Being able to work from home is pretty sweet. Whether you are an entrepreneur, run a small business or are simply blessed to have the chance to telework for most of the week, you will need to create a dedicated space within your home where you can be productive. Sure you could just sit on the couch in the living room or on your bed, laptop on your laps and notebooks and folders scattered everywhere, but you won’t be kidding anyone. Ideally, aim to separate your

Sure you could just sit on the couch in the living room or on your bed, laptop on your laps and notebooks and folders scattered everywhere, but you won’t be kidding anyone. Ideally, aim to separate your workspace from your living space. Designing the perfect home office has everything to do with layout, efficiency and creating the perfect look and feel. We help you out with the basics to putting together a workspace at home that will have you winning.

1. Don’t Reinvent the Wheel

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   If you’re not a natural interior design or organization guru, no sweat. You’re not the first person to need a home office. Before you jump in, start your planning with inspiration from several others from around the world. Thanks to social media (hello Pinterest and Instagram!) you can take a look at hundreds of home offices and pick various elements that suit your needs in a workspace and your personal style.

2. Location, Location

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   Pinpointing the perfect spot in your home which you can dedicate to working is key. You need somewhere you can focus, not be interrupted and that won’t blur the lines between home and office. If you have a large home, it’s easier to convert a spare room. If you live in an apartment or small space, you’ll need to get more creative – perhaps the corner of your living room or the dining room you never use.

3. Comfort Code

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   Jst as you would need working from an office building, in order to be productive, you must be comfortable. Wherever you select to set up your office, consider the lighting (windows providing natural light is perfect), temperature (no one can concentrate when they are sweltering from heat or freezing cold) and noise levels. It’s key because you sit for several hours to get a good chair that is not harming to your back. Aside these, it’s a great idea to incorporate colours that reduce stress like blues and greens, and even some plants.

4. Organisation

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   Depending on what kind of business you run or your work type, this is very important. In any workspace, you need to be able to quickly find things, store things and keep your clutter-free sanity. The lynchpin of your home office is obviously your desk, so pick a good one! It’s good to select one with file cabinets. If you need more space, you can buy additional storage units and also build shelving units. You can find helpful stuff from around the house to assist, like a mug for your pens and pencils.

5. Ensure Your Home Office Is Tech-ready

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   The modern home office is bursting at the seams with technology gadgets. You are likely to have a laptop or desktop computer, maybe a printer, possibly a lamp and a cell-phone or two. That means wherever you pick for your home office, you’ll need an adequate amount of sockets and a good power surge protected multi-plug power extension. You’ll need internet for sure. If your job requires a lot of data, go for a router (many of the Telecom giants offer great deals). An “internet stick” or dongle with just 10 -20 cedis credit scratch-card use is sufficient for others who can just top up easily.

6. Personalise Your Space

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   Just because your home office is for work does not mean it should not be relaxing or reflect you. It’s nice to have some aesthetics and décor that you love and actually make you want to be in your workspace. Include a mix of photos, mementoes from previous travels and some beautiful art pieces for your desktop or walls. If you are in fashion, graphic design, music or marketing, go ahead and show colour and elements of creativity. How about some feng shui for your office to ensure you have the right energy for productivity?

Perhaps your home office space needs a makeover or you are just setting a proper one up, these tips are sure to leave you with a work area in your home that will guarantee you success! Perhaps you can’t have a home office yet, but need to rent an available office space.

Do you have any other home office set-up ideas you’d like to share? Please do below.