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Pro Tips for Setting Up a Functional Home Office
Working from home is marvelous, and all those who decide to do that already know how great it is to be your own boss and to have flexible working hours. However, there’s one problem with working from home, especially if you don’t have an office in your home.
Working while lying in bed sounds great in theory, but it’s somewhat different in practice. If you work from your bed or your sofa, you’re not surrounded by things that make you want to work but by distractions. In the long run, this will affect your productivity and you’ll probably start watching Netflix instead of working.
That’s exactly why a functional home office is what every self-employed person needs, and here’s how you can set up your own.
Let the light in
Exposure to natural light has numerous benefits, and one of those benefits is increased productivity. Since you’ll be working in your home and without a boss looking over your shoulder, try increasing your productivity by putting the desk close to the window.
If your home doesn’t have a room with a big window, don’t worry, that’s not the end of the world. Full-spectrum bulbs will do the trick. These bulbs are more expensive than regular bulbs, but they provide a crisp light which is ideal for working, reading, etc.
Bonus tip: Stimulate your productivity even more by painting the walls with colors such as red, orange, and yellow.
Buy a big desk
Your desk is the most important piece of furniture in your office. People often buy smaller desks to save money, but that’s exactly the thing you shouldn’t do. The desk should be big enough to support your style of working, and it should have enough room for all the essentials you need – printer, laptop, paperwork and of course, your favorite coffee mug.
Adding a couple of extra electrical sockets to the desk can’t hurt either. After all, your devices need to be charged at all times.
Bonus tip: Since you’ll probably have to sit almost all day long in a chair get yourself a chair that suits you. You don’t necessarily have to buy the most expensive chair – most computer chairs from IKEA will do the trick.
Equipment
Since working equipment was previously mentioned, now it’s the time to say something about it. Your home office is a place that you use to make money, and for that reason alone you can’t rely on second-grade equipment.
Having a reliable Wi-Fi router such as Synology RT 2600ac or Google Wifi is also of utmost importance. You’ll probably have to chat with your clients, and for that, you need a reliable internet connection.
The most important thing you need in your office is a computer that satisfies your needs. Your computer is you, in a way. It should be powerful and versatile, and it should have a large storage space. Most new MSI desktop computers and laptops are exactly what you need, but in the end – you know best what kind of computer you need.
You can only rely on yourself and your equipment when you’re your own boss. We’d recommend buying a backup generator for your home too, but that might strain your budget, so don’t get one until you really need it.
Bonus tip: Use cloud storage to backup your work.
Add plants
Plants can make people happy, and they look good. Bringing the outdoors into your office will make you feel relaxed, and it will also look great, especially to your clients who will see them while chatting with you on Skype.
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If you don’t live alone, then you probably don’t want to leave your office often. For example, every time you want to drink coffee or get a pen. Put a small coffee maker in the office and store office supplies in a small box near you. The only thing you shouldn’t keep in your office is your lunch.
Give yourself a break from work and always eat in some other room that makes you feel relaxed.
Having a fantastic home office is great, but that does not mean that you should all your time in there. Equip the office with powerful machines and quality furniture but don’t forget to take a break occasionally.
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