Posted by admin | Posted in Furniture | Posted on 07-03-2010
Tags: lifehacks, office, organization, productivity, web2.0
Computer Home Office
|
|
GREEN SMALL ADULT COMPUTER KIDS HOME OFFICE DESK CHAIR $49.95 |
|
|
NEW 31″ Solo Glass Home Office Computer Desk – SILVER $105.00 |
|
|
NEW Glass Contemporary Home Office Computer Desk $94.00 |
|
|
NEW 31″ Solo Glass Home Office Computer Desk – BLACK $105.00 |
|
|
NEW Glass Contemporary Home Office Computer Desk $102.00 |
|
|
CONTEMPORARY MOBILE COMPUTER HOME OFFICE DESK WITH FILE $149.95 |
|
|
BLUE SMALL ADULT COMPUTER KIDS HOME OFFICE DESK CHAIR $49.95 |
|
|
MAHOGANY L SHAPE COMPUTER CORNER HOME OFFICE DESK $199.95 |
|
|
NFL-Tennessee Titans Home/Office Computer Mouse Pad $9.25 |
|
|
NFL-Tennessee Titans Home/Office Computer Mouse Pad $8.75 |
|
|
CONTEMPORARY MOBILE COMPUTER HOME OFFICE DESK WITH FILE $179.95 |
|
|
EXECUTIVE HOME OFFICE COMPUTER DESK WOOD FURNITURE $1,495.00 |
|
|
NEW BLACK COMPUTER HOME OFFICE COMPACT DESK WORKSTATION $74.99 |
|
|
CHOCOLATE FINISH EXECUTIVE COMPUTER HOME OFFICE DESK $129.95 |
|
|
PINK SMALL ADULT COMPUTER KIDS HOME OFFICE DESK CHAIR $49.95 |
|
|
GREEN SMALL ADULT COMPUTER KIDS HOME OFFICE DESK CHAIR $49.95 |
|
|
MAHOGANY L SHAPE COMPUTER CORNER HOME OFFICE DESK $199.95 |
|
|
Tempered Glass Steel Home Office 3 Pc L Computer Desk $159.00 |
|
|
ESPRESSO FINISH EXECUTIVE COMPUTER HOME OFFICE DESK NEW $169.95 |
|
|
PINK SMALL ADULT COMPUTER KIDS HOME OFFICE DESK CHAIR $49.95 |
|
|
MAHOGANY L SHAPE COMPUTER CORNER HOME OFFICE DESK $199.95 |
|
|
New Home Office Workstation Computer Table Desk Prota-7 $375.00 |
|
|
Mahogany 7 Drawer Executive Home Office Computer Desk $834.00 |
|
|
GRAND EXECUTIVE HOME OFFICE COMPUTER DESK FURNITURE $1,088.00 |
|
|
CONTEMPORARY MOBILE COMPUTER HOME OFFICE DESK WITH FILE $149.95 |
|
|
Sauder Computer Desk and Chair Home Office College Desk $75.00 |
|
|
NEW COMPUTER DESK HOME OFFICE STORAGE PRINTER STAND $84.99 |
|
|
Tempered Glass Home Office 3 Piece L Computer Desk $159.00 |
|
|
CONTEMPORARY MOBILE COMPUTER HOME OFFICE DESK WITH FILE $149.95 |
|
|
New Home Office Dorm Portable Computer Printer Desk $80.99 |
|
|
Hoover SteamVac Carpet Cleaner with Clean Surge, F5914-900 $179.99 This powerful home steam vacuum saves you the expense and hassle of having to rent a steam cleaner and keeps rugs, upholstery, and bare floors (other than hardwoods) looking like new. The powerful 12-amp motor combined with five spinning brushes that operate at either high or low speed lift the usual dirt and grime out of carpets. By pulling on the trigger in the comfortable upright handle, this d… |
|
|
Hoover Tempo Widepath Upright Vacuum, Bagged, U5140-900 $74.16 Hoover Widepath Tempo Upright… |
|
|
Hoover Platinum Type-Q HEPA Vacuum Bags, 2-Pack, AH10000 $6.99 073502030226 Features: -Type I HEPA media vacuum bag. -Platinum collection. -Compatible with hoover platinum collection lightweight bagged upright (uh30010com). -HEPA media traps 99.97pct of dust and pollens down to 0.3 microns. -Self-sealing feature prevents dirt puffs from escaping back into your clean room. -Extra large capacity needs replacement less frequently. -2 per pack…. |
|
|
Small Computer Desk Cart on Wheels, Black Finish $149.99 This computer desk, while modern and stylish, is designed for maximum comfort. Unlike cheaper desks that are made out of inexpensive plywood that bend and sag after a few months of use, our desks are made out of heavy-duty MDF board which is ultra strong and is certain to provide years of exceptional performance. This desk features heavy-duty double wheels that are hooded for your safety. Two of t… |
|
|
Hoover WindTunnel Agitator Belt, 2-Pack, 40201160 $0.01 A package of 2 replacement vacuum belts for use with the U5445-900 vacuum… |
|
|
Honeywell HT-900C Tabletop Air-Circulator Fan, Black $15.99 22″ STOCKING Nyjer stockings for finches. Made of soft woven nylon netting, a fabric that is easy to cling to. 90 day guarantee. 8″ holds 1 lb, 22″ holds 3 lbs…. |
