Freelancing or Running a Business From Home? You Need The Perfect Home Office

A home office is particularly important for freelancers and anyone who runs their own business, although it’s something that’s useful in any home. Whether you have a spare room that you want to turn into the perfect home office, or just have an empty nook or corner somewhere in your house- here are the things you’ll need for a great functioning home office.

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A Desk

Go for the largest desk you can fit in your space, having more room makes everything much more comfortable and is easier to work from. This is vital when you work for yourself and spend a lot of time at it! Something with drawers or storage space is your best bet, perfect for things you need to be able to quickly grab but don’t want to be cluttered up the top. You can find good quality, inexpensive desks from just about anywhere, but for a fun project why not upcycle an old piece? Find a solid wooden desk from somewhere like Craigslist, and modernise it by painting it with chalk furniture paint and switching out any handles.

A Supportive Chair

To go to your desk, a supportive chair is essential. Don’t skimp here or you could end up with painful problems later down the line, you need something comfortable with good back and neck support. If you have carpet down in your home office, you’ll need to chose a chair that doesn’t have wheels (or buy some plastic sheeting to go underneath it). Otherwise wheeling up and down over it will have your carpets looking bald in no time.

A Reliable Computer

Your computer is the workhorse of your home office, and when you work for yourself your livelihood quite literally depends on it. Always perform security updates to make sure that it’s not vulnerable to attacks, and back up your information regularly. If you notice any problems, make sure that computer repairs are carried out as soon as possible to prevent further damage to your machine. Choose a screen that’s big enough to see everything clearly without having to hunch over or squint, if you use a laptop or Macbook you could hook it up to a larger monitor. You’ll be able to see things more clearly, this is especially useful if you edit pictures or videos or do any kind of design work

A Filing Cabinet

Self-employment comes with masses of paperwork that you need to keep safe. Things like invoices and receipts are crucial when it comes to your tax return, and so invest in a good filing system. Ideally a proper filing cabinet, but at the very least a folder which is divided up by category so you know where everything is. There are a number of Ikea hacks for filing cabinets if you want something a bit more personal.

Stationery

Things like pens and pencils, highlighters, paper clips, post-it notes and notepads- have a think about the stationery you’ll need to keep everything in your business running smoothly. Keep everything organised so it’s easy to grab things when you need them without rummaging through everything. Organisers like containers and pots are useful, as well as miniature sets of drawers for the desktop to keep everything neat and together.

A Notice Board

A noticeboard or a large calendar helps to keep you organised, stick to deadlines, and gives you a general idea of your workload for the weeks ahead. Get into the habit of updating it regularly, and you’ll be able to see exactly what you need at a glance. We shared some cool printable calendars here, so you could easily make your own.

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