It’s been over a year, of working from home for a lot of American’s and as an entrepreneur working from coffee shops have slowed down distractedly too. A couple of years ago, I wrote seven essentials for the home office, and I thought it is a great time to update that article. It is imperative to creating an environment conducive to your well-being. Today, I am sharing more in-depth home office essentials for the entrepreneur.
Designated Office Space: The dining table is not your office. The couch is not your office. Even if you do not have much space in your apartment or house, you can make a space that works. Recently, a friend converted her spare bedroom closet into an office space. When you open the accordion doors, you are greeted with a desk, chair, calendar, printer, plant, and more. Remember, your office space is considered a tax write-off, so make sure you get the most out of the area.
Natural Light: Recent years, I realized that natural light is super helpful to me when I am working. It brings a calmness over me, and it seems more peaceful if you’re able to position your office area by a window to have natural light do so.
Equipment: Days are gone of the pretty acrylic chairs, and we have invested in ergonomic chairs, so we support our backs through 6-8 hours of working at a computer desk. In the last couple of years, I have learned that Pinterest goals offices are not that functional as they are pretty. You can have a beautiful office, but make sure it’s practical for you to operate your business.
Here is a list of things to invest in for your office space: desk, chair, lamp, laptop stand, second monitor, keyboard, noise canceling headphones, power strip, extra USB ports, speaker system, high speed internet, printer, ring lamp, camera stand, filing cabinet, work from home software, and calendar.
Personally, I prefer having a tv in my office that either plays old episodes of Law & Order or CNN for background noise. Nowadays, more people will use sound machines or listen to podcasts. Whatever it may be invested in those items also as a type of equipment for your space.
Calming Atmosphere: When I use to walk into Anthropologie, I was always invited in my beautiful-smelling candle burning. Some people prefer to light a candle to end their workday, but I love one burning throughout the day. Create an atmosphere that is conducive to you being productive. That could be a sound machine going, bumping a 90’s playlist, candles burning, or a diffuser. Make it a space that is welcoming, warm, and calm.
Personal Health: As I have gotten older, I realize sitting down for 6-8 hours straight is not suitable for my body at all. Every hour, I get up for 15 minutes to stretch and walk around my house. Usually, I walk downstairs to grab a snack or bottled water; however, I am about to add a mini-fridge and coffee machine to my office space to make it more functional. In recent years, stand-up desks have become more popular and have a host of benefits.
Everyone’s home office essentials for the entrepreneur will vary dependent on your needs, but all these are basics that everyone should include. When the world truly opens back up, then we can all go back to our second homes of working out of coffee shops.
Photo by Arnel Hasanovic on Unsplash
