Girls Guide to Setting Up a Home Office

Here are a few tips for women to consider when setting up a home office. With a little work, you can set up a nice, clean workspace just for yourself.

1. Choose a room with windows and a phone jack if possible.

When choosing a spare room in your home (if you are fortunate to have one) in which to create your home office, choose one, if possible, with windows and a phone jack. The window will allow you as much natural light as possible and will help keep you from being bored. If you set your desk up near the window, it will help elevate your mood while you work.

You need a phone jack to connect your fax machine, and possibly your telephone. For example, if you are planning on having a dedicated phone line for your office, you may wish to purchase a phone with an answering machine as well. However, if you already have a phone system in your home that includes satellite receivers that simply need to be plugged into the wall, that one phone jack can simply be used for your fax machine.

2. Set ground rules regarding your office with your family.

If you have small children, this step is a must. You want to ensure that there are no misinterpretations regarding your expectations for your new office. For instance, it is important for kids to realize that when you are in the office, you are working. They can't simply interrupt you whenever they feel like it. If you are planning to work from home full-time, or even if your aren't for that matter, they need to know when they should interrupt you, as in a case of an emergency, and whey they can not. Again, the important thing is to let them know what you expect as you use your new office.

3. Before you set up your home office, ensure that you have your computer(s) set up the way you'd like.

Chances are you already have a personal computer that you use at home. If you currently only have a family computer set up in the living room, you may wish to purchase a computer for yourself. After all, it wouldn't be fair to keep the computer for yourself, unless, of course, you intend on your significant other (or spouse) or children coming in and using it, as they need it. However, that is not the intention of setting up your own office.

4. If you don't already have an all-in-one printer (a printer which includes a fax machine, scanner, and copier), purchase one!

An all-in-one printer (personally, I would recommend a HP) will be your new best friend. With it you can fax, copy, scan, printer pictures, as well as do your regular printing. They are pretty inexpensive considering all of their functionality. A good one from HP costs about $200 to $300.

These are but a few guidelines for setting up your own home office. Stayed Tuned for many more!