| Ok, so you have decided to start your own | | | | separate phone line dedicated to your |
| home-based business, what next? Well there are | | | | home-based business only. This phone line will be |
| a few things you should do before you open the | | | | used for nothing else but your business. This will |
| doors. Since you will be working from home you | | | | also save you the hassle of trying to figure out |
| will have many distractions from crying babies to | | | | which percentage of your monthly house phone |
| barking dogs so it is very important to designate | | | | bill was used for business come tax time. Also |
| an area as your home office exclusively. This | | | | there is nothing more unprofessional than a |
| should be an area of your home that is only to be | | | | four-year-old answering the phone when a client |
| used to conduct business . Try to find an area | | | | calls or a busy signal because you cannot pry the |
| that does not have a lot of traffic. For example | | | | phone from your teenagers red and swollen ear. |
| the corner of the kitchen or family room would | | | | The phone should be equipped with a |
| not be a suitable option for a home office. Maybe | | | | speakerphone and a headset jack so that you |
| a spare bedroom or invest in some movable walls | | | | can talk to clients hands-free enabling you to use |
| and take over part of a finished basement as | | | | your keyboard or search for important papers |
| your new office. | | | | without missing a beat. |
| Next you'll want to invest in a good computer | | | | Next thing you'll need is a filing cabinet. Now I |
| desk with adequate working space. This desk | | | | know you are saying, "but I have nothing to file!" |
| must suit your needs so take some time and | | | | Trust me, you will and if you already have a filing |
| check out the many different styles of office | | | | system in place you will be able to file your |
| desks that are available. And no, an old folding | | | | paperwork, bills, invoices, and bank statements as |
| table and extra kitchen chair will not be an | | | | you acquire them rather than sorting through a |
| adequate substitute. This is where you will be | | | | stack of papers months down the road. Hand in |
| spending the majority of your time so make sure | | | | hand with the filing cabinet would be a paper |
| that it works for you. Your desk should be large | | | | shredder and a waste basket. You will have |
| enough to hold everything that you will be utilizing | | | | sensitive documents that you will need to dispose |
| to run your business from your computer monitor | | | | of and the best way to do this is to shred them |
| to your office phone plus any other items all | | | | right into your wastebasket. With identity theft at |
| within arms reach. | | | | an all-time high you will want to do everything you |
| The next article of importance is an office chair | | | | can to protect yourself. |
| that is extremely comfortable yet provides | | | | After this you can personalize your space |
| incredible support. I cannot stress this enough. For | | | | however you would like. Some people like working |
| years I worked out of a home office with a desk | | | | to music, some like fish tanks to help soothe |
| chair that was salvaged from a dumpster. I simply | | | | them when they are feeling stressed. Many |
| would not break down and purchase a new one | | | | people like plants in their home office and yes |
| even though I viewed working at my desk as a | | | | they do make great listeners. Personalizing your |
| form of medieval torture. There is nothing worse | | | | home office is up to you just make sure you are |
| than spending many hours in a chair that gives | | | | comfortable and that the space is a place that |
| you a backache, a neckache, and a headache. | | | | you will look forward to working in. You will be |
| Save yourself money now by investing in a good | | | | spending a lot of time in there so make it yours. |
| office chair and avoid the chiropractic bills later. | | | | Remember, a happy office is a productive office. |
| Another important item you will need is a | | | | |