The new generation has opened up an industry where the usual office 9 to 5 job is no longer the only option for them to choose. This industry is now on the rise, and many companies are seeing the benefits of hiring remote employees versus hiring a regular office employee. If you are one of these people who are starting a career at home, this article will get you started setting up at home.
How do I set up a small home office? The basic setup is easy. All you need is a laptop, or a computer, a desk, and an internet connection. Advanced setup is another story. You’ll need to consider more things than just the space for your office.
People who do freelance jobs would also be interested in having a small office where they can work. Writers, start-up companies, and anyone whose work is not confined in an office-based environment. Anyone who is capable of working remotely or has a job that does not require them to go into the office can benefit from this article. But you have to keep in mind that different situations require different kinds of setup. Let’s start!
Know What You Need
Before you begin setting up your home office, you have to ask yourself some pretty important questions. First, you need to ask yourself if your job requires you to have a home office set up. Will it just be another unused space, or will you be really utilizing the area for its intended purpose? Will you be accepting walk-in clients? Are there other people coming in to collaborate with you? These questions will help you decide if an office space is something that is really needed and not just wanted.
Depending on the type of job, a remote employee may need a few pieces of equipment to let him perform at his full capacity. If he is doing video editing jobs, he will need monitors and a kickass computer or laptop to work with. Animators will need lightpad, stylus, and graphics tablet included in the mix. Voice talents will be needing a soundproofed area with a home recording studio equipment part of the setup.
However, those who are doing ghostwriting jobs, document transcription, proofreading, and editing will need the bare essentials. Below are three levels of a home office. You can easily decide which level of setup you need according to your work requirements.
First Level: Good for Writers And Other Minimal Projects Or Jobs
The small and straightforward office setup works for those who mainly have jobs that don’t involve any other equipment but a laptop or computer. All files are cloud-based, and physical storage need is minimal. Below are the things that you will usually see in this level of home office setup.
The Tool Of The Trade: The Computer
Each job requires different computer setup, and for the writers, you will need to focus on the computer’s storage capacity, RAM (random access memory), processor, and portability.
Let’s talk about this in more detail and start with the portability of the computer. If you want something that you can take with you to cafes or bring with you when you travel then a laptop should be what you are looking for. It is excellent for people who are very mobile and wants to have a steady source of income while they fulfill their dream of traveling the world. But some people are just looking for a job while they are at home. Stay-at-home moms are the best example. They are home most of the time so that a PC unit can work for them.
Some will argue that a laptop should be your choice. If you agree with them, then I suggest looking for one that is lightweight and easy to carry. Chromebooks are great for writers because they are very light and have the necessary functions a writing computer need. If you are like me, who works just about anywhere there is an internet connection, then Chromebooks will work fine for you. Also, you might want to stick to the 14 inches laptops or smaller if you prefer. This size is what I think should be the maximum or ideal.
When it comes to storage, laptops, or PCs with 250GB capacity is the ideal. But if you travel often and are using a laptop, you can look for a unit that allows you to upgrade your SSD drive. The idea is that you have enough space to back up your files even if you have it in a cloud server. This way, your work is safe, and you don’t have to start from scratch if your cloud server fails.
The least RAM you should look for is 4GB. This can work okay, but the computer or laptop will eventually begin to slow down as you multitask or open more than a few browser tabs. I’d recommend an 8GB. It is large enough to handle multitasking and research without slowing down. In my opinion, laptops with i4 processors will be an excellent match for writers.
Furniture: Table Or Desk And The Chair
Depending on how much working space you want, your desk can be as small as only for your laptop or computer, or it can be a large one that has plenty of space. I remember converting a simple study table as my work desk back when I was starting out. I only needed a small portion of my bedroom turned into my home office.
Small tables are ideal for those who are under this level. It will not take up much space in your home. You can even designate a corner of your bedroom as your mini office for when you work. However, we have specific kinks when we work. Some want to be able to put their coffee mug down nearby, while others prefer a large desk to have plenty of storage. I am somewhere in between. I like a desk that is large enough to accommodate my computer, notepad, pen holder, and of course, my coffee mug.
The chair is also another furniture that you will have to invest in. Back when I was starting out in my home-based jobs. I used an ordinary chair when I worked in my home office, but then I ended up getting backaches, leg cramps, and some neck pains too. I switched to a better chair, one that is padded and comfortable, but that made me lazy and slow with my work. I am now thinking of buying a real office chair or maybe a low-end computer chair that is ergonomically designed to contour and support your body while sitting.
The kind of chair you use will depend on the amount of space you have. If your office is a small section or corner in your room, then a big chair will not be for you. But if you have space, then I suggest investing in something that will give you back support and a comfortable chair.
