Designing a productive, safe and comfortable work at home office
is critical to your home business success.
Here is a list of guidelines to help design an effective home office.
1. Identify the Office Equipment needed including Computers, Printers,
Fax Machines, Answering Machines, Telephones and Copiers.
2. If you will need a conference table or sitting area to meet with clients
or coworkers add those items to the list of typical furniture of desk, chairs
and bookshelves.
3. Lay out your basic office design, taking into consideration the importance
of lighting throughout.
4. Remember that when it becomes time to resell the home, the office can
be presented as a guest bedroom to potential buyers. Therefore, include
a full bath in an adjacent location that can be used by clients.
5. If the office is on ground level a seperate client entry can be designed
to provide privacy. Conversely, with a second floor location client interaction
is deterred.
6. A perimeter location can help insulate the office from noise and also
reduce the impact of any visual clutter from inside the home.
7. Adequate lighting is critically important in establishing a healthy if
not serious work environment. If using fluorescent fixtures, opt for parabolic
grilles to reduce glare.
8. Provide a separate circuit with 15 to 20 amps of service. A seperate
ground is another precaution that will isolate your office equipment from
home appliances.
9. Install adequate telephone and data lines. Include cable into the office
area as it might one day serve as your primary conduit to the internet.
10. Design large workspace surfaces and adjacent areas to allow for maximum
flexibility and comfort.
11. Allow for ample file storage space. Typically, a four drawer file cabinet
per person per year is adequate.
12. Fireproof Filing Cabinets for storing your important business documents.