Shopping for Your Home Office

When I first began working from home, I knew I had to find a place to make into my own little office space. Once I found the spot, the next thing I had to do was buy office furniture and equipment so it would look and feel like an office. I didn't have a whole lot of money when I first started, so I knew I would be shopping on a budget, and because of this, I only bought the things I needed to help get me started.

If you've decided to work from home, and you've chosen a quiet and comfortable place for your home office, then your next step is to buy the furniture and equipment you need to get you started. You're first piece of furniture should be a desk and comfortable chair. Yes, that's right, I said "comfortable chair." The chair doesn't have to be expensive, but it does need to provide comfort, because you'll probably be spending a lot of time working from your desk. Other than comfort, you also want to invest in a chair with good back support, because I'm sure you don't want to develop major back problems later down the road. Some other features to consider when shopping for a chair are: height adjustments, tension adjustment, tilt lock and adjustable arm rests.

When choosing your desk, make sure to invest in a desk that will allow you enough work space. A desk with drawers helps you stay organized, and shelves are also nice for placing pictures and even a plant on. Items you place on the shelves can help relieve stress. For example, I place pictures of my kids on the shelves attached to my desk. When I look at their pictures it not only helps relieve stress, but it motivates me and keeps me going, because I know I'm doing my job for them.

After selecting a comfortable chair and desk, you'll need a filing cabinet. A filing cabinet will also keep you organized, and it makes finding important documents a much simpler task. Since your just starting out, a two-drawer filing cabinet should do for now, and don't forget to buy a box or two of hanging file folders. Hanging file folders will keep your filing cabinet neater. File folders that just sit in the cabinet often look cluttered, and at times, documents will fall out and get mixed in with other documents.

If you don't already have a computer, you may need to shop around for this piece of equipment. A computer may not be as cheap, but it can pay off in the long run. With a computer, you can create a Web site to introduce yourself and your new business, and you can even advertise to millions with your computer and access to the Internet. What's more, a computer will allow you to create invoices, customer records, financial records, business cards, income earned and more.

Along with your computer, acquire a color printer. A cheap printer will do in the beginning. Lexmark and Hewlett Packard both make great printers. If you also want to send and receive faxes you'll need a fax machine, and to help save money, you could invest in a printer and fax combo.

A few other smaller items to shop for include a package of pens, paperclips, small trash can, notebook and printer paper, small lamp (for better lighting), stapler and a cart with wheels (to set your printer and fax machine on).

Finally, this is optional, but another big stress reliever is an aquarium with a few fish. Aquariums aren't too hard to care for, and yes, they can be a BIG stress reliever. When you feel too stressed out, just take a few extra minutes to watch the fish. Again, the aquarium with fish is an optional item. Only purchase this if your budget allows.

The furniture and equipment listed above are just the basics that you'll need to make your empty space look and feel more like an office. Later, as your business grows and your income increases, you can always upgrade to better furniture and equipment, and you can even add more to your cozy home office.

Before you begin shopping for your new home office, follow these tips to help save you more money:

1. Look for special offers from office supply stores. If you don't have a computer, borrow a friend's computer or visit your local library to gain access to the Internet. A lot of times you can find all kinds of special offers on the Internet (Search Google for "special offers on office furniture," "discount office furniture" and "discount office equipment." Leave the quotes around the search terms.) Another place to look is newspapers, magazines and even your junk mail.

2. When shopping, look for furniture and equipment that offers a rebate. Some rebates are instant and some you have to mail in and wait for a check, but rebates will save you a lot of money! For example, my mom purchased a computer and it came with a $150 mail-in rebate. After getting her computer home, she filled out the rebate card, sent it in, and within a month she got a check for $150. Therefore, her $500 computer ended up costing her $350 in the end. Not only did she receive a $150 rebate, but she also got a free printer with the purchase of her computer. This is another bargain to look for. A lot of times if you buy a computer, they will throw in a printer for free. It won't be a printer and fax combo, but at least you can mark the printer off your list.

When looking for rebates, you can search Google for "instant rebates" (leave quotes around search terms) or rebates. Then, click on links and look for stores offering rebates on office furniture and equipment. One office supply store that offers rebates is Office Depot (http://www.officedepot.com).

3. Another place to find bargains on the Internet is Ebay. A lot of times you can purchase used furniture and equipment for a low price, and there's times when you can also buy new furniture and equipment on Ebay at bargain prices. Before bidding, check the seller's feedback. If the seller has a lot of negative feedback, don't bid. If the seller's feedback is positive, and you feel you too can trust him or her, then by all means, place your bid and hope you win.

4. Buying wholesale can also save you money. If you're running a business and you have a federal tax ID number and/or business license, you can usually buy wholesale from just about any place that offers wholesale prices. However, if you don't have a federal tax ID number or a business license, you can sometimes buy at wholesale prices from businesses that offer wholesale prices to the public -- search Google for "wholesale to the public," and look for stores that sell office furniture, equipment and supplies. Some wholesale suppliers require minimums, so you'll want to shop with the ones who don't require a minimum.

You should now have a better idea of what you need for your home office, and how to save buying the things you need. However, before I let you go to begin your shopping adventure, there is one more thing I need to mention: save all your receipts, and at the end of the year, when you do your taxes, you can write these business expenses off and get money back. Happy shopping, and best of luck with your new business!