Outside Paraphernalia: Printer, Scanner, Phone, And Others
I call these things optional because you can do your job with or without them. They are just there to provide you with additional ease for your work to be done. Let’s take the printer as an example. Editors, writers, and virtual assistants don’t really need this. Their files have back-ups in the cloud and on their computers. They can just use a printing service if they need some documents printed out, and that would cost them very little. A phone line is also optional because most people own smartphones now, and adding another bill to your expenses could just be draining your funds dry. Use your phone as your business number for now, and then maybe when things start to pick up, consider getting a landline.
Second Level: The Business Setup For Startup Companies
You might think that a business office would have the same setup as that of a regular small home office. It is both correct and incorrect. Correct in the sense that some businesses can be run by a single person or multiple people at the same time.
Start-up companies are the best examples for this level of home office. I’ve watched and donated countless times on start-up companies, and before they were able to put up a real office, they had a home office where they managed the business. At first, the owner did all the work. From conceptualization to production, to marketing and sales, all the way to the books, the owner handled it all. Then when the business begins to grow, the office needed to grow as well.
A lot of these start-up companies had to convert their garage to be their work station or a separate room to be their office. At first, it was only a few people who had to work there, but then as the business reach more people, the market grew. From this growth, bigger challenges come, and better office space is needed. From that cycle, you can easily see that the needs of this type of home office grow as the business grows. But here are the basics.
The Tool Of The Trade: The Computer
Let’s start with a computer again. If the writers, VA’s, and editors need the bare basic, then a business computer needs something a little bit beefier. Not all the way high-end but enough to perform the tasks required for the business to run.
Since we are looking at a business home office setup, the computer that will be included in the setup is a desktop computer, but it doesn’t mean that a laptop won’t work. Just like before, we will be looking at the speed, RAM, and storage. However, a business home office computer will need additional things like a monitor and accessible ports and connections as well as pre-installed software.
For the speed, any CPU or laptop that has a 2.5Ghz processor and is a dual-core or more will be your ideal. Anything below, and you might as well start pulling on your hair because of how slow it is. RAMs, on the other hand, will have to be at least 8GB, but if you can get a 16GB, then do so. The larger the RAM, the easier it is for you to multitask. And as far as I am knowledgeable, 4GB should only be used by casual or light users.
Furniture: Table Or Desk And The Chair
We now head to the furniture department. The business office setup would typically depend on your answers to the questions I enumerated in the first part of this article. Sometimes, a proper office desk is needed, especially if you plan to accept clients in or work with other people at the same time.
A medium-sized office table will work if you will only be accepting a few clients at a time. It will be large enough for your computer and printer and will also have plenty of storage space for your files and other office supplies. But if you will be setting up a home office where it would mostly just be you working, a compact but functional table would be a good start. The same goes for home offices that will house multiple workers who are collaborating on a single project or job.
The best practice to follow is to ask yourself who will most likely be inside the office and how large the area will be. Most of the time, a business office set up inside a home will either be inside a room or a designated area somewhere inside the house. Having that information will make it easier for you to conceptualize how big your furniture will be.
The same best practice can be adapted to choosing your office chair. Big bulky ones will not work in a tiny space. Choose a chair that is both compact and comfortable if space is limited. Go for bigger if your office space can accommodate it, but be sure that you are within your budget.
Outside Paraphernalia: Printer, Scanner, Phone, And Others
A business home office setup will definitely have other equipment than just the computer being used. Printers, scanners, phone lines, and other critical external items will take up additional space in your office. For a small business home office, it is best to stick to the basics. Some printers are both compact and multifunctional, and landlines are not that necessary anymore.
Your small business home office will have to meet your requirements without it being too extravagant so that you can focus your finances on growing your business. Try and keep the design simple and the furniture compact and functional. Avoid buying equipment that can only add clutter in your office and stick with just the basics. Think about the functionality of the equipment in your business before buying it. This way, you can avoid impulse buying and keep your business home office simple and organized.
Third Level: The Heavy Users
When I say heavy users, I am referring to those who have jobs that involve image rendering, 3d graphics, 3d animation, and 3d modeling. They need a computer setup that has much more advanced features compared to the previous two levels. Of all the levels we’ve talked about, this is by far the most expensive one to set up.
The Tool Of The Trade: The Computer
Architects and designers will be the main people who will fall in this level. They will need an extremely high-performance computer or laptop to be able to do their work. Let’s start with the processor. Ideally, computers and laptops that are i7 or higher are what they will need. CPU’s with higher core counts and faster processing time will give them a better rendering experience. Quad-Cores and Octa Cores are the best bet, but if you can buy a 12 core CPU or laptop, then do so.
Graphics will also play a major part here. Most of the time, a 3rd party graphics card such as NVIDIA is needed. In addition to that, bigger storage capacity and RAM is also a must. Go for a 34GB RAM or higher for a smoother rendering experience. Most who do image rendering would start with a laptop but will eventually outgrow it. So I suggest building your own PC according to your needs.
