home business

Offices Move From Downtown to Down Home

Businesses are down sizing, the economy is uncertain and tradition is taking hold of our lifestyles once again.

Offices at home are not novel or new; they are merely a spin off of forgotten tradition. Many a butcher, baker, and candlestick maker lived and worked at the same location. Today's home businesses are credible and successful and carry their own weight in the business world.

Today's most successful home businesses have several things in common. The most prominent shared factor is the type of business, namely service. Service industries are adaptable to the home because they do not increase street traffic. The second common factor is that most of these businesses do the majority of their advertising by word of mouth. These two factors add up to work places that are appropriate for a residential neighborhood. Some of the enterprises most successfully conducted in the home are accounting, writing, architecture, psychology, interior design, sales reps and consulting.

To work well, the home office is defined by strict guidelines. The most important is for family members to understand that interruptions for emergencies are all that is acceptable. Secondly, the business person must understand the difference between flexible work habits and excessive ones. Success means knowing when to close the door and leave work until the next day.

The office needs to be equipped with a business phone line and perhaps even a separate electric meter. This is especially helpful at tax time. A dedicated computer, copy/scanner and fax are usually necessary business equipment.

When evaluating a home space to be used as an office, it is very important to think ahead about adaptability, flexibility and future growth. Good planning can save money and prevent stress later on. Plan for the most so that you can easily accomodate the least.

In a home office, it is very likely that the space will need to be multifunctional. There may be only a few employees but they wear numerous hats. In order to be profitable, the workspace must be efficient.

Another important factor is privacy for your family. Keeping meetings with clients separate from personal space is much more effective and professional.

Comfort in the form of ergonomically sound seating can help you to be more productive and less fatiqued at the end of the workday. Therefore avoid seating that may have decorative flair but no value in the form of body support. This is one area where getting the best you can afford will pay off.

Adequate lighting suitable for a variety of tasks can never be stressed enough. Overhead illumination, as well as task lighting, are valuable assets that lighten the load of long hours evolving from daylight to dark. Ventilation that relieves heat generated by equipment and lighting is imperative.

OFFICES MOVE
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DOWNTOWN
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Acoustics are another important concern. Family activities do not enhance a business setting. Concentration is interrupted if noises carry easily and destroy privacy with clients. Carpeting, acoustical walls or ceiling panels, extra insulation, and draperies work together to heighten the sound barrier. A stereo will further enhance your workspace.

Storage, filing and work surfaces are paramount to an effective business office. Be inventive, use containers, crates, baskets, rolling carts, bins, and decorative boxes to store the necessities that are needed daily. Enclosed is better than open storage. Adjustable shelving is wonderful and versatile whether it is portable or built in. Current filing cabinets designs pass for elegant pieces of furniture. Catalog companies such as Renovations Supply/Yield House and Levenger offer furniture either finished in your choice of stains or unfinished. You will find a versatile selection of pieces and styles.

Be creative. Desk tops can be made from beveled glass, ready made laminate counters, granite or even a hollow core door. Bases are limited only by your imagination. Try columns, file cabinets, book shelves or, as an architect friend did, use a large fish tank as one base. Coordinate the finishes with stain or spray granite or faux designs. Wrap around work areas are efficient and accommodate needed writing and computer space. A desk height of 28-30" is standard. The computer keyboard should be 26-27" above the floor. The monitor should be 7" above the work surface or recessed to keyboard level. This angle prevents neck strain. A footrest makes an excellent addition. It helps to maintain proper posture, which prevents back strain. Personal comfort improves productivity and quality of work. Use the Feng Shui advice and be sure that your desk faces the office entry. ("Feng Shui Goes to the Office - How to Thrive from 9 to 5" by Nancilie Wydra)

The final ingredient in a successful home office is image. Build your image and make a statement about your company with the effective use of accessories and color. Use at least one fine art piece that brings you a lot of enjoyment. It will be very motivating, especially when you are tired. in addition, fine art always conveys the look of success. Plants are a refreshing addition to the work area.

Use color with purpose and impact. Be sure that the colors you select convey the message you want your clients to perceive about your company and your services. Use the psychology of color as a power tool. The right colors will energize and enhance all you do. (Contact the experts at The COLOR Company for your color and design.)

Taking home office from downtown to "down home" can add to your efficiency and creativity not to mention your profit.

For more than two decades Charlotte Iseldyke has been a connoisseur of Color - its power, energy and diversity. As a syndicated published design journalist, Charlotte shares her expertise with you through a variety of publications.

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