One of the greatest benefits of being an online worker is that we can do our daily work routine at the comfort of our own home.
The thing is, setting up home offices can be a complex thing to do. Make it too cozy and the space will be too comfortable to work in. If it’s too rigid and formal, then you may have created an environment that won’t let you be productive.
Finding the right balance where comfort meets efficiency should be the goal when building this very important space.
It’s exciting when thinking about creating your own workspace at home, triggering us to start looking for designs and pegs online. However, there are a few pre-planning items that are important considerations that can determine the success of your future workstation.
Purpose
Home offices should be a place productivity, no matter what tasks you do. So, it’s important to ask the question: what type of work are you going to do there?
Visitor-friendly
Your home office will become a reflection of your personality and professionalism, so it’s important to determine whether it will be used as a collaborative space. Should it be big enough to cater to visitors, like your co-workers and colleagues?
Equipment
What equipment, materials and other things will you be using for your work? Are you a graphic designer or craftsperson who needs a big table for your computer or drawing tablet? Or will you be doing a lot of paperwork, hence the need for drawers and file cabinets?
Silence
Does your job require you to attend meetings and video conferences? Or are you just the type of person who can’t work with too much noise and distraction around? It’s important to consider where to put your home office so you can get the privacy and quiet that you need.
So, you’ve found a spacious, well-lit area that you can utilize as your home office. What should be the first few items that you must fill it up with?
High-speed Internet
Since you are an online worker, of course having fast Internet connection should be the top priority. Slow Internet connection delays productivity, so choose an ISP that is tested and favored by many. You can ask fellow online workers in your area to see which one they’re using and have worked well with them.
Additionally, it’s a good idea to subscribe to a second ISP plan as backup, just in case your main connection goes down.
Surge protector
Power surges are not only frustrating but can also be damaging to your equipment. Installing a surge protector can protect your hardware and electronics from damaging voltage spikes.
Uninterruptible power supply (UPS)
Nothing is more frustrating than an unsaved work that disappears the second a power outage occurs. With this device, you can still continue working on your tasks for a period of time even if there’s no electricity from the main source.
It’s important to have a separate area in your home where you can really sit down and hustle, than do work on the kitchen table or your bed. When you have these basics in place, you can have a great foundation for working online smoothly and successfully.
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