Design your home business premises
for comfort and success

Ok, "premises" may not be quite the right word, but you should nevertheless give some thought to the space where you are going to operate your home business. Two big things to consider is comfort and image.

It may occur that you start your home business as result of circumstances (e.g. laid off work), and often when this is done, it's started in somewhat of a rush. Usually when this occurs, very little planning goes into the design of the home business premises.

Why should you give thought to your home business premises? It's just a home business, after all.

Should you have a specific area where you run your home business, or can you run it from the dining room kitchen table?

There are two scenarios when it comes to a home business...

• An office environment (usually a service business), and
• A manufacturing environment (making something, or a repair service).

A key question to consider is: "Will you be receiving customers at home?"

If you will be, then you need suitable office space for your home business. For example, if you offer a bookkeeping service, it will not give a professional impression to see your customers at the dining room table. Also, if you offer a massaging service, you will need a separate room or outbuilding to run your home business from.

If you won't be seeing customers, e.g. if you have an Internet home business, a tidy and comfortable place where you can work from will be beneficial to you. A good comfortable office chair is necessary to help you maintain a healthy upright posture while working. It will also support your arms or hands while typing and keep your eyes level with the computer monitor.

Lying in bed or on a couch may seem like a good idea in pictures, but in reality it is unprofessional and may lead to some aches and pains due to incorrect posture. It is better to sit at a table or computer desk. If you take your home business seriously, you will benefit from the results you get.

You should set up your home office in a quiet part of the house where you will not be constantly disturbed. Disruptions can cause frustration, and affect your productivity, which will affect the growth and performance of your business.

If you do have an extra room to spare, then use it to your advantage and turn it into your own home office. It can be your workplace away from the workplace. Don't lock yourself away in a dark corner though. Make sure you have windows, even a view if possible and plenty of sunlight. Create a friendly work environment where you feel comfortable.

Consider having a filing cabinet, and maybe a bookcase. An organized home office can do wonders for a person's productivity.

In the winter you should have some source of heating in your home office since sitting at a desk can get really chilly. The more discomfort you're in, the less you'll be inclined to work, and that will be detrimental to your business growth.

On the other hand the room you choose for your home office should not be very hot in summer. Working up a sweat in your office should only be true in the figurative sense of the phrase.

If you have a manufacturing environment, then naturally you'll need a workshop, but you should also consider where you will deal with customers. Although, in a manufacturing setting, customers will usually understand (and accept) that they will be meeting you in your workshop. It's nice, though, to have a corner available with a desk, and chair for your customers - sort of out of the way from the tools and materials.

Even you may have a manufacturing environment, you should still keep it neat and tidy. Having customers clammer over materials lying all over the place on the floor, can reflect an amateur impression. There are also safety considerations, espacially where the public are concerned.

Whatever type of home business you operate, give some thought to the premises where you will operate the business - a comfortable and professional environment will have a big effect on yoru productivity, and the growth of your business.