The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Designing a High-Performance Home Office
Running a business right from the comfort of your home is a dream come true, allowing you to make money from your passion, choose when you work and who you work with, and make a positive impact on the community. You don’t have to deal with the stress and frustration of being stuck in traffic for hours or dealing with public transport delays, allowing you to preserve your energy and get more creative with your business. In theory, this sounds fantastic, but entrepreneurship also comes with downsides. For example, there can be lots of distractions, whether it’s the noise from household appliances or your kids watching cartoons in the living room while you’re trying to focus on your business tasks.
As an entrepreneur, you need to stay productive, and that productivity starts with designing a great home office that keeps your business and personal environments separate. Below is a checklist of the things you’ll need to make your home office as inspiring, comfortable, and functional as possible.
Location
The first (and most important) decision is where your home office will be located. While it may seem like there aren’t many options at first, don’t be afraid to think outside the box and explore all possibilities. If you have larger living quarters, you may be able to turn a spare room into an office, but this isn’t always possible for everyone.
Even then, you can get creative and set up your home office in an unusual spot, be it a dormer or closet. Regardless of the area of your home you choose, what matters the most is to keep it as separate as possible from the rest of the house, and keep things organized rather than mixing important documents with take-out boxes or magazines.
Furniture
Office furniture may not seem like a big deal, and you may think that you should save your business money rather than buying expensive pieces. But what if you saw these purchases not as expenses but as an investment for your business? Because that’s what they are, really. A high-quality ergonomic chair, for example, can offer many health benefits compared to a more affordable option, reducing neck and back pain and improving blood circulation (which is especially important if you spend most of the day at your desk).
Another essential consideration is the desk, which should be well-designed to meet your daily needs. Maybe your business requires a large desk with more monitors, or a multipurpose desk for administrative work and other tasks. Also, it’s crucial to think about how many hours you will be spending at your desk to help you make a decision.
Electronic Equipment
As an entrepreneur, you have to stay in touch with clients, business-related partners, and suppliers, which you’ll do via your business email and communication apps. However, your business-related communications will run smoothly only if you consider the tech side and choose the right equipment.
It’s likely a no-brainer that you need high-speed Internet but take the time to also decide which type of digital equipment will best fulfill your needs (and your client’s) and weigh all the available options. For example, would portable equipment work better for you than stationary items? As you reflect on how your business operates, you may realize that having a high-end portable laptop makes more sense than buying an expensive industry-grade manual computer, as it allows you to take your work anywhere in the world. Make sure to put together a budget for electronic equipment, since you want to invest in something durable and functional that you can use in the long run as your business goes through various phases.
Practical Pieces
You also want to decide whether you need extra office-based equipment, such as a printer. Or you may need a whiteboard to place important dates you need to remember or to brainstorm ideas. Obviously, you need to consider whether you have the required storage for these additional pieces.
Additional equipment, such as a desk or standing lamp, may also be necessary, especially if you’ll be working late at night or early in the morning. Besides, incorporating alternative lighting in your home office will create a welcoming, warm environment that motivates you to stay focused on your business tasks and boosts your productivity (and this is actually backed by studies!).
Style
Beyond the immediate requirements for your home office, style is an important consideration because it can do just about as much to support your productivity as an entrepreneur. One way to approach style in your home office is choosing the right color, and while this may seem intimidating, the truth is you cannot really go wrong if you stick to a hue that reflects the feeling you want to create in the space.
For example, while a pale blue office creates an airy, light feel, golden yellow adds depth to a space while also brightening it. If you aren’t sure what to choose, remember that you can always find inspiration online – Pinterest is a goldmine of home-office ideas, and get a feel for the type of look that you’re most attracted to.
The Bottom Line
Having the freedom and flexibility to work from the comfort of your home is great, but running a business isn’t all sunshine and rainbows, and you’ll need to be intentional about designing a space that supports your needs and allows you to work effectively. You need to pay attention to even the little details that may go unnoticed, such as the room’s temperature, adding a plant or two to the space to make it livelier, and even decorating your desk with office accessories.
At the end of the day, you want to create a home office that feels inspiring and uniquely yours, so don’t get caught up in all the designs you may find online; rather, choose what makes the most sense for your needs. Even if this feels like an investment, it will save on additional overhead costs in the long run and anchor your business, as this space will play a crucial role in your venture’s evolution. So, dear entrepreneur, take the time to plan effectively and remember: you deserve a fantastic office in your home!
