The 5 Most Important Things Your Home Office Needs

October 27, 2015

When you run your own small business, having a professional space to work in is crucial. Many new business owners make the mistake of thinking that having an office isn’t necessary, but it is. If you want to make a success of your new venture, having your own working area, is an absolute must.
Before you panic because your home lacks space, your office doesn’t have to be in a separate room, it can be in the corner of your living room. It’s important to understand that every home office is different. While some business owners choose to work in the corner of another room, others of us have our own dedicated area. Some of us work in basements and attics while others of us opt to work in an unused shed or outhouse.
Where your home office is located isn’t what’s important, what is crucial is what is in your office. There are five things that every home office needs to ensure success, and these are as follows:
Suitable desk
Regardless of where your office is located, having an appropriate desk is crucial. Don’t just opt for any desk, think about your needs. What do you need to fit onto a desk? How much room do you need to have? Take these things into account when choosing the perfect workstation.
If you have a budget to stick to, as most business owners do, make sure to shop around to find a desk at the best price. If you look at various furniture sites, you should be able to find a computer desk sale. Buying from a sale is a great option if money is tight, as it will allow you to pick up a suitable desk for a good price.
High speed internet access
The majority of the work done by small business owners relies on the internet. So if you want to be successful working from home, you need to ensure that you have a reliable internet connection.
If your home office is located more than a few metres away from your wi-fi hub, the chances are, that your internet may be slow. If this is the case, it’s important to invest in a new hub for the room where you are working from, or a wi-fi booster.
Laptop and tablet
Today, we live in a world where we can pretty much work from anywhere, thanks to new technology. As well as having a laptop to use, all business owners need to have a tablet.
This is not only so that you can work while out and about, it’s also because there are hundreds of amazing business apps on the app store. Many of these can make running your business easier, so having access to them is important.
Dedicated phone
Running a business is all about good communication. That’s why, it’s essential that you have a dedicated phone number for your business. This can be a landline or a mobile number, just make sure that it is a dedicated number that’s only for business use.
If you mix your personal and business phone numbers, you will end up missing messages from clients. You may also give potential customers an unprofessional image of your company, which is not what you want to do.
Comfortable chair
This might not be crucial for running your business, but it’s essential for your back and neck.
Sitting at a computer screen all day can damage your back if you don’t have the right type of chair. That’s why, investing in a comfortable computer chair is essential.
There are various things that your home office needs. These five, however, are the most crucial ones for small business success.

Mark Asquith

That British podcast guy, Mark is co-founder of Captivate.fm, the world's only growth-oriented podcast host. A Harvard, TEDx, Podcast Movement and Podfest speaker (amongst many more!), he's a wildly approachable Brit and Star Wars/DC Comics geek.

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