The Home Business Jumpstart Tips Series: Tip #2 Make You're Home Office Work for You

All home offices aren't created equal.

We're almost two years into a global pandemic that has normalized working from home, bringing the home office into the mainstream. If you search Pinterest for 'home office ideas' it can leave you with a serious case of office envy. It also is proof that home offices come in all shapes and sizes. From a corner of the kitchen table to an entire room dedicated to office space.

So what's the secret to making your home office space work for you?

It's all about the way you work. Some people can be super productive working from the living room couch with just a laptop. Others need to be away from the everyday hubbub of their home with a space dedicated to work. And still others need to be able to bounce between a dedicated space, the couch, and the local coffee shop.

If you are just starting out and trying to plan out your home office or your current office setup isn't working for you, here are a few things to think about.

1. What space is available to you? Do you have a room you can convert to office space? Is there a quiet corner in your kitchen or dining room where you could set up a small desk? Are you more comfortable working from your favorite chair in the living room?
2. If you live in a small space, dedicated office space may not be feasible, but you can still make it feel business-like by doing small things like having a rolling cart or carry bag with things like your headphones for calls and an iPad or notepad for note-taking. These days you may not need much in the way of office supplies but the few things you may need can be housed in a portable way.
3. Invest in your electronics. A good laptop, a fast internet connection, a microphone, headphones, and a camera for video calls are all pretty much a necessity now. On the other hand, you may have a business that doesn't require a printer or even a phone. When you're first starting your business it can be tempting to cut corners in order to save money, but trust me, after almost 15 years of relying on my electronics in order to conduct business, it's worth it to invest in quality items that will last longer. I've gone through 3 desktop computers, 4 laptops, a dozen headsets, 4 microphones, 3 cameras and 2 iPads. However, my current laptop is a Macbook Pro I've had for going on 7 years, which means I went through 3 of the cheap ones in almost the same amount of time before I invested in it. Cutting costs on something you are going to use every day usually means you're going to have to replace it sooner. Be prepared to replace those items. Don't get caught without the financial ability to replace any of those things that you rely on for your business. Because you will need to replace them at some point, and it never happens when you can 'afford' to do so. Investing in quality and planning for the need for replacement will save you a lot of heartaches and lost work time.
4. If you have a business that ships product, set up a shipping station in your office area. If your office is portable, as we mentioned above, grab one of these carts and organize all of your shipping supplies in one place, making it easy to pull it out, pack things up and ship them out.
5. If you are lucky enough to have a dedicated space for your home office, organize it so that it makes sense for how you work. Do you do tons of Zoom calls? Have your camera, microphone, and lighting set up and ready. Need to take pictures of the items you sell? Create a mini photo 'studio' so that you can just place your item, turn on the lights, and snap great photos. It can be anything from a mini lightbox to this DIY option. Keep the things that you use most often in sight and available.
6. Invest in a good chair. I was shocked at the difference sitting in a really good office chair did for my productivity. After years of using cheap office chairs from Staples and Wal-Mart, I finally purchased a Steelcase office chair about 6 years ago. It made such a huge difference in my comfort and thus my productivity, that last year I purchased a second one so that I could use the old one at my crafting desk. Yes, they are expensive, but I got my first one at an office furniture resale store for under $150.

When it comes to your home office, it's personal. Sure, it would be great to have one of those showcase offices that you see on Pinterest, but if it doesn't work for the way you work, it's a waste of money. Once you've figured out what works, then, by all means, personalize and decorate to your heart's content. It's always nice to work in a space that makes you feel good, but it's more important to work in a space that allows you to do what you do easier and more efficiently.

What is The Home Business Jumpstart Tips Series?

If you're starting, thinking about starting or currently running a home business, you know that it's a bit different than traditional small businesses. We aren't concerned with renting office space, we need a productive home office space, sometimes in a very small home. We don't need help motivating employees because it's usually just us, at least at first. And we really don't have the money to sink into programs and apps where the majority of the features are geared toward those traditional small businesses and leave us out in the cold with a broken budget.

That's why I'm doing this series. I want to share the tips, as well as the apps and programs that I've found worked best for my own home business. Over the almost 15 years I've been in business I've tried a lot of things to help me not only grow my home business but to make it run more efficiently and smoothly. Now I'm going to share what I've learned with you so that you don't have to waste your time (and money) the way I did.

Do you know someone who would benefit from these home business tips? Share the link below with them!

https://sendfox.com/tmariehilton

Home Business Jumpstart Is All About Helping Home Businesses Start & Grow

Did you know that Home Business Jumpstart products and services are created by a home business owner for home business owners? My name is Tina Marie Hilton and I've successfully run my own home business for almost 15 years now. Over those years I've done a lot, and I mean a LOT, of trial and error to see what worked for my business. Sometimes that meant wasted time, sometimes that meant wasted money. Sometimes it meant both. Now I'm offering others with the dream of owning a successful home-based business the benefit of what I've learned by sharing it with you. From workbooks to coaching sessions to this free newsletter, you can breathe easy knowing that what you are getting from me has not only been used and tested by me in my own home business, but it works. Be sure to check out my store by clicking the button below the image and watch this newsletter for new products.

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Coming Soon!

One of the most powerful tools a home business has for marketing is social media. That said, it can also be one of the biggest time sucks out there. So how do you utilize social media without it taking up all your time? It's all about planning and automating and I'm going to share how in my latest offering "How To Plan Your Social Media & Set It On Auto-Pilot".

Be watching for the February release date of the workbook and more to help you use the power of social media to market your home business.