Run An Efficient Home Office

Those of us who work out of our homes realize it's a double edged sword. Yes, we enjoy the freedom of a home-office — no commuting and a totally flexible schedule — but it also means that we must budget our time, work efficiently, and commit ourselves to working smart.

First of all, "home-business" does not necessarily mean "small" business in terms of revenue. Many home-businesses are multi-million dollar corporations. I run one from my home, IMC, Inc. It's an import/ export company which grosses over one million dollars in sales per year! Sure, I have a separate warehouse, but the business is RUN from my home!

Operating from home isn't always easy, but the benefits easily outweigh the negatives. I've learned to work effectively from home and will share the things I feel will enable you to get the most out of your home-based business or office.

Create a separate room or area to be used exclusively for business — If you don't have a basement, garage, or spare room, partition an area of one room. Designate this as your "office", and treat it as such. Don't use it for anything but work! More importantly, don't go in there unless you are going to "work". Why? Because if you treat the office area as a separate entity, you will be more productive. Make sure your family members know it's an "office" and is off limits! The more separate you can make your office area, the better off you will be, and the more professionally you can run.

Have a separate phone line installed — This makes it easier for customers to reach you and projects a professional image. A fax machine is certainly a must for many businesses. You don't need a separate phone line. Use a telephone sharing device which automatically routes calls to a phone, fax, or modem. These are readily available and eliminate the need for costly phone lines. Of course, if you receive a high volume of phone calls or faxes, you'll need more lines. You might even want to lease a multi-line phone system from the telephone company.

A personal computer is a must — If not a necessity, it is a time and money-saver to own and use a computer. Invest in the best one you can afford that meets your needs. Prices are dropping every day and systems are running for under $1,000. You'll also need a printer capable of printing legible correspondence especially if you want to create your own brochures, ads, or high quality correspondence.

Arrange your furniture — Make sure you have a desk that is large enough to handle your needs, and a file cabinet or two for files. Most importantly, get a good, comfortable chair. This can be your most important office tool! Fatigue and many back and neck problems are caused by cheaply made chairs.

Purchase or lease an office copier — For many this may be out of the question due to the numerous copy places in every community. But, if copying is repetitive and halts work, consider if the time and money saved offsets this expense. Get one that handles everyday copy needs. Any larger jobs can still be done at your local print or copyshop.

Set up a regular work schedule — All of us know we work our home businesses all hours of the day and night. Still, set up some "business hours". If you're going to have hours from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, then stick to that schedule. Take normal breaks, including lunch. But, it is important that you establish a regular habit of being "in the office" on a set schedule that your customers are aware of. For the times you must leave the office to make sales calls, run errands, or for other reasons, make sure there is an answering machine or service to answer any incoming calls, and that you return the calls as soon as you return. Be certain that family and friends are aware of your regular "business" hours. Ask them to respect that time. They should not expect you to be "free" just because you are at home.

When you get up in the morning, act as if you are going to work! Shower, get dressed and go to your office. Dressing like you are going to work makes you will feel more like working and if you have customers or vendors visiting, looks more professional.

Outfit your office as best you can within your budget. Treat it as a business, and work regular hours. Your business or office may be at home, but it is still an "office"! Treat it with the respect it deserves!