Everyone nowadays may easily warm up to the idea of work-from-home business startup. After all given the wonders of internet, who wouldn’t find the prospect of doing work at home or anywhere outside the office away from horrendous traffic, wearisome public commuting, or even looming health hazards extremely attractive? In fact, working from anywhere and having enough time to pursue one’s passion were the foremost reasons why Filipinos go freelancing.  If you’re one entrepreneur wannabe who desires flexible time schedule, you’ll definitely agree. 

Indeed, exploring this option seems much exciting. It may even be overwhelming when you finally get your way to this new career venture. But wait before you begin shopping for what you think are home office must-haves as later on you may end up stressed out and cash-stripped. Below is a streamlined list of home office essentials to set you off to an efficient startup of your work-from-home business startup space in less time.  

Focus on home office essentials for a Work-from-Home Start-Up
Photo courtesy of Nicolas Huk via Flickr

1.  Your Work Spot

Get a home office location that you can claim for your work alone. It’s impossible to have focus and get productive when you’re a nomadic worker around the house. Ideally, your work area should physically set you apart from communal elements at home -- family members, entertainment living room, and dining counter, etc. just so you may imbibe a full sense and real feeling of working.        

2.  Lighting

Ensure adequate lighting even when you work from home.  Aside from good natural lighting outside, you may consider complementing the room’s main light with a desk lamp or adjustable overhead light. Surely, you wouldn’t want an eye strain or headache from struggling in the dark.  

3. Desk

Of course, you also need a table for you to lay on your paper works and other stuff.  The traditional rectangular wooden desk may suffice, but you may choose from others such as a study with desk overlay and a desk space with overhead shelves in a tower cabinet.

4. Comfy Chair

Getting a chair you’ll feel most comfortable with is worth the time, effort, and money.  You’ll be spending the most of your time finishing up work with your chair so better make sure it’s something you’ll love even up to its minute details. An ergonomic swivel design, head and arm rests, adjustable height, and reasonable cushion may sound like the considerable features for a perfect chair.  Putting your favorite pillow at back of the chair could also save you from annoying back pains due to a full day’s work.

5. Office Supplies

Shop for office supplies the same way as you did when you were a child.  Being a business startup doesn't mean you can't be fun and adventurous.  Go for fancy colors and designs to make each day pleasant and cheerful at work.  Apart from basic pens and stationery, don’t forget the little handy ones—paper and binder clips, fasteners, glue, thumbtacks, ruler, scissors, tape, post-it notes, folders, envelopes, staples, stapler, and calculator. A particular must-have is a personal notebook that comes most useful whenever you think up of something worth jotting down.  

Keep office supplies 
in desk organizer or pen holder at the least.
Photo courtesy via Pixabay

6. Desk Organizer

Keep your desk off from clutter with a desk organizer, or with a pen holder at the very least.  Knowing where to pick up your things will allow you to become efficient and prevent you from scrambling at the last minute during a sudden need. 

7. Calendar Planner

There may be digital calendars out there but nothing can psyche you up to plan ahead better than the wall or desk calendar glaring at you.  Calendars that have large boxed- dates with generous space for marking down appointments, deadlines, or special events can be really helpful.      

8. File Storage

Definitely, you wouldn’t want your stuff to grow into a heap of files.  File folders, boxes, and shelf cabinets can help organize and store your documents, supplies, and other work paraphernalia.  Don’t forget to make proper labels to save you time when searching.

9. Computer

Unless you plan to evade the modern world, your home office can’t run operational without a computer.  Choosing between a laptop and desktop will depend on your work style or needs. But whichever you opt for, a computer at your work space completely fits the bill for a home office.  

10. Internet Broadband Connection

Partnering with your computer work station is a fast broadband connection for you to be able to link with the internet and work online at great speed.  This is the way to go if you want to come out reliable and competitive in the online world. 

11. Landline Phone

Landline for a more legit business image
Photo courtesy via Pixabay

Nothing beats the traditional landline phone for taking customer calls as it creates a more professional and legit impression especially for home-based business owners.  For remote personnel working online, the smart alternative may be the internet-based VoIP or Voice over Internet Protocol, which usually comes free or has minimal rates.

12. Mobile Smart Phone

Having a landline is good enough, but getting a smart phone will make you even better.  Of course, there will be times when you need to move around the house or go outside for an errand or weekend day-out.  During these moments, you’ll surely love your smart phone for affording you to make instant email checks, social media updates, or internet browsing while at your favorite cafe or shopping mall.  

