So you’ve finally decided to work from home — you’ll need to set up your own home office! It’s one of the best parts of working from home. For the first time in your life, you get to choose your desk and where it will go. You get to choose the equipment and the supplies. You get to choose the chairs and the lamps. This is going to be fun! Let’s explore the essentials of designing your home office… everything from finding the best space, to buying the right supplies. You’ll spend a lot of time in your office, so let’s make sure you design it right!

Find The Room
Sometimes it’s hard to find the right room in which to locate your home office. After all, when you moved into your house you probably didn’t know you’d end up working from home. Look for a room in your house that meets these criteria:

1. Separate from household members and distractions
2. Enough room for a desk, chair, equipment, office supplies, and space to think and move around
3. Enough electrical outlets and power for all your equipment
4. Phone line(s) available
5. Enough heating and cooling
6. Windows for sunlight and fresh air
7. Good ventilation

In an ideal situation, all of the above elements will be present.

If you choose a room that’s completely separate from other rooms, “defined work space used exclusively for your business” (as defined by the IRS Tax Code), you can deduct your home office at tax time. So it might be better for your pocket to choose an enclosed space that isn’t used in day to day family life.

But what if you can’t find any space for your home office? Try to use your imagination before you call an architect to start renovations! Are there any walk-in closets in your home? How about your basement? You can clean up your garage and park cars on the street. Maybe separating some space in an existing room with bookshelves might do the trick.

If you still can’t figure out a way to make space for your home office, maybe you should consider hiring an architect or general contractor to add on to your house, or build an office in your basement etc. This might be an easy job… just adding a wall to make one room into two. Or you might end up spending quite a bit of money. But I’d recommend that you don’t get too carried away until your business has run smoothly for at least 6 months, and you’re sure you’re committed to working from home.

Office Layout Plan
It isn’t time to go shopping yet; rather it’s time to get out the graph paper, rulers, and pencils. Before we buy furniture and equipment we will need to map out our office, or in other words make a layout plan. Have a family member help you measure the length and width of the room and the height and width of the doorway. On your piece of graph paper draw the room to the right proportions. Then consider all of the equipment and supplies that you’ll need to run your business. Here are my suggestions:

1. Chair
2. Desk
3. Filing Cabinet
4. Bookshelves
5. Telephone(s)
6. Computer
7. Fax Machine / Copier / Scanner
8. Storage Bins
9. Pens / Pencils
10. Paper
11. Binders
12. Folders
13. Staples, Binder Clips, Paper Clips
14. Envelopes
15. Media Storage Devices (Zip Disks, Floppy Discs, CDs, etc)

Think ahead: is there anything else you might need? Now, map out on the graph paper where you want to place each of these items… design away! Remember, you’ll spend much of your time in your office, so try to make it a place that you will enjoy being in, or you might wind up dreading your work. The way you design your home office can make or break your freelance business, so keep the following in mind:

• Only paint with neutral colors, or the paint will overpower your furniture and you’ll be distracted.
• Don’t jam tons of furniture and equipment into your office unless it’s totally necessary. You’ll be less likely to want to visit a cluttered office.
• If you’re easily distracted, don’t put your desk in front of a window.
• Place your bookshelf, filing cabinet, and telephone within arms’ reach.
• Place your desk near the electrical supply and phone lines.
• Add your personal touch to everything. This will create a more inviting atmosphere.
• If there’s enough room, add a reading chair for those times when you need a change of scene.

Let’s Go Shopping
Now to the fun part… shopping! Whether you decide to shop online or in a conventional store, don’t forget your list and layout plan. As you shop for items, take their measurements and draw them on your plan to make sure they fit. A few online stores that you might visit are:

• Office Depot
• OnlineOfficeSupplies.com
• TotalOfficeSupply.com
• Staples.com
• FurnitureFind.com

…in a Desk or Workstation

Since the advent of the computer, one small desk is often no longer enough: a workstation is a more appropriate item now. Depending on what your profession is, you’ll need desk space for your computer, and then more desk space for administrative work. Think about what type of equipment you will need, and where it will go.

