Setting Up Your Home Office

Here are some more resources you need to set up your home office.

Surge protector. Trust me on this one - I learned this lesson the hard way. You don't want to miss a deadline (or even worse, lose your computer) due to a power surge or electrical storm! One day during a major thunderstorm, I kept working, not really thinking it was a big deal. But ZAP, one quick lightning bolt and everything went out, including my computer. I freaked, thinking that was the end of my computer, and I absolutely could NOT afford another one at that point. Thankfully, my computer came back on and everything was OK. But that was a close enough call for me. I went out and bought a surge protector that day.

Software. Most jobs require you to have a word processing program that's compatible with Microsoft Word. In most cases, you don't need to have the latest version, and if you can't afford to buy the software when you're starting out, that's not a problem. Open Office (http://openoffice.org) has a free software suite that's fully compatible with Microsoft Office and allows you to save documents in Word format.

Some jobs might also require you to have spreadsheet software, like Microsoft Excel. Open Office has a spreadsheet called Calc, so if you don't have Microsoft Office, you can use this free version and save your files in Excel format.

Note: Most new computers come with a trial version of several software programs, so you can try before you buy.

Your computer probably already has an internet browser installed, most likely Internet Explorer. I prefer Mozilla Firefox (you can download it free from http://mozilla.com), mainly because it has a built-in spell checker, which comes in handy when I have to enter text online. But this is a matter of preference. If you're happy with Internet Explorer, that's fine.

You'll also need a program that lets you read PDF files. Almost all files that companies send you will be in either PDF or Word format. But no problem - you can download a free Adobe reader at http://get.adobe.com/reader.

Anti-virus/malware protection. This is JUST as important as a surge protector, if not more so. The last thing you need is a virus attacking your computer. This could not only prevent you from getting your work done in the short term, it could actually cost you a job or even destroy your computer.

Not only do you need to have anti-virus software installed, you have to make sure you keep it updated and run regular checks - AT LEAST once a week. Most anti-virus programs can be configured to update and run regular checks automatically.

Be aware that viruses often come through emails. Any good virus protection software will have a option that checks emails - make sure you activate this option. A lot of your work communication will be through emails. You don't want to either send or receive emails with viruses attached.

High speed internet connection. These days, many people have wireless internet connections at home; but because of security concerns, wireless or Wi-Fi connections are not acceptable for many work at home companies. If you work for one of these companies, you'll need a wired connection through your cable company, telephone company or some other internet service provider.

Printer. A printer may not be an absolute necessity for some jobs, but you'll often have reams of training material to go through, and reading it online can be tedious at best. An all-in-one printer that allows you to print, scan, fax, and make copies is your best bet - and they're quite inexpensive.