The ideal home office is both functional and a joy to work in.  Here’s how to set up your home office so that it meets your specific needs, tastes, work style and physical limitations.

Step 1: Have Your Own Room: 

Arrange it so that your family members know when it’s ok to interrupt you and when it’s not.  A simple way to do this is by keeping your door closed when you don’t want to be interrupted at all, and keeping the door ajar when you are cool to handle minor domestic issues that pop up.

Step 2: Get The Kit:

– Desk: have your desk positioned where there is enough natural light for reading without having glare created on the screen.

– Desk Chair: a chair where you can adjust it’s height, the tilt of the seat and where there is lumbar support.  You’ll want to be able to sit comfortably in it if you’re spending most of your day there.

– Computer: a laptop which connects wirelessly to peripherals up to 30 feet away, with enough hard disk space and RAM to handle your business needs.

– Wireless Router: have the freedom of working wirelessly from any room in your home by having a wireless router set up, giving you the change of scenery you may sometimes want.  We recommend ordering one from Misco.

– All-In-One Printer: a laser printer and photocopier that operates at high speed, which has a fax machine and colour scanner built in.

– VoIP Phone / Headset: get hold of a USB headset which combines headphones with a microphone, to make long-distance phone calls for free using powerful Voice over IP applications such as Skype.

– External Hard Drive: back up all your important files regularly with an external hard drive.

– Security Set-up: keep your information secure by investing in internet security software.

– Lighting Control System: at the press of a button, recall a lighting preset to match your desired mood or activity.

Step 3: Start Working:

Once you’ve invested in and installed all your kit, you’re ready to get working!  What else would YOU add to your ideal home office?