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Equipping Your Home Office - Part 1 |
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Having an adequately equipped home office is essential to being
productive. It is not necessary that everything be brand new, nor is it
necessary that you spend a lot of money. What is important is that you
select your items carefully and that they are functional and safe for
use in a home office environment.
Check your telephone directory for used office furniture stores. Many
time you can find very nice furniture available at a fraction of the
cost. Don't forget to also check the resale store and thrift shops in
your area, as well as the local classified ads.
1. The Desk
Bigger is better when it comes to desks. Try to choose one that has
lots of room for your computer monitor, keyboard, telephone, and space
to spread out paperwork and anything else that you may be working on at
the moment. Pick a desk that has adequate drawer space and a file
drawer for short-term filing of active projects.
If you choose a desk that has a built-in keyboard support shelf, make
sure that the shelf it wide enough to hold your keyboard and still have
plenty of room to let you perform natural mouse moment. Some of the new
keyboard designs, such as the Microsoft "Natural", are wider than
standard keyboards.
2. The Chair
Proper back and neck support is essential when you spend all day
sitting down. Buy the best chair that you can afford. Your chair must
have solid upper and lower (or lumbar) back support. A flimsy backrest
puts stress on your spine while you're seated and causes back pain.
Look for a chair where the lower portion of a backrest is slightly
curved to follow the natural contour of your spine.
You chair's seat seat should feel comfortable when you initially sit
down, and should remain that way after you've been seated for a
significant period of time. If the seat becomes uncomfortable then the
foam padding may not be a high enough density, or the contouring may
not be right for your body.
Make sure you have plenty of room around your hips and thighs. You
should have at least one inch of space on either side of your body. It
is also important that your chair's seat properly supports your thighs
without the edge of the seat coming in contact with the back of your
legs while you are sitting.
3. File Cabinets
To keep your home office organized, and avoid clutter, you are going to
need filing cabinets. There essentially two different files cabinets
that are perfect for a home office. Here is a quick summary:
a) Vertical file cabinets
This is the most common file cabinet. Vertical cabinets are taller than
they are wide so that they use a minimum amount of wall space. They
have anywhere from two to five drawers and are the right size to hold
hold letter and legal-size documents. They come in a variety of colors
and gauges of steel. If you can afford to buy one that is fireproof, so
much the better.
b) Lateral file cabinets
Lateral cabinets are wider than vertical cabinets, but not as deep, and
are designed for high-volume storage capacity. They have anywhere from
two to five drawers and can hold letter or legal-size documents. Files
are either placed in the cabinet from left to right, facing the side of
the drawer, or are arranged from front to back in multiple rows.
Many two-drawer lateral models are designed to fit underneath work
surfaces and tables for additional storage and are often paired with a
desk to increase horizontal space. Again, if you find one that is
fireproof, and you can afford it, snap it up.
4. Bookshelves
Bookshelves should be made of wood or metal. Avoid the fiberboard ones
since they are flimsy and do not stand up to repeated usage. Like file
cabinets, bookshelves come in vertical and lateral. Avoid vertical ones
that stand too tall. There is a chance of them becoming top-heavy and
falling over. Pay particular attention to this warning if you live in
an earthquake area or if you have small children which may delight in
climbing to the top of your bookcase.
5. Work Tables
Worktables are great for spreading out large projects that your desk is
not big enough to accommodate. If you have enough home office space for
a permanent work table, that's great. Otherwise consider buying a
folding table that you can take out when you need it and store away
when you do not.
6. Storage
Closets, garages, attics and crawl spaces make great places to store
completed projects and home office paperwork if the space is not damp
or subject to high humidity. If storage is a real problem then you
might need to consider renting an off-premise storage locker.
Think of your office furniture as the foundation of your productivity
center. It is likely that you will have to live with your decisions for
some time. Choose wisely. Your personal comfort, and ability to remain
organized, depend upon it. If you outgrow your furniture later, or
simply make enough money that you want to "kick it up a notch", your
investment will pay off because you will likely be able to get a great
deal of your money back when you sell your old office furniture to make
room for the new.
Part 2 - Choosing Home Office Equipment
Vishal P. Rao is the owner of Home Based Business Opportunities - One of Internet's leading website dedicated to starting, managing and marketing a home based business.
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