Setting Up A Home Office
Believe it or not, my first home office was a closet. And not a walk-in closet. A tiny closet! Just wide enough to hold a 3-foot desk and just long enough for me to squeeze in a chair behind the desk. As long as I didn’t want to move at all, I was okay. But you know what? I was incredibly efficient in that office! I only went in there when I was serious about working and when I was in there, I remained serious about working. Unlike my large office now, where I sit around goofing off for hours a day. Just writing these words, I’m tempted to go move into a closet somewhere in the house!Your home office MUST be a dedicated space. Do not even think about having it at your kitchen table! Find a place that can be exclusively devoted to working on your home business. It can be a closet, the basement, spare bedroom, attic, a portion of a room, a remodeled garage–whatever, wherever, The key is to take it seriously. Whenever possible, find a way to ‘close up shop’ each day. If you can shut a door, fine. If not, hang a curtain or piece of fabric. Put up a partition. Do something that enables you to physically and mentally walk away when the day is done.
I strongly urge you to resist the temptation to put your home office in the corner of your bedroom. I did this for a year or
so, when we lived in a small apartment, and it was a disaster.
Set up a desk, computer, whatever equipment you need. A small laptop computer is an absolutely must. Even if you
have to buy one second hand on eBay, do it. Have a yard sale and sell some of your junk, if you need to, but don’t even
think about starting a home business without a computer.
Purchase basic office supplies.
Establish working hours and post them at the entry way of your home office area.
I do NOT recommend seeing clients in your home. Either meet them at their office or on neutral territory such as a
coffee shop. Your home office should be used just for handling the at-home aspects of your business.
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