and business, there’s lots going on and keeping it straight can be tricky. A good to do list app will help.
Time Tracker – Do you bill clients? Or maybe you just want to know where your time goes? Time tracking software helps you figure out where your time is going and what you’re spending it on. There are lots of choices – free and paid – for all the different operating systems and devices. Again, start with one, figure out which features you like and which might be missing, and make changes as needed..
Audio/Video Recording software – Are you planning on adding video to your blog posts? Or recording audio messages or podcasts? You’ll want software to edit and polish your work. Which one you choose will depend on your operating system, device, and knowledge level.
Backup Capability
You don’t want all your hard work disappearing because of an operating system crash or power failure. Keep your data safe by backing up regularly. With so much on cloud storage these days, backing up may not be as crucial as it once was, but it’s still a good idea. You should have a plan in place right from the start. Have I always backed up my work? No. That’s how I know how important it is – some lessons need to be learned the hard way. Don’t be like me.
Phone
You will need some way to communicate with clients and colleagues. If you have reliable cell service in your area, your cell phone may be enough. Except when you forget to plug it in and the battery is dead just before a conference call…. A landline or VoIP connection work well for home-based business. You can even get a dedicated business phone number from Google Voice. Whatever you choose, you need to be connected in some way so people will take you and your business seriously.
Office Supplies
This one is my hands-down favourite. I love office supplies. For me, the necessities are: pens – my favourites are fountain pens and gel ink roller ball pens, printer paper, sticky notes of all shapes and sizes, journals, notepads, planners, coloured pens, staplers, hole punches, rulers, scissors, and binders. This is your chance to pick out things that you love. You can stock up on the silliest, prettiest, brightest, or the most serious supplies. You’ll also need a place to store all these goodies.
File Storage
As much as we can try being “paperless” there are still documents we need to keep. Business registration documents and tax deductible expense receipts are a couple that come to mind. A legal-size file cabinet or storage box is a great way to keep important papers organized. The nice thing about having your own filing space and system is that you can use bright coloured folders instead of plain Jane manilla ones found in most traditional offices. You can even use different coloured files for different groups of papers. Have some fun with it!
Internet Connection
If you’re going to work from home, you need a solid, high-speed internet connection. Get the best service and network hardware that you can afford. Your business and reputation depend on it. Not being able to attend an online meeting because your internet is down or having a crackly connection because your router isn’t working properly or not being able to share files does not look good.
Printer
At some point you’re going to need to print… something. A good printer is essential. There are lots of options – colour, black and white, inkjet, laser – in a wide range of prices. Decide what your printer needs to do and where it needs to fit, then do your research. Don’t forget to factor in the cost of ink or toner!
Scanner
Minimize the amount of paper you need to file or send copies of documents by email using a scanner. They come in all different shapes and sizes. Figure out what size papers you could potentially be scanning and pick a scanner that suits your needs and space. A document feeder speeds up the scanning process, saving you time if you’ll be scanning lots of documents. Maybe a multifunction – printer and scanner – unit would be the best option for you. Again, decide what the scanner needs to do for your business, do your research, and purchase one that fits.
As much as these are essentials for a home office, you don’t need everything at once. Start small then add and upgrade as you can. This is your office – you should love it! Like a piece that doesn’t really fit your space? That’s okay, you don’t have to explain it to anyone. Want a wild colour in your office? Go ahead. You’ll be the one spending the most time in there, make it yours. Need a kid corner to have your little person nearby? You can add a television and small chair with comfy blanket. Make space for a dog bed. Go ahead, do your office, your way.
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