Setting up an Office at Home
The idea of working from home is rapidly gaining popularity
among many people who are finding the daily trudge to and from
the office harder and harder to bear. For those who have decided
to set up an office in their home as a permanent place of work,
whether located in an attic, a bedroom or a garden shed, careful
planning is important. It's not enough to just place a desk and
chair in a room and call it an office. This is where you will
spend the majority of the working day; therefore, the provision
of comfort should be very high on your list of priorities. The
following advice on setting up an office at home contains some
fairly obvious suggestions and is not in any order of
importance, but surprisingly many people fail to think about
them and end up working in very uncomfortable surroundings.
* Take time to plan the office layout so that there is
sufficient room to move about, ensure that you do not crowd the
floor space with too much furniture or superfluous equipment
such as extra chairs that may never be used, or a drinks cabinet
for example. Try to stick to this simple rule - if you don't
need it - don't have it in the office.
* If possible, position your desk close to a source of natural
light such as patio doors, windows or under skylights. Daylight
is more conducive to a pleasant working environment than harsh
artificial light. However, a good desk lamp is an asset when
working at night. Standard overhead lighting is not generally
sufficient for long spells of reading or close work and may
cause some strain on the eyes.
* Try to ensure that you have plenty of file and paper storage
facilities. Quite often people do not think of this until their
office is set up, after which they find there is no room to put
a filing cabinet; most of the paperwork then lands up on the
desk or the floor, neither of which is acceptable nor
professional.
* Invest in a good-quality office chair. Posture is extremely
important when an occupation dictates that the majority of the
time is spent sitting down. Whilst buying a proper office chair
may appear to be an unnecessary expense, it could cost
considerably more in time off work as a result of back trouble.
* Avoid installing kitchen appliances in the office. Quite often
people add 'convenience' items to their home office such as
coffee makers, toasters or even microwaves. They are not
convenient; they are space-consuming distractions that sooner or
later you will have to remove should you find yourself requiring
extra room.
The key to having a user-friendly office is forward planning.
Take the time and make the effort as you do when deciding how
you want to furnish the other rooms in your home. The tips given
are by no means exhaustive but should provide a practical
starting point for anyone setting up an office at home for the
first time.
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