I've been thinking of setting up an office at home, so that I can further my personal business. I think it will be a nice change of atmosphere, and I'll really be comfortable working in my familiar space, and with the ability to "take a break" at any time. But, in my quest to get this "personal space", I've met something of a "stumbling block", in that I'm not completely clear on which office supplies would be perfect and/or essential for my home office. I've thought about "the must-have's", like my desktop computer, printer, copy machine, Pens, pencils, but that's where I stop...and somehow I don't think that that's enough. I really want to craft my niche where I am, using the best possible tools that will enable me to achieve that. So, of course, I need your help! What do you consider the "must-have's" when it comes to office supplies for a home office? It would be so appreciated!
These days I don't think you really need all that much aside from the gadgets you will be using. It's why a lot of people are able to work anywhere while they travel because all you'd really need for the most part is a laptop to type in. Anything extra would be personal preference, I think. Though, if I were to construct my own office at home, the must haves I would be prioritizing aside from my main gadget would be to have the best office chair I could afford and maybe some plants.
Well, since you mentioned printer, then it's necessary for you to stock up on bond papers of all sizes (commonly letter, legal and A4 sizes). You need bond papers to send or fax communication letters from your office if not for documentation or filing purposes. Rather than the typical printer, perhaps you should consider buying a multifunctional colored printer with scanning, fax and photocopying functions. This will save you a lot of money.
You need a good ,supportive chair because you'll be sitting in it for hours. I once had an online job where I was typing and helping customers ,sometimes for 16 hours a day, and my back would always hurt. I became more focused and productive when I upgraded to a better chair that didn't hurt.
I think you should have a spin bike or some type of small cardio machine that isn't pricey. I say this because I work at home and do a lot of work on the computer for about 8 hours + a day. When I am feeling sore, I would get up and get on my spin bike for a little while just so I can have my blood circulating.
I usually think of my home-based office to be much as my dreaming business office should be. I don't want that it has all the comforts of home, but all the gears a office should have, including some for the relax break, but always looking like a serious office and not like a home room converted into one.
I work from home and the things I didn't have that I found I was constantly needing were a hole punch and a stapler (and staples of course!). It really depends on whether you're going to have a lot of paper sitting around but they were both things I found I'd missed when I bought everything I thought I needed!
I think organization and order is important in an office. So, file trays and folders are important to be able to easily assess the information you need. Also, a calendar and some type of way to organize things you need to do and when.
I would suggest one of those mesh task chairs, since they are very comfortable and very adjustable, moreso than most other office chairs. I've been using them for nearly 10 years now, and will never go back to those bulky leather chairs I used to get, which were never the right height relative to my desk and would cause me arm and back pain, not to mention make me sweat like crazy during the summer months. Plus the mesh backing on them is durable, doesn't show wear & tear like leather and cloth do, and keeps your back from getting too warm. The other thing I would do is make certain the desk you are choosing is the proper height relative to your chair. Even better, if it has a slide out drawer for your mouse and keyboard. Otherwise if your desk is too high or too low when you are typing, you'll get some serious arm and wrist pain pretty quickly. Personally I don't even bother with having a printer anymore. The only real reason I kept the one I got is because it had a scanner built into it, and I do sometimes need to scan stuff. But I haven't bought ink for it in ages, because I rarely use it and the cartridges keep drying out before I even use them up. I generally just swing by Kinkos when I need to print off some stuff. It only costs me a few cents vs wasting like $60 on ink cartridges. Another nice addition is a daylight simulator lamp. Places like Bed Bath & Beyond sell basic tabletop models, or you can order full size floor lamp models too. They really help out keeping you in a good mood, if you're going to be spending so much time indoors and perhaps there aren't many windows in the room you plan to use for an office. Some live plants will also help keep the air clean in your office, so it doesn't feel too stuffy.
Yeah..it’s a good idea to work from home because it offers an opportunity for real comfort and efficiency. I too have started working from home as the office atmosphere is really tiring. But apart from desktop computer, printer, pens we have to consider some more things when setting up a home office. The lighting, layout , the wall paints ,privacy etc are also very important. U may contact a professional designer for this. I got the help of Space Age, Toronto