How much room do you have for a desk? Usually your best option is to get an “L” desk. What I mean by this is choose your favorite desk, and then choose a smaller desk that can be placed perpendicular to the main desk (or, if you can, buy a desk with a ‘return’). The big desk is perfect for your computer equipment, and the smaller desk can be kept clear as a writing surface.

Be sure to choose a sturdy desk that you can keep for a long time. It’s better to fork out a few more bucks now than to have to replace your desk in a year or so. Also, find a desk that’s at a height that is comfortable for you. And if you don’t have enough money to buy a new desk, try visiting the Salvation Army or a used furniture store to save money.

…in a Chair

You chair is one of the most important items in your office. If you purchase a cheap chair, you could hurt yourself and/or hate working in your office. A good chair reduces fatigue and other pains that occur when posture is bad for long periods of time. Buy an adjustable chair (height, armrests, back angle, and lumbar support) so you can enjoy your office and avoid pain and injuries.

…in a Bookshelf

The size of the bookshelf will probably depend on how much room you have left in your office after your workstation and chair are in place. My suggestion is to install your bookshelf right behind and above your desk. This way books are always at arms’ reach and you save yourself a lot of room. Purchase as big a bookshelf as you can — you’ll be surprised how fast it fills up!

…in a Filing Cabinet

At the very least, you’ll want to buy a four-drawer filing cabinet. It’s crucial that your filing system is organized and easily accessible.

…in a Telephone

It’s important to get a telephone that has a hold and speaker button. It’s also a good idea to get a separate line for the telephone and fax / modem.

…in a Computer

The computer will most often be the most expensive piece of equipment you purchase for your office. Because of the large number of variables involved, let’s look at this in detail.

Operating System
Your first decision is going to be the operating system for the computer. Unless you have a reason to choose otherwise, you are going to be looking at a Mac or a Windows machine. If you have experience on one platform you might want to stick with it. When you work on your own without any kind of system support, you’ll want to use a computer that you’re comfortable with. All things being equal, if you are a graphic designer, desktop publisher, you work with digital video or need to mix audio, use a Mac. For anything else, buy a PC.

Vendor
The second decision is who to buy the machine from. The keyword here is reliable, reliable, reliable. If you buy a Mac, purchase straight from Apple. If you purchase a PC, make your purchase from Dell or one of the other big names in the business. You may be tempted to buy from a no-name supplier because the price is mouth watering. But it’s your eyes that will be watering when your computer breaks down at 1am when you’re at work on a project with a looming deadline. You want good support, and Dell has been rated as the best on this front many times.

Support
As we’re on the topic of support: buy the service contract. If you buy a Mac, that support contract is currently for three years of “Applecare”. If you don’t buy straight from Apple, your reseller may try to convince you that their private support is as good as, or even better than Apple’s. To keep it short, they’re wrong! I am yet to find third party support that beats Apple’s: I’ve always found their support to be worth the money. As for a name brand PC, purchase three years of onsite support. If you can afford to be without your computer for a few days, you can save a little by opting for mail in support… but who can really afford to lose those days?

Configuration
Finally we’re left with the computer’s configuration. This was probably your first question, but for most of you it is probably the least important. For the most part computer power is far superior to the software that can run on it right now. Since new systems are constantly brought to the fore we can’t give specific numbers here. The best buy for your money is usually going to be a based on the supplier’s mid-level offering. The cheapest way to increase power in your system is to add RAM, but make sure the computer you purchase has at least 256mb to begin with. If you are a designer that minimum jumps to 512mb.

Your New Office
Once you’ve purchased all necessary items, move them on in and start your freelance business. I hope this article has helped you plan out and design your office. Good Luck!

Source: From Spare Room to Office – Fast!

One in ten adults in the United States today is an entrepreneur. This phenomenon is by no means restricted to North America. The leading country for entrepreneurship is Brazil, where one in eight adults is an entrepreneur. Australia isn’t far behind the U.S., with one in twelve.

