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How To Create The Perfect Home Office

Whether you are building a new home work space or converting a room into your office, this is an exciting moment for your business. You finally get to create the space where you will become a successful business woman doing something you love.

 

Forbes says that when you work from home, you need a space that inspires you to get up and “go to work,” even if that means walking down the hall. Take the time to design your new home office so you will be truly inspired to work at home.

 

Start with the Empty Space

Before anything else is in the room, bring in a chair, sit down, close your eyes, and visualize yourself working in this space. Where are you facing? How is the lighting? How are your supplies organized? What other furniture is in the room? How easy is it to move around the room? This simple exercise will tell you a lot about where you will be most productive.

 

Formal or Informal?

Entrepreneur notes a work environment that is too casual may not encourage you to be productive. Find the balance between a space that feels comfortable enough to work in your PJs, and one that requires a business suit. Some women find they are more productive when they dress up a bit. A less casual office may make you feel like you’re “going to the office” and get your mind into work mode.

 

Get Wired — And Wireless

Few things are more annoying than having to stretch an extension cord across the room. If building a room, place outlets every six or eight feet on every wall. If working with an existing room, add baseboard outlets to give you more flexibility.

 

It’s also wise to review your home network set-up to make sure you have all the bandwidth you need. Look at a service such as http://www.centurylinkbundles.com/ for packages that fit your business and your budget. Your home network is your connection to the “outside world,” so you will want speed and reliability.

 

Set Boundaries

You will want a way to “close off” your office from the rest of the house. This could simply be the door to the room, or a privacy screen, if you’re using just a portion of a room. Ideally, you want to be in your office without the sight and sound distractions of your living space. Also, when you leave your office, you want to shut off that space from the house, indicating that you have “left work”. This way, you will be able to focus on the reason you are in each space without distractions.

 

The Comfort Factor

A little color can go a long way to making an inspiring place to work. Karen Haller specializes in the psychology of color. She writes in Women Unlimited Worldwide that the right colors on the wall, along with accessories, will affect your motivation in that space. For example, she suggests light blue for creativity and green for calm and balance.

 

When you start to furnish your space, nothing will be a better investment than your desk chair. If your work requires a lot of sitting, a great desk chair is as valuable to you as a pair of high-performance shoes is to a runner. At the end of your work day, you’ll appreciate the comfort and support of a good chair.

 

These few things will start you on your way to creating that ideal work space at home. You’ll have a space you want to go to where you can be creative and productive. Don’t cut corners. Make this the space where you and your talents can really flourish.

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