Furniture: Table Or Desk And The Chair
I’ve never met anyone who does rendering or designing not to own a large home office desk. It seems the additional monitors and other equipment needed to do their work really requires a large area. Also, the chair is a piece of sacred furniture for them. They know that they will be spending countless hours sitting down, so they make sure to invest in a computer chair that will support their back and is comfortable.
Just like before, the best practice to follow is to look at your intended small home office area and assess the amount of floor area you have. Take that into consideration and adjust your furniture accordingly. I do know that most architects and designers with home offices have a whole room as their office, and for some, this might not be called a small home office. However, given the nature of the work that these people do, their home office is considered small because of the amount of space they require to do their job.
Outside Paraphernalia: Printer, Scanner, Phone, And Others
Other equipment that might be included under this level will be lightpads, additional monitors, and a digital drawing board. These equipment are not necessarily essential but are considered important when streamlining the business. And like before, this is a major factor to consider as this will take up space in your office.
Additional monitors can be mounted if space is limited. I’ve seen a collapsible desk design that allows the user to extend their current desk according to their needs. Printers, scanners, and other equipment mentioned before will also play a big part here. Having enough space for your needs sometimes is not possible, so what you need to do is pare down to the equipment that you will most likely be using. Once you have those, you can easily determine how big of a desk you need and where to put your extra monitors.
Internet Connection
This is another basic essential for your home office, and it is also a critical one. Some jobs require an internet connection to keep their monitoring software running while others use the internet to find inspiration and do research. Many will also say that an internet connection allows you to have better access to tools and information that you will eventually need to finish your job.
Most remote workers use the internet to keep communication lines open to their team or crew. This helps the teamwork efficiently and be more productive than in the old ways. Even if they are located halfway around the world from each other, the internet can connect them through video calls and chats. A high-speed internet connection is recommended. However, having a back-up internet connection is essential for digital nomads since they move a lot. It doesn’t necessarily need to be a high-speed one but should have enough juice to support their job needs. Remember, you have to make technology work for you and not the other way around.
Plan Where Your Office Will Be
Equipment is not the only thing you should consider. Space is another major factor to look at. Take a good look around your home and figure out where you want your workspace to be. From here, you can quickly eliminate certain areas in your home.
Depending on the type of work you do, a small nook, a specific corner or a whole room can become your home office. You’ll quickly determine how much space you need when you already have an idea of what your office requirements will be. Most digital nomads can work almost anywhere in the world, given that they have reliable internet. Any space where they can hook their laptop up will be okay for them.
It’ll be a different story for remote workers who require a home office. Videographers, graphic artists, and voice talents have special equipment needed to be able to work. They are still considered freelancers or remote workers, but their home office space requirements will not be the same as digital nomads. If digital nomads can work anywhere, these guys I just mentioned are the complete opposite. They may require a whole room to be their dedicated workstation or home office.
Organize Properly
Storage space can be a problem for home offices. I’ve read in the forums about this dilemma and have seen the many creative ways people resolved this problem. You must have enough storage space for your home office because things can get ugly if you don’t.
When you look for a space for your home office, consider how much storage space you can fit in that area too. You’ll thank yourself for doing that once you start really using that area.
Another thing you need to remember is that you have to be very careful not to mix your personal files from your work files. Every digital nomad, freelancers, and remote employees will agree to this. This concept can also be applied in real life. You have to be able to switch your mentality from house mode to work mode when you enter your office. That cannot be achieved if you let your home bleed into your office space. I know it’s easier said than done, but this move will ensure that you increase your productivity and efficiency when you work.
Related Questions
Is a business phone needed for my home office?
The answer to that greatly depends on the type of job or work you have. If your home office will serve as your headquarters for a local service you provide, then yes. But if you’re mainly just going to be using your office as your writing area or studio (for voice talents), then the answer is no. Business phones are perfectly fine to have, but the fact that we now have smartphones at our disposal makes the business phone a redundancy for some. Most would just be using their phones as their business line because it is convenient, and you don’t need anyone other than yourself to man it. That is one less expense, in my opinion. Still, it is up to you. If you think that having a business phone will help your business become more productive or become more accessible to the public, then it is okay to have one.
What type of design is best for a home office? It again will depend on what kind of job you have. It will also depend on your personality, but if you have no idea at all, then a contemporary modern and functional design should be your ballpark for this. Keep things simple and minimal for now, and then you can add more color and vibrancy in your office as you develop your career personality. Just keep in mind that your office should reflect you and your business. Make sure that when you enter that area, you feel motivated to work. Some prefer to play music while working, and some prefer silence. Your design will embody your personality, so be precisely clear of the things you need. Also, you might want to consider if you will be entertaining clients in your office or inviting collaborators in it sometime soon. You might want to put some chairs or couches to accommodate them.