A Better Home Office on a Budget

By James Harrison –

If you, like many modern ladies, have shunned the nine to five grind in favor of a more flexible working from home lifestyle, chances are you’re enjoying the freedom this gives you to spend time with your family. However, working from home is not without its challenges, one of the major ones being finding a place in the home to call your own and which to set up as the home office.

Setting up a home office doesn’t need to be overly complicated or overly expensive if you go about it in an organized and realistic fashion. Of course, every small business has its own requirements for space, but with a little creative thought it shouldn’t be necessary to resort to business relocation, at least not for the near future. Here are some tips on creating an affordable, functional and feminine home office that suits you and your business.

1.        Choose a space that works for you

If you are lucky enough to have an entire room to convert to a home office, then congratulations! However, the majority of us will need to resort to the corner of a lounge, bedroom or another shared space in order to fit in with the family. Choose a space that gives you the peace and privacy you need, but without getting cut off. If you will need to watch the kids sometimes whilst you work, setting up in the corner of the lounge is not a bad idea, but consider a room divider or screen to avoid getting distracted by the television.

2.        Make sure you have enough room

If your business is largely computer based then you won’t need as much space as a business involved in art, craft or other space intensive activities. Whatever it is your business does, always leave yourself some breathing space on the size of your office. Even computer based workers will need to allow for printers, phones and storage of paperwork, so overestimate the amount of room you need rather than cramping yourself into a corner.

3.        Choose the furniture wisely

Concentrate on furniture that is fit for purpose, rather than designer pieces that look good. You’ll be spending a lot of time at your desk or worktop, so pick one that is the right size, height and material for your needs. Corner desks are great for maximizing surface space and high level shelves can create useful additional storage space for your paperwork. Pick an office chair at the top of your budget, as poor chairs can create bad posture and back issues later on. Consider a footrest, wrist rest or back support to develop an ergonomic work area for your business.

4.        Build your own

IF you can make any of the elements of your office space yourself, or repurpose something you already have, great! You’ll be saving money and adding your own style at the same time. Try putting a board between two filing cabinets to create a desk, using an old ladder to create shelving or turning old boxes into useful document and stationary storage. You can also focus on the making in such a way that during any businessrelocation, your furniture and other official stuff can be easily moved.

5.        Add some touches of your personality

People who work in a place that they are happy to spend time tend to be more productive, more motivated and more likely to be successful in their work. Add some finishing touches to your workspace to make it your own, such as family photographs, attractive flowers or scented candles.

Guest post by James Harrison, works as relocation consultant. He regularly contributes write ups to business websites and blogs with most of his writings based on tips for business relocation, and marketing techniques. In his free time he plays sports mainly soccer and chess. He is also passionate about reading fiction and travelling