Equipping,Your,Home,Office,Par DIY Equipping Your Home Office - Part 1

When starting a new work at home business it is very easy to become consumed by it. We spend so much time trying to get the business up and running that we may end up becoming burned out and lose our motivation. There is so much to learn and Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;mso-style-noshow:yes;mso-style-parent:"";mso-padding-alt:0in

© 2004 Vishal P. RaoChoosing Home Office FurnitureHaving an adequately equipped home office is essential tobeing productive. It is not necessary that everything bebrand new, nor is it necessary that you spend a lot ofmoney. What is important is that you select your itemscarefully and that they are functional and safe for use in ahome office environment. Check your telephone directory for used office furniture stores. Many time you can find very nice furniture availableat a fraction of the cost. Don't forget to also check the resale store and thrift shops in your area, as well as the local classified ads.1. The Desk Bigger is better when it comes to desks. Try to choose one that has lots of room for your computer monitor, keyboard, telephone, and space to spread out paperwork and anything else that you may be working on at the moment. Pick a desk that has adequate drawer space and a file drawer for short-term filing of active projects. If you choose a desk that has a built-in keyboard support shelf, make sure that the shelf it wide enough to hold your keyboard and still have plenty of room to let you perform natural mouse moment. Some of the new keyboard designs, suchas the Microsoft "Natural", are wider than standard keyboards.2. The Chair Proper back and neck support is essential when you spend allday sitting down. Buy the best chair that you can afford. Your chair must have solid upper and lower (or lumbar) back support. A flimsy backrest puts stress on your spine while you're seated and causes back pain. Look for a chair where the lower portion of a backrest is slightly curved to followthe natural contour of your spine. You chair's seat seat should feel comfortable when youinitially sit down, and should remain that way after you'vebeen seated for a significant period of time. If the seatbecomes uncomfortable then the foam padding may not be ahigh enough density, or the contouring may not be right foryour body. Make sure you have plenty of room around your hips and thighs. You should have at least one inch of space on eitherside of your body. It is also important that your chair's seat properly supports your thighs without the edge of the seat coming in contact with the back of your legs while you are sitting.3. File Cabinets To keep your home office organized, and avoid clutter, you are going to need filing cabinets. There essentially two different files cabinets that are perfect for a home office.Here is a quick summary:a) Vertical file cabinetsThis is the most common file cabinet. Vertical cabinets aretaller than they are wide so that they use a minimum amountof wall space. They have anywhere from two to five drawersand are the right size to hold hold letter and legal-sizedocuments. They come in a variety of colors and gauges ofsteel. If you can afford to buy one that is fireproof, somuch the better.b) Lateral file cabinetsLateral cabinets are wider than vertical cabinets, but notas deep, and are designed for high-volume storage capacity.They have anywhere from two to five drawers and can holdletter or legal-size documents. Files are either placed inthe cabinet from left to right, facing the side of thedrawer, or are arranged from front to back in multiple rows.Many two-drawer lateral models are designed to fitunderneath work surfaces and tables for additional storageand are often paired with a desk to increase horizontalspace. Again, if you find one that is fireproof, and you canafford it, snap it up.4. BookshelvesBookshelves should be made of wood or metal. Avoid thefiberboard ones since they are flimsy and do not stand up torepeated usage. Like file cabinets, bookshelves come invertical and lateral. Avoid vertical ones that stand tootall. There is a chance of them becoming top-heavy andfalling over. Pay particular attention to this warning ifyou live in an earthquake area or if you have small childrenwhich may delight in climbing to the top of your bookcase.5. Work Tables Worktables are great for spreading out large projects that your desk is not big enough to accommodate. If you have enough home office space for a permanent work table, that'sgreat. Otherwise consider buying a folding table that you can take out when you need it and store away when you do not.6. Storage Closets, garages, attics and crawl spaces make great placesto store completed projects and home office paperwork if thespace is not damp or subject to high humidity. If storage isa real problem then you might need to consider renting an off-premise storage locker.Think of your office furniture as the foundation of yourproductivity center. It is likely that you will have to livewith your decisions for some time. Choose wisely. Yourpersonal comfort, and ability to remain organized, dependupon it. If you outgrow your furniture later, or simply makeenough money that you want to "kick it up a notch", yourinvestment will pay off because you will likely be able toget a great deal of your money back when you sell your oldoffice furniture to make room for the new.