| As corporate retrenchment continues rapidly and the | | | | talents. |
| Internet makes telecommuting ever more productive | | | | Basics for planning a home office: |
| and more entrepreneurs are discovering the benefits | | | | Setting up a small home office is not just a matter |
| of running businesses out of their homes. If someone | | | | of lugging office equipment into a room and plugging |
| is looking to get out of the rat race and spend more | | | | it in. Home office space is first and foremost a |
| time with family and friends and live a more balanced | | | | working space. The most important element of home |
| life then a home-based business may be just right | | | | office design is the infrastructure. |
| choice. | | | | Commercial office facilities were originally designed to |
| Personal freedom: | | | | be office spaces. They have sufficient power, lighting |
| If someone does not want to stay much hours | | | | and ventilation for office workspaces built into their |
| traffic to and from work every day, the most | | | | design. This will maybe not be the case with house |
| exciting part of starting a home-based business. | | | | to use as a home office. It is advice able to locate |
| Suddenly, one has extra hours in the day to regain | | | | home office in the site that has the best power, |
| control of the personal life. | | | | lighting and ventilation for office use. |
| There are no bosses, no dress code, no set work | | | | Basic things for office: |
| schedule and no office politics to trick. All one need is | | | | Setting up a home office means that increase in |
| personal drive, discipline and time-management skills. It | | | | power use that location. Even a small laser printer will |
| is a simple principle like the harder one works, the | | | | consume 300 to 400 watts of electricity. Now think |
| more money one can make. The earning potential is | | | | of the other office equipment to install in home |
| directly proportional to the performance, so just | | | | office. |
| work harder and produce more. | | | | Get at first a PC, a monitor, a laser printer, a fax |
| One can also save money by not commuting and | | | | machine, a scanner and a phone. Step one of home |
| preparing lunch at home. With so many corporations | | | | office design is assessing power needs. Add up the |
| and industries in a slump, starting own home-based | | | | wattage of office equipment. One must cut down on |
| enterprise means one can create own | | | | power needs by combining some of the office |
| income-producing opportunities. Good job prospects | | | | equipment needs. |
| are scarce and promotional opportunities within major | | | | Instead of having a separate printer, fax, copier and |
| companies are also decreasing. | | | | scanner, one multifunction machine that performed all |
| Less risk: | | | | these functions is better. Before even passing |
| Running a business from home takes less startup | | | | thought to the aesthetics of home office design, plug |
| cash than a freestanding business, or even a | | | | in all equipment and try to use it, as a normal working |
| franchise location. Once the business is up and | | | | day. |
| running, it is cheaper and easier to maintain than a | | | | If one experiences electrical danger signs, such as |
| separate business location. | | | | breakers popping or lights dimming when various |
| There are a number of tax advantages to having | | | | pieces of equipment are operating, have an electrician |
| home and office under one roof. One can deduct a | | | | check circuitry and see if any simple rewiring can be |
| part of home's operating and depreciation expenses | | | | completed. |
| on the insurance, utilities and expenses for household | | | | Better lighting for home office: |
| maintenance. This is especially important for parents | | | | When choosing the lighting for home office, assess |
| of school-age kids. One can see the kids off to | | | | the needs first by sitting in proposed workspace and |
| school and on most days be home when they arrive | | | | determining how much lighting one need to work |
| later in the day. | | | | efficiently and where the light should be placed. |
| It is a little less stressful to juggle the demands of | | | | An office with insufficient lighting is not only useless |
| work and family when one can stay home to care | | | | but can lead to all kinds of health problems from |
| for a sick child and generally set own schedule. Being | | | | headaches through neck and shoulder pain. Many |
| own boss gives the chance to wear a lot of hats like | | | | people overlook the importance of ventilation in |
| sales director, marketing professional, strategist, | | | | office design, but equipment needs it. The more |
| business development manager and many more. | | | | office equipment operating, the more heat will be |
| Launching home-based can be an opportunity to give | | | | generated and excessive heat can damage office |
| birth to passions and hobbies and create a | | | | equipment such as PCs. |
| money-generating outlet for the unique and creative | | | | |