9 Tips for Creating a Home Office

While many a home business has been started on a laptop at the kitchen table, most will soon need a proper home office setup quite quickly.

While you may not have the cashflow to invest in a professional office fitout, here are some tips to help you create the ideal environment for business success.

1. Ergonomics - Don’t be tempted to choose a desk and chair purely because they are Instagram-worthy. You will be spending many at your desk so you need to make sure it is not only a comfortable setup, but one that will encourage good posture and minimise your risk of injury and strain. For example, the top of your computer monitor should be set at eye level or lower, roughly one arm length or slightly further from where you are sitting. You’ll find a complete guide to help you create an ergonomic computer based workstation, here.

2. Storage – Keeping your office tidy and organised is made much easier if you have the right sort of storage – shelves, drawers, cupboards and filing cabinets. Consider how you use certain items and place them accordingly. If it’s a book you use all the time, don’t put it at the top of your bookshelves where you need to get out a step ladder every time you need it.

At the same time, putting the printer at the opposite end of the room from your computer gives you a good excuse to get up from your chair regularly, and incorporate more movement into your day.

3. Aspect – Setting up your home office in a room with an easterly aspect will allow the bright morning light to wake up your brain and body, ready for the workday ahead.

A work space that faces south can be chilly and dull in winter (in the southern hemisphere anyway; it’s the opposite for residents of the north hemisphere); while a room on the western side of your home can turn into an oven on a summer afternoon.

If the aspect of your work space is less than ideal, by being aware of it you can take steps to reduce the overall impact, with air con, window blinds, lighting etc.

1. Climate - As the temperature soars during summer, it becomes harder to concentrate. Is your home office equipped with a fan or air conditioning so that you can remain productive during a heatwave?
2. Lighting - Does the room get dark early on winter afternoons? A single light fixture on the ceiling probably won’t be enough, so consider a lamp on your desk.

Or if you do a lot of reading in a particular chair, a reading lamp can help reduce eye strain.

6. Access - Do clients visit you at your premises? Ideally there is some separation between your work space and the main household, which is why many people working from home are based in the front room of the dwelling.

If however your home office is located at the rear of the property, is it possible to have a separate entrance? Wherever your home office is located, a clear path and even signage will guide visitors to the right place.

7. Privacy - If you live in a busy household, there will be times when you need peace and quiet so you can concentrate, or chat to clients on the phone without disturbing others.

This is one reason why garage and carport conversions are a popular choice for home based businesses.

8. Boundaries - When you work from home, it can be hard to "shut the door" - figuratively speaking – at the end of the work day. Your office design can help you to establish a healthy work life balance.

Even if you can’t shut the door literally, a curtain or screen could be installed – or make sure your computer station is located at the other end of the house to your bedroom, so you’re not tempted to check emails just before bed.

9. Design - Now we get to the fun part!

Ideally your home office will be a place where you want to spend time – so make sure it is visually appealing – with wall colours, office furniture, pictures, even a coordinated set of office stationery.

To create a work space that pleases all your senses, think about adding fresh flowers, an oil diffuser, wind chimes, your favourite playlist on your iPod, a lolly jar, and a soft rug to snuggle up in when the weather turns chilly.

When you consider just how much time you will spend in your home office, isn't it worth making it as comfortable and as welcoming as possible?

Janet Camilleri loves writing for the web. In addition to her work in content marketing, she also blogs as the Middle Aged Mama, about learning to fashion a new life now that her kids are grown.