These countries – Brazil, the United States and Australia – lead the way. Contrast, for example, Germany (one in 25), the United Kingdom (one in 33), Finland and Sweden (one in 50) and Ireland and Japan (less than one in 100).
Source: Global Entrepreneurship Monitor 2000

Entrepreneurship Defined

The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor 1999 defined entrepreneurship as:

“any attempt at new business or new venture creation, such as self-employment, a new business organization, or the expansion of an existing business, by an individual, a team of individuals, or an established business.”

Entrepreneurial Activity – An Historical Perspective

Entrepreneurship is a major contributing factor to the economic well-being of a country, both in terms of economic growth and job creation. Traditionally, entrepreneurial ability tended to be defined by the following four attributes:

• Initiative – the entrepreneur takes the initiative to bring together the economic resources of land, labor and capital to produce a commodity (whether a good or a service), with the hope that such production will create a profitable business venture.
• Decision-making - the entrepreneur makes the basic business policy decisions for the business, thereby setting the course of the enterprise.
• Innovation – the entrepreneur is an innovator who attempts to introduce new products and new ways of doing things.
• Risk-taker – the entrepreneur risks his or her time, effort, business reputation and invested funds in the entrepreneurial venture.

The Modern Entrepreneur

Until recently, these attributes, especially innovation and risk-taking, were the dominant factors that defined those who chose to become entrepreneurs.

Now, however, with corporate downsizing being a fact of life, many entrepreneurs find themselves thrust into the role by default.

The question for anyone who either finds themselves in this position involuntarily or thinks about leaving corporate life for the heady world of entrepreneurship is whether you have what it takes to be successful… the “right stuff”, in other words. Some people do, in spades. Others simply don’t. If you’re one of the ones who just doesn’t, either resign yourself to working for someone else, or cultivate in yourself the qualities that successful entrepreneurs share.

Believe it or not, entrepreneurs are not just “born”. Well, some, of course, seem to be natural-born entrepreneurs, but for the rest of us, the qualities of entrepreneurship can definitely be acquired by hard work and application.

Common Issues

The “common denominator” issues that all entrepreneurs face are planning, finance and implementation.

Planning

All entrepreneurs face the challenge of starting a new business, be it through innovation (inventing something new or doing something a different way), finding the right opportunity to take, or buying a franchise. Whichever road you choose, it will involve serious planning.

Financing

Unless you have ready funds at your disposal, obtaining finance is the next major challenge, and it can’t be attempted until your business plan is in place. You will need to prepare funding proposals and applications for loans, venture capital, and funds from angel investors.

Implementation

This is make or break time. Many people think getting started is the hard part — and it is hard. But where many businesses stumble is not in the planning and financing stages, but in the implementation of their business plan.

Why this is so is not certain. There are various hypotheses including the suggestion that ideas people and implementation people are two very different breeds, and it’s highly unusual to find one person who can do both. More likely, though, is the simple fact that implementation requires a broad range of skills – so many, in fact, that no single person can possibly be adept at all of them.

The real challenge and skill of the entrepreneur, then, is to recognize what you do well and then appoint employees or subcontractors to do the rest. Of course, if you run a business on a shoestring, this simply may not be possible!

So be brutally honest and objective when you assess your particular strengths and weaknesses. And make sure you do this before you cash in your day job.

The areas that are important to effective implementation are also encompassed by a broad definition of management: promotion (marketing and advertising), public relations, sales, employees, communications, legal issues, plant and equipment, risk management, disaster planning, crisis management, insurance, technology, computer systems, taxes, bookkeeping, finance, and the Internet.

Personal Qualities

Equally important as the common issues shared by all entrepreneurs are the personal qualities of the entrepreneur themselves. Do you have the right stuff to make a success of an entrepreneurial venture? Here’s a list of character traits and work ethics common to successful entrepreneurs. Although it’s not necessary that you possess all of them, you should possess most!

