There are some things that are more important than money, and an office is one of them. It is the first impression your potential clients will get of you, your personality, and your professionalism. It’s a place where you can work more efficiently, eliminate distractions from your daily life, and have the peace of mind that comes from being able to ignore your home.
In this article I am going to explain all of these benefits and show you how setting up a space in your home for an office can make a significant difference in the quality of your work. Space will give you that little extra boost that makes it easier for you to keep going on those long writing days or those occasional slow weeks. It will elevate your business to a higher level, giving you more credibility and allowing you to focus more of your energy on the people who matter most.
The Benefits of Designing an Office in Your Home
No distractions. I have already mentioned it but it is worth mentioning again. A home office offers you the ability to work free from external distractions, something that is hard to get in an outside environment. I mean, can your office prevent your kids from charging in? Can you avoid your spouse coming in and chatting with you about weekend plans while you are trying to get an article out? The answer is no. That’s not to say a home office doesn’t have its own distractions, however. These include frequently empty coffee mugs and dirty laundry piles. But if you have a nice neat little space, that’s kept well organized, the distractions are minimal.
Peace of mind. I don’t know about you but, when my job is on the line, I am not really too worried about hanging out at the park. For many freelancers or people who work from home, that same mentality carries over into their home life. When things go sour they are there to pick up the slack and help out. Sometimes this is a good thing, but if you’re not organized you can find yourself in a situation where you have too much work to do and no idea how to start. Having an office in the same space as the rest of your life opens up that solution.
Better work efficiency. A lot of professional writers or freelancers rely on coffee, or possibly energy drinks, to get them through the day. This may be okay for some people but can gradually damage your overall health if you’re not careful. If you want to get more out of your workday try getting in some physical activity. Take a break for ten minutes and go for a walk, or grab your bike. On days when you need extra energy, grab something that will keep you alert throughout the day.
Have an open space where people can drop by. No office is complete without having people drop by unannounced. In fact, it’s a part of many industries. When you have a space that is available for you to work in without being disturbed by people, you can get a lot more done. And if someone does come by, the sense of freedom and freedom from distractions is enough to get them hooked so they will want to come back.
Convenience. If you have a place where you can work at home, chances are you won’t need to travel for long periods of time. Or at least you can avoid busy roads and crazy traffic. That is a benefit that is hard to ignore especially if you have a family.
Create a dedicated space with a designated entrance. A great way to really get your home office up and running is by creating a spot where people can enter your office without going through the rest of your house. This can even help to designate you as having a home office, which will allow you to save on taxes if it applies. At the same time, you can also create an area where clients or potential clients can come by for appointments.
Avoid distractions. Keep your workspace separate from other spaces in your home so that you can avoid interruptions and distractions. If other people are nearby they will just feel more inclined to talk with you or drop by.
Create a wired environment. Residential WiFi can be spotty at best, but if you have an internet connection you will be able to work more efficiently. You can cut out the middle man and deal with fast, reliable networks that eliminate all that waiting for the network to load stuff. This means you can get more done in less time because you won’t have to wait long periods of time for your research or writing materials to load up throughout your day.
Keep your office in the center of the house. With the internet, it is best to have your office in the center or hub of your house. This will reduce or eliminate the need for wires to travel into every room in the house. Working from home can be an alternative to working outside, but it can also be a place where you are productive while you are relaxing at home.
Combine your office with a sitting room. You can also combine your office space with a sitting or sitting/dining room so that you have a listening area as well as somewhere to do your writing. This would be ideal if you have clients who might want to offer feedback on an article, for example.
Have space for computers and other tools. Another good idea is to create a place where you can put all of your computer and work supplies.
About the Author
Author at Geaves Surfaces
This article was written by Joey Miller from Geaves Surfaces, a commercial & retail design company in the UK.
