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Expert Answers to Biz Questions
Listen in! Pick up some expert advice to a reader's question that we selected from CyberSchmooz.
Top Items You Need to Get For Your Home Business Office
When you have your own small business, it’s not always necessary to look over commercial real estate listings to find a place where you can set up an office. In fact, plenty of people have found out that it’s possible to start and run a business from home. You can use a separate room for this, as this gives you the privacy you need. But it’s possible to just set it up in a room of your home as long as other people in the house understand that you’re working and not to be disturbed during your work hours.
So what do you need to make this work? You will need equipment, and you have to figure out how to make them all fit in your office. Here’s a quick checklist of your necessary office equipment:
- A proper PC and monitor. Laptops aren’t really ideal, and the monitor on those things can be a pain for your neck. Just get a good PC and a large monitor instead.
- Broadband Internet. This is an obvious requirement, but it needs to be mentioned just in case. It needs to be quick so you can download stuff from the Internet quickly.
- Proper software. The bare minimum core of software includes a word processor, spreadsheet, and email programs. Then you may want to install software that’s specifically designed for your business.
- Surge protector. Many people overlook this need—until they get a problem that a surge protector would have prevented. Just get this to be safe rather than sorry, especially when your area often gets hit by electrical storms.
- UPS. The uninterruptible power supply provides you with enough power to save all your work and shut down your PC properly, should you lose electrical power in your area.
- Multipurpose scanner and printer. You may be dreaming about a paperless office, but that’s not always possible. In many businesses, documents are often printed and or scanned for sending online. You can find a machine that can do all these things.
- File cabinet. Where are you going to put all those printed documents? A file cabinet is your best bet. You may also want to consider a fireproof box for your most crucial documents.
- A large desk. While any table will do, a good one with side cabinets and an ergonomic design will do wonders for your comfort and convenience. You need those cabinets to store your pens, pads, folders, sticky notes, and other paraphernalia. Just make sure you have enough space for your PC peripherals as well as space for writing.
- A comfy chair. While a standing desk is gaining popularity these days, for most people a chair is a necessity. It needs to be properly cushioned and it ought to have an ergonomic design.
- Proper lighting. You can’t spend whole days squinting at your documents when you’re trying to read. You need proper lighting to prevent eye strain and headaches. The light should be enough to let you read, but it shouldn’t reflect off your PC monitor.
- Backup drive. You need a secure way to keep your data safe. While cloud-based backup is convenient, you should doubly make sure by also using personal servers and external drives to save your data.
- Paper shredder. If you tend to have sensitive data on paper, this paper shredder will be an absolute must-buy. A recycling bin will also work for your less sensitive documents.
You may want to really put some thought into how you arrange all these items in your home office. You must make sure they’re set up to let you work both efficiently and comfortably.
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