5 Steps For Space When You Work From Home

5 Steps For Space When You Work From Home With the rate of new start-up businesses at an all time high, many of us now count our homes as our offices before we grow to a point where moving out into a co-working space or a business premises is viable. And there are many upsides to the life of a home working solopreneur no hours wasted on a long commute, greater flexibility, and the chance to have a working space that you love. Instead of hunching over the kitchen table crammed in among cereal packets, take the chance to create a home office that will inspire and make you more productive. Balance Beauty And Functionality Pinterest boards of beautiful home offices and glossy design magazines can be a useful tool to inspire you in creating your ideal workspace. Having a great looking office can definitely increase your enthusiasm for what youre doing, but its important to balance aesthetics with practicality. You need a good desk space rather than that vintage console table and your office will have to accommodate less picturesque equipment, such as box files. Make sure your office actually works how you need it to, although a few pretty touches are also good. Make it a space you can be proud of and dont forget to include some natural greenery, a place to display some personal items like photos or an inspiration board, and if you have room, a seating area where you can take a screen break, sit to have a think or chat to clients and enjoy your coffee. Shop Around For The Best Price When youre kitting out your office, its easy to get carried away and end up spending way too much. You can get what you need without blowing the budget by shopping around for good deals. If there isnt much to spare, sites like eBay make it easy to search for used office furniture. Many companies out there have a regular upgrade schedule and will be looking to offload things like chairs and desks in great condition. The same is also true for electronics you can pick up laptops, printers and coffee machines on sale, and use specialist suppliers such as 1800scales.com to pick up postage scales. Make a list of what you need and then buy it gradually as you see a deal. Are You Sitting Comfortably? The way that your desk is set up can have a huge impact on your productivity for the day, so take the time to get it right. Make sure the surface and your chair are set up so that the top edge of your screen is slightly below eye level. You may need to use a laptop riser if you have a mobile set up. This reduces the strain on your eyes. A good office chair with ergonomic design is worth spending a bit more money on. The keyboard should rest so that your arms run parallel to the floor and your feet are flat upon it. You will need to be comfortable, or long stretches of work will take their toll on your body. Let There Be Light If you can position your desk near a natural light source, then your days are going to be happier and more creative. For best results, siting it parallel to a window is ideal and will act as a natural mood booster as well as encouraging you to take micro-breaks and take in the view, which is extremely good for eye health. Keep On Top Of Storage The number one enemy of an organised home office? That would be lack of adequate storage for all those papers and files. If nothing has a home, it will all descend into chaos and you wont be at your best in a messy, cluttered environment. Find some sleek office storage solutions it doesnt have to be a filing cabinet. Pieces of furniture which do double duty, like an ottoman with storage, can work well. If you know that you are the kind of person who needs to see something to recall it, wall storage could be a good option, or neatly labelled magazine racks organised on open shelving. The Power Of Disguise As offices are functional spaces first and foremost, by definition they contain items that arent so pretty you just have to get good at hiding them! Bulky printing and packaging equipment can easily be concealed inside a cupboard when not in use, while devices that corral your power cords and stop them running all over the place and becoming a trip hazard are a must. You can also create a charging station for your laptop, tablet, phone and other devices by drilling a hole in a letter rack or the back of a desk drawer to run power cables through.