For many in the Sutherland Shire area, working from home has been a revolutionary change brought on by the pandemic years. However, for those who are self-employed, it’s business as usual.
Whether you’re new to working out of your own home or consider yourself a seasoned veteran, you’ll need a dedicated (and stylish!) home office to stay as productive as possible, especially if you have little feet running around. For a self-employed mum, the challenges of working from home are unique, and your home office needs to address them so you can work effectively. If the self-employed career path is new to you, this may seem daunting. However, setting up a home office is easier than you think.
In this article, we’ll go over some home office essentials you absolutely need to own, as well as tips on how to create the most productive space. Keep reading if you want to learn how to set up a workspace that allows you to get things done as quickly and effortlessly as possible.
1. Basic office supplies
Before you can call a room an office, you need to fill it with some essential office supplies. Since you’re working alone, you can benefit from compact products which still provide the necessary functions without taking up all your space. Small Brother printers are the perfect size to generate hard copies of important documents, showcase detailed designs or illustrations, or even for printing labels and logos to send out on your products.
High-quality monitors, keyboards and webcams are some more office implements that almost anyone working from home needs, as well as a designated phone for client and colleague calls – you may choose to install a landline or keep a separate ‘work only’ mobile in your office. And don’t forget the value of good old-fashioned paper or post-it notes that you can pin up to help you remember deadlines and scribble down dates and numbers.
Beyond these essentials, other supplies will depend on your line of work. For instance, a self-employed interior designer would likely need access to high-end pencils, paper or digital sketchboards, while all a freelance writer might need is a clean, comfortable space to think clearly and bang out high-quality sentences.
2. A dedicated workspace
You’ll need to define where in your home you plan to work. Sitting on the floor with your laptop won’t cut it, especially if your little one is roaming around. Working at a kitchen table that’s prone to after-school mess won’t suffice, either. You need a space that’s yours and yours alone.
Of course, it’s not always possible to have a space that functions as an office 24/7, and that’s fine. As long as you can etch out a nook that your family understands is the place where mum works, you’ll have somewhere to focus on your tasks.
Defining a specific workspace is also key to buying the right-sized furniture, which saves you the trouble of trying to incorporate items that don’t quite fit.
3. An adjustable desk
Every home office needs a good desk. Having a table where you get all your tasks done is a way of marking out your space, and helps set a professional, concentrated mood.
A desk also acts as a storage area for the most essential office materials, so make sure to choose one with plenty of surface area and shelving to avoid clutter in front of your direct workspace.
If space permits, it can be a good idea to get yourself an adjustable desk, which you can raise to your standing height or use as a regular table as the mood takes you. Not only will this help you avoid the common computer-related health issues that come from sitting around all day, but if your kids have access to your home office, it will keep your work materials out of reach.
4. An ergonomic chair
Even if you own an adjustable desk, chances are you’ll still spend a good portion of your working day sitting down, so a good chair is an absolute must. Investing in a comfortable, ergonomic chair will ensure those back-to-back Zoom meetings will pass as painlessly as possible.
Many self-employed professionals opt for gaming chairs. While these seats were designed to keep hardcore gamers comfortable through lengthy video gaming sessions, they also provide plenty of comfort if you spend loads of time sitting in front of a computer monitor staring at Word documents or spreadsheets.
A supportive ergonomic chair will help with posture, which is an issue most of us struggle with. As most of our work happens sitting down, there are few better investments than a comfy desk chair if you intend to work from home.
5. The right software
Choosing the right hardware is only half the challenge when it comes to creating a productive home office. You’ll also need to purchase the right software. While we can take tools like Microsoft Word, Excel and Canva for granted when working on-site, these are all software you’ll need to secure yourself if you plan to be self-employed.
Besides these basic digital tools, there are also plenty of apps for smartphones and computers that can help you organise your schedule, automate certain processes and communicate with clients. As always, you need to choose the tools that work for your specific circumstances in order to make your work-from-home lifestyle a success, and that may include digital or other kinds of upskilling to get comfortable with using software and programs that will ultimately streamline your work days.
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In 2024, working from home is more popular than it ever has been. In this article, we’ve gone through everything you need to work from home. To succeed as a self-employed mum, you’ll need to furnish your home office with certain essential tools like comfy chairs, adjustable desks and key tech accessories. But these should all be within a designated spot at home, which you and your household know is where you’re not to be disturbed.
Set up a thriving home office today and boost the efficiency and the quality of your work.