• Passion – entrepreneurs have a strong passion for their idea or concept, so much so that their work is their play. If you don’t like what you do, you won’t stick it out when challenges come along, as they inevitably will.
• Curiosity – entrepreneurs need to understand how things work. They ask a lot of questions. Curiosity therefore triggers innovation.
• Sponges – entrepreneurs are sponges. They devour information and are always current on new and emerging trends and technologies, not only in their specific industry, but in closely related industries. This habit of scanning their environment is a rich source for the discovery of new opportunities. Entrepreneurs are always looking for new markets, applications, products, or twists on an old concept.
• Optimism – entrepreneurs think of problems as opportunities for improvements and new ideas.
• Forward-looking – entrepreneurs are never satisfied with the status quo, and always proactively carve out their future.
• Careful about money – entrepreneurs are careful with money and have a firm grasp on what things cost and their value to the business. This allows the entrepreneur to recognize a true bargain when they see one.
• Started earning at a young age – entrepreneurs commonly displayed entrepreneurial leanings as a teenager, when they searched out entrepreneurial activities such as babysitting, lawnmowing and lemonade stands.
• Competitive – entrepreneurs are naturally competitive and don’t let the grass grow under their feet.
• Time conscious – entrepreneurs know the value of time and how to make the best use of it. You won’t find entrepreneurs spending much time on unproductive activities. That said, entrepreneurs typically also recognize the value of downtime, and will factor such activities into their schedule.
• Risk takers – entrepreneurs aren’t afraid to take calculated risks. They typically trust their hunches and act on them.
• Usually loners – entrepreneurs generally prefer a solitary work environment over teamwork.
• Professional – entrepreneurs are professional in their approach to work. They operate as they would in a corporate environment and don’t allow themselves to be distracted by outside influences.
• High energy – entrepreneurs have a plan and a vision, and they work it! Entrepreneurs are often health-conscious too, recognizing that the fitter they are, the better their minds work. So entrepreneurs will typically take time from their schedule to work out and eat well.
• Flexible – entrepreneurs are nothing if not responsive to change. Although they appreciate the importance of having a plan and working that plan, they allow themselves room to react and respond to opportunities that may suddenly reveal themselves.
• Nurture entrepreneurial spirit – entrepreneurs seek out and nurture the entrepreneurial spirit in their employees, and reward them accordingly.
• Confident goal-setters – entrepreneurs are confident and set long-term goals, both for themselves personally and for their businesses. They view money and financial security as a measure of accomplishment, and a source of peace of mind.
• Persistent – entrepreneurs never give up. They persist until they succeed.
• Learn from failure – entrepreneurs learn from their failures and those of others. Failure to an entrepreneur is nothing more than an opportunity waiting to be discovered.
• Self responsibility – entrepreneurs take the initiative and personal responsibility for their success or failure (which is always a merely temporary state).
• Resource utilization – entrepreneurs utilize all their available resources.
• Internal locus of control – entrepreneurs don’t believe in luck. They firmly believe that success and failure lies within their personal control or influence.

A recent Purdue University study concluded a number of factors seem to favor the continued high rates of new firm formation:

1. Continued high rates of change (change creates opportunities for new firms)
2. Continued growth of the service sector (the highest growth area for new firm formation)
3. An increase in the number of virtual corporations to which firms can outsource their functions, and create opportunities for entrepreneurs
4. Positive climate for small business – a general perception that small business is a positive influence on the economic wellbeing of the country, giving entrepreneurs legitimacy and respect
5. Growth in international business opportunities

With the traditional corporate-employment track seemingly on the decline, the trend towards forming strategic alliances with other businesses that are closely aligned with yours, or with someone who can add value to your product, is steadily emerging. In fact, futurists envision a return to extended community living, with shared resources but individual living and working relationships. They see entrepreneurial activities as the basis of these communities. Strategic alliances are a first step along this path.

So, if you have determined that entrepreneurship is for you, you can be confident that you’re part of the wave of the future! But understand what it will demand of you, and assess whether you’re prepared to give what it will take. The allure of entrepreneurship is undeniably strong for many, but it’s important to make sure you’re moving into it for the right reasons.

Being miserable in your job doesn’t automatically make starting your own business the best idea in the world. In fact, it could be the worst reason of all! The right choice may instead be to find another job that you won’t be miserable in. But if you’ve taken into account what’s been said above, and you’re adamant that you have what it takes, by all means grab the bull by the horns and become an entrepreneur. You might just find yourself creating something absolutely fabulous.

Source: The Entrepreneur’s Checklist