For those who have created their own business, most of them are likely to start from the comfort of a home. There are some that have the budget and funds available to invest in a commercial property or shared workspace, however, that’s not always possible.
Are you ready to learn what is important? Then stick around as we’re about to reveal everything you need to know:
1. Create a dedicated area
For those of you who aren’t familiar with the psychology of work and productivity, doing work in an exclusively dedicated area is the way to go.
The reason being is that our human brains are wired to associate certain rooms with certain activities (and, to some degree, even states of mind). As soon as you physically enter that room, a switch flips in your brain to set you in the right mental state that serves the purposes of productivity, the kind that lets you retain your focus.
Then, we have privacy and noise, which is another aspect of working in a dedicated space. Otherwise, it’s easy to get distracted by your spouse, your roommates, or your kids.
In case you’re working with clients that come to you, it makes sense for the room to be located in an accessible place such as your home’s entry point. In certain situations, if your home does not allow for it, it might make sense to work in a dedicated studio for additional privacy and peace.
2. Try To Transform The Space Fully
When it comes to your available space, it’s important to try and transform the spare space that you have to create an office-like environment. It can be difficult when your property space is limited, but if you’re trying to create a business at home, you’re going to need to create a permanent workspace, or at worst you may need to do some lift and shift at the beginning and end of the work day.
Transforming your space fully is going to help you stay motivated and to keep you in work mode. If you have the space to transform a spare room into an office, then do it. It’s going to be more productive and comfortable than simply setting up on your sofa or lying on your bed.
3. Invest In What You Need
With office equipment, you are likely to be lacking it when it comes to your home and for you to have a successful business, investment is needed. That means getting yourself a proper desk and an ergonomic chair, any printing supplies and stationery you might need in order to work, and any other equipment.
Rather than taking too much time out of day making coffee runs to your local coffee shop you might want to save money in the long term and invest in a high-quality home coffee machine.
You might not have the funds or resources available to outsource packaging products or getting someone to design your website, so it’s important to invest in what you need to be able to do the job yourself for the time being. You might also want to think about getting a virtual office address as this can add more professionalism when interacting with clients or customers.
If you are ramping up a startup business and are trying to make the most out or every minute of your day then do not forget the productivity benefits of regular exercise (or just looking after yourself in general). If you want to get serious about making the most of your time consider getting a high quality adjustable standing desk and an under desk treadmill so you can put them together and get some exercise while attending a meeting.
Darren Sherwood
4. Declutter your home and desk
Building upon the principle of maintaining a healthy state of mind when working, you should always make sure that your home (or at least your desk) is free of clutter for productivity reasons. In other words, if your desk is not clear, how can you expect your mind to be? Exactly.
To be realistic, decluttering your desk may seem harder than it is. More often than not, throwing things away or putting them elsewhere is challenging due to not knowing how important or useful certain items are. We humans tend to have poor judgment when it comes to that. Nevertheless, going through everything and determining what is work-related and what isn’t will make a huge difference, productivity-wise.
When you’ve separated your items into two piles, you can proceed to organize them further. For instance, office supplies can go in one drawer and cups into another (and so forth). Doing this will also reduce the time it takes to find them once the need arises.
Reduce the cable mess
If you’ve noticed your home office is prone to developing this well-known phenomenon, you’re not alone. After all, you are likely to have many devices lying all over the place, including your printer, external hard drive, monitor, computers, and so on. The problem is, not only is it easy to trip over it, but it also takes away from your overall productivity and makes the whole place look messy.
5. Know your applications
When you need to get things done, it’s important to jump right into it and not waste time configuring or downloading your applications.
If you don’t need to learn the ins and outs of certain software right at the given moment, it pays to invest a little bit of time into it now. That way, you’ll be better equipped to handle an obstacle if it comes your way at a later date.
For instance, even if you’re not a graphic designer, the need might arise for you to edit a simple banner or something similar one day. Since there are many powerful image manipulation suites out there – some of which you can get for free like GIMP – why not get familiar with them.
Another great one to have at hand is a VPN. Even if your boss doesn’t require it per se, this might change in the future, as using it when connecting to your company’s servers is considered good practice. The reason being is that it protects your sensitive work-related data from being intercepted by unauthorized third-parties. And it’s easy to find a VPN deal to make your transition into it even smoother.
6. Make sure to get enough natural light
Unless you’re working a night shift, it’s important to position your desk in such a way that you get enough natural light. But it’s not for the reasons that might pop into your mind (hint: it has nothing to do with the visibility of your screen).
According to Carnegie Mellon University research, natural light has a tremendous effect on your productivity even if you consider all the other factors that play a role in maintaining it.
The great thing about working from home is that you have the luxury of being able to rearrange your furniture the way you prefer. And if your home office’s window is located where sunshine comes in even better.
7. Take Advantage Of Online Opportunities
The online world is full of opportunities nowadays, and it’s important you take them when it comes to running a home business. For your home office, you might benefit from getting a virtual assistant or getting an automated line or chat service for your website and customer service channels. Your time is limited when you’re the only person in the business, so utilize what you can, and that means anything you can find online.
8. Never Let Your Home Life Blur Into It
A home office for your business is challenging, but you should never let your home life blur into it. That can be hard when you share spaces but try to be strict with when you switch into work mode and when you switch off. Try not to allow those lines to blur, otherwise, you can end up hating your home.
Creating a home office space is the foundation you need for running your business, so be sure to get it right so you get more done in less time, allowing you to spend the remainder of your day on the things you love and enjoy.
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