Working from home can be rough. There’s always the temptation to goof off and do other things. The problem is your environment. If you’re just sat on your bed with the laptop, you don’t feel like you’re working. That might seem great to you. The problem is that you’re not as focused as you would be at work and it may negatively impact your productivity. So what can you do? You can turn that spare room into an office environment, and this is how.
A Desk & Chair
Got back ache from hunching over your laptop on the bed? Good news, your posture is about to get a great gift. The rigid but comfortable back of an office chair should make you sit up straight. Likewise, a desk is giving you a solid place to put your laptop or computer monitor.
Upright posture will help improve your concentration. Not only that but it’ll improve your typing technique. Being slumped over with your elbows on your knees can limit the maneuverability of your hands. It could slow down the amount of words you can type per minute. If you have a job that’s heavily text based, that can be a real problem.
Phone
If you have to use a phone a lot, why not just get a nice business phone installed into your office room? It’s all well and good to be using your mobile phone in emergencies, but you want to give an air of professionalism. A proper landline number will impact your business more than you think. So people take notice of things like that.
If you need to keep phone records, get a phone recording device installed too. The recording will be easily stored, and you can play it back if you need to listen to a conversation again or make a transcript.
Blinds
Part of the problem of working from a home office is that sometimes you work late. Once the sun starts going down the glare on your computer or laptop screen can be awful. The best way around this is to get a set of blinds.
Curtains are too ‘homey’. A set of blinds not only adds professionalism to this new working environment, but also a little bit of style too.
Door Lock
A lock on the door makes for both a good security measure and a way to concentrate. Not only can you lock any burglars out of the room where you keep important and sensitive work materials, but you can lock yourself in so you can concentrate on work without any distractions.
Personal Effects
A diploma on the wall or a photo of the family on the desk can add a little personal touch to the office environment. Just to stop it feeling too sterile and boring. This is your office after all, not some random desk you’re assigned to that morning if you worked in a call center.
Besides, if doing a Skype call with a client, the diploma and family pictures can give them a sense of wholesomeness and professionalism. Appearances are important after all.