|
|
Kidde KN-COSM-B Battery-Operated Combination Carbon Monoxide and Smoke Alarm with Talking Alarm $29.99 KIDDE 900-0102-02 Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm Ionization sensor ; Alarm/Voice Message warning system ; Low-battery indicator ; Includes batteries Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm… |
|
|
17 Widescreen Laptop Notebook Sleeve Carrying Flip Case Bag for Fujitsu, Samsung, Dell, Acer, ASUS Eee PC, Gateway, HP, Sony, Compaq, IBM, Mac, Sharp, Toshiba models $8.55 Today laptops and notebooks are a necessity for work and school. But what about carrying them around in your daily commute? You don’t want your notebook to get scratched or damaged! What you need is a light weight and durable neoprene sleeve case. This sleek black & red case will protect your notebook against shock, scratches, dust and damages. The flip design makes it easy to slide in a briefcase… |
|
|
Targus Sport Neoprene Sleeve … |
|
|
Targus Rolling Notebook Bag – Black (TBR003US) $34.99 Item #: N36556. The Targus Rolling Notebook Case is designed to protect notebooks with up to 15.4 screens. The closed cell foam padding keeps your notebook protected while the durable/water resistant 1200D polyester material keeps belongings dry in wet weather. The front zip-down workstation includes pen loops, a business card holder, zippered pocket, cell phone pocket and large pouch to store add… |
Home Sweet Home Office
If you are considering a home office, you may feel a little overwhelmed at the logistics of getting started. After all, there are a lot of things that need to be considered. Setting up your home office should be an exciting time, not a stressful one. Taking it one thing at a time will make it easier and a lot more fun. Most of the things that you will need fall into 3 categories: work station, organization, and communication. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
Work Station
Your work station will most likely involve the most planning and expense. This is going to include your desk, chair, and computer among other things. You can go simple or extravagant. If you are just starting out and don’t have a big budget, keep it simple and put your money into the things that will help you work more comfortably and efficiently first.
Keep your desk functional and space appropriate without being flimsy. There will be plenty of time to upgrade to that cherry desk with the marble table top later. One with a file drawer and CPU cubby built in will help you maximize the use of your space. An “L” or “U” shaped desk has the advantage of giving you a workspace for your computer and keyboard while also allowing for space to spread out documents that you are working on and/or a writing space. Many people find that a desk that has a keyboard tray allows them to sit more ergonomically correct while others prefer to use the keyboard on the desktop. The other ergonomically important aspect of your office will be your chair.
Your chair should be something that you splurge on. You will want a chair that has adjustments for height and back support. You should be able to sit at the back of the chair, with your feet flat on the floor and have about 2 inches between the seat of the chair and the back of your knees. For those people with shorter legs that are not able to set the height of their chair to comfortably reach their desk, and still have their feet flat on the ground, a foot stool is recommended. A cushioned chair with fabric is also usually preferable to leather or a hard surface. The cushioning will pad your backside while the fabric allows it breathe during extended sitting. You may be spending a lot of time in this chair talking on the phone or staring at a computer screen and you want to make sure it is comfortable.