13. Multi-functional Printer

Aside from usual printing tasks, you may also require making duplicate copies, scanning images, and faxing documents sometimes.  Thanks to multi-functional printers available today which combine all these jobs in just one machine so you won’t have a plethora of devices anymore.  

14. Wide-bowl, Hardworking Coffee Mug

One of the perks of a home office is not missing your breakfast before you kick off the day.  Be sure to grab on to an ideal hardworking coffee mug with a wide bowl that makes it versatile to hold your favorite breakfast cereal, porridge, or beverage, and even any of your quick snacks anytime of the day.   

15. Dash of Inspiration
Lastly, you're just human to be down sometimes too! When that happens, an inspirational source can become a home office business startup essential for you.  A family picture, your life motto, or dream house brochure will keep you driven and help you not miss a work day at home. 

Liked this article so far?  Read more of business startup and entrepreneurial blogs from Go Entrepinay now and explore how you could join the world of entrepreneurship. 

Big surprises come in small packages.  Indeed, this may actually hold true when you work from your home office.  Just as in a formal office, toiling from your work cavern at home may churn out equally similar, or even greater, productive results for some reasons. 

Putting up a home office may also sound more appealing for start-up entrepreneurs. Better grip on operations, finances, employees and other business aspects is virtually afforded by the on-sight benefit of working from a home office. But what if your home isn’t richly endowed with generous space? Read on below for several suggestions on Small Office/Home Office (SOHO) set-ups that could solve worries even for tiny spaces.

1. Space-saving Office Tower

If you have in mind specific measurements or design for a work station, go for an office tower.  It could come with several shelves for various office items, desk space for personal computer and other gadgets, and even extra storage all the way down.  While you may opt for something customized done according to your preferred specifications or a finely-crafted ready-made one, you could select to have space-saving pull-out drawers and cabinets.  And since it comes as a compact, carry-all piece, it grants you ultimate flexibility to place it anywhere you may like-- living room, study, kitchen or bedroom.

Office tower for the ultimate space-saver
Photo courtesy of Evelyn Giggles via Flickr Creative Commons

                                

2. Window Fit-All

How nice it would be to work with a lovely front view.  When you feel sluggish, you could just peep outside for some amusing sight. Or close the blinds if you require some piece of quiet for work focus.  Hence, keep an eye for window front spaces which would just require you to fit in a desk, lamp and chair.  You'll be surprised how your home office could swiftly spring up in just a matter of short while. 

3. Converted Closet Space

Got an abandoned closet space?  Turn it into an instant office area with shelves to hold your file boxes, printers, etc. instead of those old shoe cartons and age-ago pieces of unused wardrobe. Once done, you’ll be amazed how your tiny closet can make way for an effortlessly organized and private work station.

Space recycled from unused wardrobe closet
Photo courtesy of Ian Lamont from in30minutes.com via Flickr Creative Commons

4. Under Slanted Ceilings  

Areas under sloping ceiling such as those below staircases or inclined window panes may also be converted into mini home offices.  Place the desk and all work items closest to and the chair farthest from the dented area for a safe, manageable headroom.

Hidden home office from idle space under slanted ceilings
Photo courtesy of Sean MacEntee via Flickr Creative Commons

                              
5. Clear Entryway or Landing Spaces

Idle spaces upon ascent or descent of stairs or leading from porch entry can serve as a tiny home office as well.   With a unilateral enclosure sometimes, you could organize your things into a stable work nook while proceeding undisturbed.

6. Behind Furniture

When you really got no spare space, try moving your furniture with a little more oomph.  Then cut through some area behind your bed headboard or sofa coach with a reliable desk that has a wide work surface and additional storage underneath.

Potential space offered by behind the couch
Photo courtesy of Peter Hellberg via Flickr Creative Commons

                                  

7. Spacious Corner

Room corners present a spacious workspace.  Embracing arms bent at a right angle easily translate to two hardworking desks for you!  With adjacent desks, you work with greater agility and convenience as all your stuffs come within easy reach. 

Greater leg room from a corner work station 
Photo courtesy of James De Mers via Pixabay

                                        
8. Vacant Wall Space

If you’ve got a vacant wall area, put it into smart use by tucking your desk against it and adding vertical shelves upward to hold other office accessories.  Doing so not only achieves a well-functional space at your home, but also installs a reviving indoor sight that breaks the monotony emanating from redundant space.

9. Hallway Strip

If you have extra space standing narrow but long, make use of this by placing horizontal desks and cabinets that extend sideward.  Or you may locate your work desk toward the hallway’s end, perpendicular to the wall for a contrasting, make-shift office counter.

Home office ideas stretch from a hallway space. 
Photo courtesy of Dave Dugdale from Learning Video via Flickr Creative Commons