A choice to work out of a home office is one of the perks that many firms offer these days. Working from home is all shades of convenience – it eliminates your commute, you can head into the kitchen for a snack at will, stay in bed to earn money, dress up/down based on your mood, and the tax breaks on your home office-related expenses are a big plus. Many tips to improve your home also provide insight on making your home a small business H/Q.
However, choosing to work from home also has its drawbacks. You have to constantly stave off distractions. You’ll have to give your friends and family regular gentle (and not-so-gentle) reminders that you are actually working and that they can’t drop by for chit chats. More importantly, your will to do serious productive work might be reduced because there aren’t supervisors and co-workers around to keep you on your toes. This piece provides insight on how to create a home office that will make you productive without breaking the bank.
Create a dedicated workspace
Working in bed, in your pajamas, or on the dining table sounds fun but you’ll eventually start feeling that your productivity is declining. More so, it won’t be professional to hold video calls with clients, colleagues, or bosses while dressed in pajamas with your face propped up by pillows on the bed. A dedicated workspace helps you to get into ‘work mood’ and it makes it easier for other family members to respect your working hours.
You don’t need to break the bank to convert an entire room into a home office. Use a screen to create a peaceful corner or convert a closet into a workspace. Your attic or basement can also be splendid home offices with a little upgrade.
Work with what you have already
Many people often erroneously assume that they’ll need to spend a fortune before they can create a workspace that oozes productivity. Of course, it is nice to have the latest gadgets and tools, but you don’t really need to break the bank to make your home office productive. You can find office supplies such as notebooks and staplers in your school-days closet. You can find accents such as lamps, artworks, and even furniture in the spare rooms. Bulletin boards, filing cabinets, pens, and mugs from The Dollar Store or Wal-Mart would also reduce your expenses.
The power of paint
Nothing could be more uninspiring than a drab and dull-looking home office. However, you shouldn’t underestimate the immense power that a coat of paint can wield in transforming your home office. A carefully chosen coat of paint will brighten your workspace and cause your creative juices to flow freely. Consider applying bright paints to the frames of bulletin boards to spruce them up. You can also transform other furnishings with matching or contrasting coats of paint.
Be clever with curtains
You aren’t under any compulsion to have the workspace in your home office face the wall. Try putting your desk in front of a window and see how a curtain can magically transform your workspace into a productivity suite. You can make the curtain from fabrics that have sentimental value to you such as the kids’ arts & craft project or a fabric from a trip abroad. You can also buy a curtain material if you’ll prefer something fresh. The idea is to have a curtain that looks better than a bland wall – you can close the curtain against distractions and you can always pull the curtain aside when you want some sunshine.
