Financing your home
If at all possible, having a completely separate room for use as an office is the best scenario when working from home. Although it may be tempting to keep yourself “available” while working, the kitchen table is obviously not the best choice for creating a store because of the high traffic that often gets home space.
The added benefit of having a home office is that employees in the United States will be able to deduct expenses from their federal income taxes, provided that the workspace is separate from the rest of the house and is clearly used for their business. In other countries, the rules on taxation and work at home may be different. In the UK, for example, working in a house that you have may have complications with capital gains, so wherever you are, you will definitely get some kind of professional guidance on the financial aspects of having an office at home.
Work-related goods and expenses can also be deducted from your income for tax purposes. However, there’s really no need to spend a fortune creating a workspace if you don’t buy an incoming truck of unnecessary items from a stationery store, which in fact can actually hinder your ability to be truly organized.
Buying Your Office Supplies
Before you buy anything at all, walk around the house, look for items that you already have, which can be used for storage and organizational purposes. Shoe boxes and shirts are ideal for storing paper and envelopes neatly and in one place, and glass jars of various sizes or coffee mugs are great for storing small items such as paper clips, pushers, rubber bands or pens and pencils.
Choosing a place for your home office
If you do not have the luxury of turning an extra room into a home office, with little creativity you can still organize the perfect place to work at home. A built-in wardrobe, a corner in the attic or basement, a solarium or a closed porch or even a corner of a room covered with decorative room dividers can easily be turned into an ideal working space for many small business owners and workers - home-based entrepreneurs.
An alternative you can think of is having your office on the street. Garden office [http://www.gardens-and-decor.com/Garden-Office.htm] is a popular idea in the UK, and there may be a lot of rides for working outdoors in your own space, and once created it can work very well.
Preparing to work in a home environment
Now that you have found the best place to do business, the next task is to create an area so that it is most conducive to your work. For logical, and often the most necessary items, you will need shelves and storage cabinets. Floor-to-ceiling shelves are great for storing things that are rarely used on the upper shelves, while the lower ones can support and organize supplies. Short file cabinets also perfectly complement office desks, increasing the amount of work surface in the room.
When organizing a workplace at home, do not forget about the important aspect of proper lighting. Use enough light to reduce the risk of eye strain, and if you have space, consider a desk lamp with an adjustable lever and a three-way lamp so that you can better control the focus and amount of light needed. You will also want to have enough electrical outlets in your area, especially if you use computer equipment that is one of the reasons for running a successful home-based business.
Having a different computer, separate from the rest of the family, is important to ensure the security of your work files and their proper organization. You may also need a dedicated phone line for your business, and a cordless phone or headset will allow mobility while you work. Invest in a fax machine if your job requires document sharing to save time and money on mailing, and if your space is limited, there are several multifunction machines that combine printing, faxing, scanning and copying all in one single piece of equipment.
With a little planning, forethought and creative thinking, you can fully organize your work so that you are as efficient and successful as possible in all your business endeavors.
