90 Minute CEO: Creating the Perfect Home Business Office

Building your home office

Now that you’ve got that whole business deal done, it’s time you created the space for millionaire deals. Again, you don’t need to rent a fancy space in a luxury building to have a world-class, technologically efficient workspace. Plus, you don’t need to spend a lot of money to create your new home workspace. You might be surprised, but many of the items on our list can be found at wholesale stores, pawn shops, yard sales, barter and trade sites like Craigslist and eBay. Don’t fall for the trap like so many who start a business and get items that are shiny new. Because people today are so quick to dump and ditch things for the newest and hottest items, there are a host of useful kits ready to go for your home business.

Here’s a list of twenty-one items you absolutely need to create an efficient home office space that works. I call these items OFFICE TOOLS FOR SUCCESS:

OFFICE TOOLS FOR SUCCESS:

Computer equipment

telephone

Laser printer

Fax machine

Internet connection

File cabinet

Desk

Meat

Stapler

Stationery and supplies

Clock

Calendar

Stackable trays

Email address account

Home business license (if applicable)

Identify where to get help

Business letters

Paper clips

Shredder

Surge protector

Standard stationery supplies

Computer equipment

Today, you can get an affordable, functional computer that will allow you to access the Internet and create Word-based documents for less than $ 300.00. It doesn’t matter if it’s a desktop or a laptop, as long as it’s a computer. Again, you don’t have to spend a ton to do it. So if you don’t have a computer, don’t make a big investment right now. If you cannot afford to purchase a computer at this time, there are several local and national retail rental chains that will rent you a computer for a nominal weekly, biweekly, or monthly fee. Now some people may have trouble renting in these places because the overtime charges can get outrageous. However, now you are in business. This means that your expenses can be written off on your taxes. If you need a computer, consider this a viable option.

Internet connection

You cannot do any kind of business today without access to the Internet. Anyone who tells you otherwise is absolutely insane. If it’s happening today, it’s happening on the web. Therefore, you will want to advertise an Internet connection with that computer of yours. Now there are a variety of ways to get an internet connection today. So depending on whether you opt for a laptop or traditional desktop, the type of internet connection will be determined by the equipment you choose. Believe it or not, there are some places that still use dial-up. I strongly suggest that you look for an option other than dial-up as it is simply impossible to do anything on the net these days with it. You will need to do some research in your area and based on availability, make some decisions about which internet connection is right for you.

Email account

If you don’t already have an email account with your own personal email address and online inbox, what a shame! If you are going to do business of any kind on the web, you will need an email address. Therefore, we recommend visiting one of the many online sites that offer free email addresses and establishing an account.

Desk

Now if you are going to have a computer with internet, you will need something to turn that computer on. Therefore, you will need to place a desk of some kind in your workspace. Again, you don’t need to spend a lot of money on a desk. A great source for a computer desk is definitely Craigslist. You may also consider checking your local goodwill, Salvation Army, or thrift store. If you have the resources to buy a computer desk, my only advice would be to buy one that is ergonomically correct; one that fits your specific height.

Meat

Along those same lines, you also want to locate a comfortable chair to use in your workspace. I find that I cannot function at my optimum performance when I am uncomfortable. Later, if my butt is unhappy, it is reflected in my work. Now that a good chair is important, I would recommend purchasing one from one of your local or national office chain stores. You can get a very comfortable (self assembly) office chair for around $ 50.00.

File cabinet

Now that we have our desk and chair in place, we are going to need a filing cabinet. Now you’re probably saying why do I need a filing cabinet? Well, although most people store files on a computer, there are some files that you want to store the old-fashioned way. For example, tax documents that you must keep for seven years. You may not want to keep your corporate documents, customer applications, and other records on your computer. Having a locked filing cabinet means that you have ensured the security of these records, making sure they are available when needed.

telephone

Now that they are computer, desk, chair and filing cabinet have been put in place. It’s time we add some additional hardware to the mix. The first piece of hardware we want to add to the mix is ​​the phone. If you are creating a home office space, you definitely want to install a separate dedicated phone line specifically for conducting business. I recommend doing this for a couple of reasons. Number one, it eliminates the confusion of missed business calls because someone else is using the main home phone. Number two and probably the most important reason, you are now in business. So at tax time, you want to be able to write off as many business expenses as possible. When the phone number appears in your business name, there is no difficulty in getting this information reported to the IRS. I would also recommend this same course of action for your cell phone bill.

Fax machine

If you are going to have a commercial line installed in your home, you only need to have a dedicated fax line installed. Although many computers now have fax software, there are many computers that do not. Therefore, having a fax machine ensures that you can bring information to anyone at any time, regardless of the device you are using. Finally, this is an article that I would like for new. You can do it with an inexpensive fax machine for less than $ 80.00.

Laser printer

This is another item that I would buy new. You can usually get a base model for less than $ 140.00. If you are just starting out in business, I would go straight for the base laser printer model and steer clear of color-based printer models. I recommend this because color cartridges are expensive and not a smart expense when starting a new business. If you need color copies, visit one of your local copy stores and have your documents copied.

Time management devices

Many businesses are won and lost as a result of poor time management. Time management is the act or process of exercising conscious control over the amount of time spent on specific activities, especially to increase efficiency or productivity. Time management can be aided by a variety of skills, tools, and techniques that are used to manage time when completing specific tasks, projects, and goals. This set encompasses a wide range of activities, including planning, assigning, goal setting, delegation, time spent analysis, tracking, organizing, scheduling, and prioritizing. A time management system is a designed combination of processes, tools, techniques, and methods. Usually, time management is a necessity in the development of any project, as it determines the time and scope of the project completion.

Clock (wall or desk)

Your investment in a good wall clock and / or desk clock will help you meet benchmarks and time frames that are often critical to your business.

Calendar (wall or desk)

Also, a calendar is a necessary tool in your time management system. A calendar allows you to visually keep track of various important dates and times that are critical to your business. Today, cell phones are sold with software applications that allow you to enter important dates and times into your cell phone calendar. However, if you don’t have this app on your cell phone or you don’t have a cell phone, a good pocket calendar from the dollar store will work just fine.

Surge protector

Now that the basics of our home office are in place, it’s time to complete the office with some essential equipment and support materials, the first of which is a quality surge protector. A surge protector (or surge suppressor) is a device designed to protect electrical devices from voltage spikes. A surge protector attempts to regulate the voltage supplied to an electrical device by blocking or shorting to ground voltages above a safe threshold. If you don’t currently own a surge protector, THIS IS A TOOL YOU CAN’T BE WITHOUT. Your investment in your computer, fax, laser printer, and other electrical devices is at risk without it. You can usually find an inexpensive surge protector at your local office supply store for less than $ 40.00.

Paper crusher

A paper shredder is a mechanical device used to cut paper into strips or fine particles. Shredders are used by government organizations, businesses and individuals to destroy private, confidential or sensitive documents. Privacy experts often recommend that people destroy invoices, tax documents, credit card and bank account statements, and other items that thieves could use to commit fraud or identity theft. Like the surge protector, you can find an inexpensive paper shredder at your local office supply store for less than $ 40.00.

Standard stationery supplies

The remaining items that round out our list of essential support supplies and equipment are self-explanatory:

Business letters

Letterhead business stationery

Document Highlighters

Ink pens

Paper clips

Pencils

Paper (laser, copier and fax)

Stamps and envelopes for sending invoices

Stapler

Stationery and supplies – envelopes

Stackable trays

If you are thinking of becoming the CEO of your own business, make it your business to have all the necessary tools of the trade.