Home Office Equipment to Help Telecommuters Jumpstart their Careers

By Rhonda Campbell

The right home office equipment can help telecommuters to jumpstart their careers and earn more money than they earned working at a busy office complex. In addition to getting the right home office equipment, proper lighting and open space can also help telecommuters (i.e. freelance writers, self-employed workers, small business owners) to focus as they complete projects from home.  Fortunately, it’s relatively easy (and inexpensive) for telecommuters to build and design their home office. 

Getting the Right Office Desk for Your At-Home Business

An early step required to design a comfortable at-home office that encourages you to focus and stay on track is to purchase an office desk that is attractive and comfortable.  A desk that is too low or too high could cause you to feel pain or discomfort in your shoulders, neck or back, especially after you have worked several hours.  You also want to ensure that the desk has sufficient storage space (i.e. two to four filing drawers).  The office desk should also be long enough to hold a stacking tray for incoming and outgoing documents, including mail, invoices and white papers.  If you purchase your office desk on the Internet make sure you pay attention to the desk’s measurements to avoid buying desk that’s too big to fit in your office.

Sit down and try out several different desks at an office or department store; this way you’ll know for sure which desk feels the most comfortable. Also choose a design that offers an inviting style.  For example, you might prefer a cherry wood office desktop to a clear office desktop.

After you get your office desk home consider placing it in front of a window. It’s a great way to let more sunlight into your work space. As a freelance writer, self-employed worker or small business owner this additional sunlight can do wonders for your psyche, lifting your spirits, not to mention offering you opportunities to look out the window and watch the goings-on in your neighborhood.

Importance of Using Comfortable Professional Working Chairs

A professional working chair is another piece of office equipment that can impact your skeletal health and level of comfort.  Similar to desk, chairs that are too high or too low can force you to have to constantly extend yourself upwards or bend over in order to reach laptop or computer keyboards.  This can place a strain on your spine, shoulders and neck.  It’s a reason major corporations have trained staff conduct ergonomics analysis for their employees.

Sit in several office chairs before you make your purchase.  Consider purchasing an adjustable chair that is designed with a back that will curve to fit your spine.  Also look for a chair that has enough padding or cushion to allow you to sit and work comfortably for long stretches of time. 

About Home Office Lighting and Storage

In addition to having plenty of sunlight pour into your office space, a good desk lamp emitting light that’s gentle on your eyes and on the environment is a plus.  Hardware stores carry full spectrum lights that can be used during fall and winter months.  These lights can help to improve your mood, especially if you don’t get outdoors in natural sunlight for an hour or longer every day. Regardless of the desk lamp you get, look for a lamp designed with an adjustable neck. This way you can extend or shorten the length of the lamp to make it easier to read. In addition, metallic desk lamps tend to show less dust than wood desk lamps. 

A few last items you need to finish designing your home office are file cabinets.  One to two tall file cabinets should be sufficient to keep your documents and office organized.  Keep in mind that a single four-drawer file cabinet can last more than 20 years.  Online retailers and office superstores sell file cabinets in a rainbow of colors.  Should you need to secure documents to protect classified and private personal records, look for file cabinets that are designed with key or combination locks.

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