Besides the basics, there are other technological devices that can make working in your home office much more productive.
Whether or not you need a cell phone depends on what kind of business you’re operating; if you’re running a service business out of your home office you should have one, because of the percentage of potential clients who don’t bother to leave messages and won’t call back if they can’t reach you the first time. When was the last time you met a realtor who didn’t have a cell phone and a pager, for example?
A fax machine. Only if you need to be able to physically feed documents into a fax machine at your home office. Otherwise, let your computer handle this chore. Fax software will allow you to send and receive documents.
A printer. What kind does your home office need? That depends on your printing needs. If you need to print high-quality colour documents, then you’ll need to invest in a top-of-the-line color printer for your home office. If not, you should be able to get away with a black and white printer. If you only occasionally need documents such a full-color brochures printed, it may be more economical to buy a basic printer and get your high-quality documents done by a professional printing company. You'll find a whole range of monochrome and color printers suitable for home offices in my collection of Printer Top Picks articles, including my recommendations for Multifunction B&W Laser Printers. For more help deciding whether or not you need a color printer, see Before You Buy A Color Printer.
A copier, if you need one. Here are my Top Picks for Home Office Copiers. Once again, it may be more economical to take your documents to a business that provides copying services and run off copies there.
A large monitor for your computer. You might move this one into the “Essentials” category if, like me, you spend a great deal of time using your computer. The price of larger monitors has dropped considerably, and I can’t believe what a difference it makes.
The best speaker phone money can buy. When you're working in your home office, the advantages of being able to use your phone hands-free are enormous.
A business web site. Even if the business has no connection to e-commerce, having a web site gives you professional credibility, and is yet another way to reach your potential customers. A business web site doesn’t have to be gigantic and full of fancy graphics to do the job; it just needs to present your business in a clear, attractive manner. "Why Isn't My Web Site Working?' will guide you through through the process of building a business web site that works. If you don’t have the skills to produce a business web site yourself, there are a great many people who do and will do the job for a reasonable rate.
So now you have all the "stuff" to run your home office, from office furniture through technological devices to make working at home easier. But isn't it a little crowded in there? On the next page are resources to help you with home office design.
