If you have made the leap into the world of working at home you have probably realized by now that there is an astounding array of options available for the small business owner. Your home office may start to look like a mess and a muddle as you try to figure out exactly what you do or don’t need. Remember, you don’t HAVE to buy everything. Sit down with a pen and paper and think about what you actually DO, then write down the things that will help you do that more efficiently. Now you have a starting point from which to set about creating your home office. Now read through the list below and see if there is anything you need that may turn your office into a super-organized work station:

General Tips for Setting Up Your Home Office

* Keep your office space separate from the rest of your living environment – Even if all you have is a little nook where you plan and implement your business strategies – make sure it is used solely for this purpose. Screen the area off or close the office door. This avoids clutter and confusion and prevents work from being damaged especially by the prying fingers of your little devils and it’s also useful for tax deduction purposes!

Don’t situate your home office near distractions like a blaring stereo, television or Nintendo. Keep the room as neat and comfortable as possible – you will be in it for most of the day.

* Don’t be fooled by the idea that you will be able to take care of your kids and work at the same time. Ever tried to remove gum from your child’s hair and close a business deal? A far more practical idea is to have a caregiver look after your little ones. You will still be able to spend time with them when you have a free moment and have the peace and security that you are in the next room should they need you. Don’t feel guilty – you are doing the best you can for everybody.

* Organize your home office – Invest in a filing cabinet, folders, labels and good quality stationery for your home office. Spend some time each day on organizing your paperwork. This will save time and keep you on top of your business planning.

* Schedule your time – Make appointments in a diary and stick to them. The beauty of working at home means you can choose the peak productivity time that suits you.

* Be disciplined and set rules – Start your day at roughly the same time and take breaks during the day. If you need to run errands do these before sitting down to work, this way you avoid the ‘must do’s’.

Working at home often means you run the risk of spending twenty-four hours a day indoors, so schedule time before and after work to get out of the house for some exercise and relaxation. Reach out to others via phone or lunch dates to avoid becoming isolated.

* Depending on the kind of work you are doing you may be able to get by with just the basics or need very specialized equipment. Basic office supplies you are likely to need include a personal computer with plenty of disk space and memory and a fast central processing unit. If you will be working with images, illustrations or animation you will need extra hard drive capacity and RAM.

* If you will be spending time away from home with clients you might want to consider a laptop computer and docking system for your home office.

* Invest in a good black and white 600 to 1200 dpi laser printer. They are super fast and provide a professional finish. Only buy a color printer if your business requires it. They can be quite expensive so if you do need one consider a more cost effective ink jet printer.

* Inkjet printers are also a good choice if you will be printing text, color charts, graphs and pictures or photographs. Invest in some top quality paper for the best results from your printer. Always compare print quality before you buy any printer.

* A fax machine isn’t always essential for a home office since most documents can be sent via e-mail but if you will need to fax paperwork often it might be a worthwhile purchase.

* If you need to scan any documents or pictures a scanner may be useful.

* If you need to send your clients large files on a regular basis invest in a CD burner. CD’s may also be used to safely back up important files.

* If you need to provide your clients with large files like video, invest in a DVD writer.

* Iomega ™ offers a removable storage device called the Zip ™ drive for very large files (up to 250 Mb).

* If you need to access the internet you will need a dial-up modem, DSL or cable modem. A DSL modem will keep your phone line free. DSL and cable modems will require special connections and are for broadband internet access.

* A digital camera will be essential if your work makes use of photos for presentations, reports or your web site.

* Multi-purpose scanner, fax machine, copier and printers are an option when you set up a home office but remember the machine is rather rudimentary and if one part is broken you will be without all the other parts until it is fixed!

* A telephone is probably essential even if you usually talk to clients via e-mail. Your phone will be used to make other business related calls, order stationery or call for repairs to equipment.

If you want to screen calls get caller ID – you’ll be surprised how much time it saves. Invest in a second phone line for your business phone, fax and internet access. An alternative solution is to buy a cell phone and have your business calls come in on that number if you are online.

* Companies like Callwave and Pagoo will forward your calls to you and you can play them immediately on your computer.

Home Office Software Ideas

* You will need a basic word processing package such as Microsoft Word, Wodperfect or Lotus Word Pro. You may not need all three for your home office, so check if just one will give you everything you need.

* To communicate via e-mail you will need a program like Microsoft Outloook Express or Eudora and one of these is a better option that going with your ISP’s program – if you change ISP’s your e-mail won’t be affected.

* Spreadsheet and database programs (for example Microsoft Excel) are useful but only if you really need them. Some people are happy with doing books and budgets using Word tables and templates.

* If you are involved in giving presentations then a program like Microsoft Powerpoint or Astound may be essential for your home office.

* NEVER forget about your virus protection software. A program like Norton AntiVirus or McAfee will be more than adequate. Always run weekly updates and regular scans to avoid falling victim to the latest virus. Your home office is just as vulnerable as any other in the business world.

* For regular computer maintenance functions a program like Symnantec Norton Utilitiies, McAfee or Tech Tool Pro is useful.

* If you regularly review magazine or brochure layouts a program like Adobe Acrobat Reader – Portable Document Reader software will be very helpful and save a lot of time.

* If you work with images try programs like Coreldraw, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop or Macromedia Freehand.

* For internet browsing you will need a program like Internet Explorer or one of the more modern browsers.

Don’t forget that most business applications come in groups of three or four programs that offer all of the above features. (There are also ‘home’ or ‘light’ versions that may suit your home office perfectly and cost less). Some examples of popular ‘packages’ are:

* Microsoft Office * Corel * Appleworks

The Virtual World & Your Home Office

In today’s virtual word you probably won’t stay competitive unless you are internet savvy. A broadband connection is probably the ideal solution. This is basically a DSL or cable that lets you send or receive files, sound and video over a single connection. If you have cable TV at home then you will probably be able to get this type of connection. DSL will use your standard telephone line but you need to be situated quite close to the providers’ central depot. Check with your local providers to see if a DSL hook-up is possible.

You can also access the internet via satellite. Connections are fast but do require a satellite dish and receivers and special kinds of modems.

You can choose an ‘always on’ broadband connection but if you do, bear in mind that it needs firewall protection against internet hackers.

Whatever connection you choose when you set up a home office, you will need to join up with an Internet Service Provider (ISP). This will give you access to the internet, an e-mail address and perhaps some space for a free website. If you like, you can sign up for additional e-mail addresses with Yahoo or Hotmail to avoid hitches should you decide to change your ISP.

Mailing Addresses & Your Home Office

You will still want to send and receive regular mail and your home address may not sound very professional so invest in a post office box or use a CMRA (Commercial Mail Receiving Agency). Either way you will have to collect your mail somewhere other than your home. If you choose a P.O. Box you won’t be able to get courier packages delivered either. A service that provides you with a business suite number will let you receive packages and give you 24 hour access and notification of this type of mail.

If you choose to set up a home office there is a lot of planning and organization involved and you WILL need to do your research to get the best and most appropriate deals. However, once you are all set up you will wonder how you ever did without your new technology. Your home office can be a messy jumble of inefficient applications or a snappy, well organized ‘command control’. Plan well and wisely and get ahead of the technology driven race!