Next you will need to consider your computer and monitor. If you already have a computer, evaluate its efficiency and ability to handle the increased demands that will be put on it while going from recreational use to full time business use. Do you have enough memory and processing speed to handle the additional files and workload? You may be able to either simply upgrade your current computer to handle the extra load, or it may be necessary to buy a new computer. The major computer makers (Dell, Gateway, Mac, IBM) can usually help you with what you will need in terms of memory, processor speed and hard drive space for what you plan on using the computer for. Check out the websites or go to your local electronics store and talk to the sales people. They are generally very knowledgeable and willing to help.
Your monitor is going to be a work station tool that you don’t want to skimp on. A flat screen is best. They take up less space, they are better on your eyes, and also use 50% less energy. Shoot for 19 inches if you can get one within your budget. If you do a lot of detailed graphics work, 21 inches will be preferable. Just like your chair, the return on your investment with your monitor is going to be less stress and strain on your body and allow you to work more comfortably for longer periods of time.
Organization
As I stated before a desk that has a file drawer built in will save you the most space, but the most important thing is that you do have one whether it is attached or not. Some people may also be tempted to combine their personal and business file cabinets. I wouldn’t recommend this unless you can devote a complete drawer or drawers to business only. The co-mingling of personal and business files only leads to confusion and you will be able to find things much more quickly if they are separate.
Another organizational tool that you may consider is a contact manager. Only you will know if this tool is something that you can use, but if you deal with a lot of different clients or if you need to keep a list of potential clients and business contacts, a contact manager is going to help you tremendously. It will allow you keep a list of all of your contacts and their essential details such as where you met, personal details about them, and what services they may be interested in. It will also keep track of your appointments and to do list to keep you organized and on task.
Communication
Your communications are going to be vital to your new home office. This is another place where you want to make sure that you don’t skimp. Make sure that your entire communication system, from Internet access to fax is efficient and projects an image of professionalism.
First of all, dial up just won’t do. It may have been fine for your occasional surfing or for the kids to do their homework. But dial up does not move at the speed of business. You will be wasting enormous amounts of time waiting for your downloads whether it is web pages or email. It will be worth it to upgrade to DSL or cable.
For your phone and fax communications there are a number of options. When establishing your home office communications important things to consider are image, flexibility, and space. Instead of the expense and hassle of installing a second phone line, consider a virtual phone system that will forward your calls to your already existing phone line. There are a number of advantages of setting up your communications this way.
Your image is going to be very important as you establish your home office. One of the first impressions people will get of you and your business is when they call you. First and foremost, it is important to keep your personal calls separate from your business calls. Nothing screams unprofessional louder than your child answering a client’s call. A virtual phone system will assist in the professional image department in a number of ways.
One, it will allow you to have the call announced to you so that you, and your child, know that it is a business call coming in and can handle it appropriately. Two, most virtual phone systems have an automated attendant, just like the Fortune 500 companies have, that will allow you to greet your callers with a professional recording such as, “Thank you for calling ABC Consulting. For sales press 1, for billing press 2″. Third, it will have voicemail that you can access online, through email or over the phone. That way, if you do miss a call, and regardless of where you are, you can get your messages quickly, easily and get back to your clients in a timely matter.
For flexibility a virtual phone system can’t be beat. It will allow you to transfer your business calls to anywhere you are. So when you are in your home office your calls will forward to you there and when you need to leave, your business calls can follow you on your cell phone. After all, one of the advantages of working from home is the freedom to step out when you need, or want to.
For saving space in your new home office, combine your fax communications with your new virtual phone system. Fax machines take up a lot of space, not to mention ink, paper and maintenance. Most virtual phone systems will have fax features as well that will allow you to send and receive your faxes right from your computer. With electronic, or virtual, fax you can scrap the fax machine completely.
Establishing a home office is an exciting time. Don’t let the logistics of it overwhelm you. Breaking things down into categories helps you to focus on one thing at a time. You need a work station, organization and communications. Taking each one separately and determining what you will need for each will make things easier on you. You’ll have your home office set up in no time.
About the Author
Brandi Cummings, an expert author writing on topics relating to small and home based businesses, recommends checking out www.Freedom800.com for more information about how a virtual pbx will enhance your home sweet home office. For a downloadable Home Office Essentials Checklist click here.