Setting Up a Home Office

Do you dream of going to work in your pajamas? Do you wish you could save time during your day by cutting out the commute to work? If you have been thinking of these things, you have probably also been thinking about having a home office. Creating a home office might feel like a daunting task, but with these helpful tips the process will be simplified.

The basics:

Designate a special space for an office. Make use of whatever space you have, whether it is a room, a small closet, or a stair landing. Ideally, it should have a door, but use whatever you have! You can deduct the utilities and rent of the square footage of your home office. So if your home office is one tenth of your house, you can deduct one tenth of the utilities and one tenth of the mortgage or rent.

Apply for the appropriate business permits. Your local building and zoning department will help you gain permits to have a business in a non-business area. It is also advisable to find out about any restrictions in this aspect.

Get organized. This means buying desks, computers, fax machines, filing cabinets, and the like, and then putting them to the proper use. This also includes minimizing the distractions in your area. If you have children especially, find appropriate help, be it a relative or a babysitter. You?ll be much more productive this way.

Create a set of rules and then stick to them. Use the rules to address your weaknesses. Rules like no web-surfing unless business related, no personal phone calls between certain hours, and taking a break every so often. They will help you discipline yourself and stick to your task

Hardware you need:

Decide on a computer. A lap-top computer may be more appropriate than a desktop if you do much traveling for clients. Whichever you choose, make sure they have adequate hard drive space and memory.

Figure out what computer equipment you will need. A printer, fax machine, scanner, CD and DVD burner, modem, and digital camera are just some examples of the equipment you may need. Choose which are right for your business.

Determine other equipment you need. A separate business telephone line is useful. Another helpful item is a PDA (personal digital assistant) to help keep your information handy at all times.

Software you may need:

Decide on which programs are right for you. The most common are an e-mail program, a word processor, spreadsheet and database programs, presentation software, virus protection, graphic and image editing programs, and Internet browsers.

Find a program package, or ?suite,? that will cover all you need. There are many business applications packages that offer some of all the programs mentioned above and more. A few of the most popular include Microsoft Office, Corel, Lotus, and AppleWorks.

Communications:

Find the appropriate Internet provider. Your home business will probably require more than a dial-up connection. Find out about the local cable, DSL, and satellite internet providers.

Choose telephone options. Having a separate business line is a good idea, as is a cell phone. Caller ID is recommended for both so you can decide whether or not to take a call.

Web communications are key. The internet provides e-mail, web conferencing, video chat rooms, and instant messaging just to name a few. They are important in assisting your home business to become successful.

A home business is an ideal situation for some people. Setting up a home office can feel like an overwhelming task, but using the guidelines provided above will make the process go much smoother.