How to make the perfect home office

How to make the perfect home office

Due to the pandemic, we’ve all been spending a lot more time indoors, our home offices in a lot of cases. Now that you’ll be spending more in there, you’ve no doubt been wondering what the perfect home office would look like, what it would have in it and how it would run. With that in mind, here are a few ideas.

Illustration of office desk with overhead light

Lighting is key

The first thing every office, or indoor space that people spend a lot of time in, needs is a good amount of natural lighting. Not only does this help your eyes, but also makes the space look more welcoming and peaceful.

Getting a good amount of natural light in a room, whether through the use of mirrors or switching out curtains for blinds, can be worth the amount of money you spend on them, even if you have to take out a small loan to cover the expenses. This is your new workspace, so you won’t want any half measures.

Different computer screens

Get your tech right

The next thing you need to think about is the type of computer you need. Generally, this choice is between a laptop and a desktop. You could spend a while weighing up their advantages and disadvantages or read a guide like the one in England.edu. On the one hand, desktops are arguably better for your posture and keeping a workstation in the same place; however, they require a lot of cables and take up a lot of space.

On the other hand, laptops are compact and easily portable, but they can also hurt your neck from looking down all the time and are often a lot more flimsy and easily broken.

Office desk with snacks

Don’t forget the snacks

When working remotely, it can be a pain to quickly go from one room to the other because you forgot your coffee or you’re hungry. If you install a food and drink station in your office, it means you don’t have to go backward and forwards all the time.

Also, if you have a wheeled office chair, you don’t even have to walk to get your coffee or your piece of morning fruit. It also means you don’t have to go down into the kitchen and have the potential issue of getting distracted by your pet, your kids or just a chore you suddenly have the urge to do.

Wifi icon with red bomb

Boost your WiFi

The last thing your office needs to make it perfect is an excellent WiFi connection. A great way to do this is through a WiFi signal booster. By having one of these in your office, you can rest assured that your WiFi connection isn’t going to take a sudden dip unless your router becomes disconnected from the internet. As most of us are now working and relying on the internet, we can safely assume this is a must-have for any perfect office.

Illustration of a woman sitting at a desk in a home office

Conclusion

By ensuring that the quantity of natural light in your office is good, by making sure you have a great internet connection, by ensuring you have all the food and drink you need without needing to go too far from your work as well as making sure you have the tech that’s right for you, you can make your home office the perfect place to work.

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Benefits of remote access for small businesses

Benefits of remote access for small businessescredit

With a small business, it’s important to note that remote access isn’t something that will only be beneficial for larger corporations. A lot of small businesses are finding that when they can access office files and resources remotely it provides a lot of benefits for the business as well as for employees. Supporting flexible and remote working is an obvious benefit, and by using remote access it means that the business will still be able to keep up to date and catch up, in this post-pandemic era. Remote access solutions are something that can benefit your small business, and they don’t have to be things that are expensive or out of your budget.

Illustration of remote working outdoors

Flexible office solutions

One of the big costs that a business will have is the office space that they occupy. With employees who work flexibly and work remotely the majority of the time, you can reduce the office space that you use, if you need one at all. If there are fewer workers that need a desk space, the cheaper or smaller place that you could rent for an office, if at all. As the site https://physicaladdress.com shows, you don’t have to have a physical office space to be able to get business mail, neither do you need to include a personal address on a business website. If you do decide to go down the route of getting rid of the physical office, then you have real flexibility as well as more adjustable office solutions.

Interview taking place over a conference call

Talent recruitment

If you work flexibly and run this across the whole of your small business, then it improves the talent pool that you can reach when it comes to recruitment. Normally, the talent pool for a business only extends to people who live in a commutable distance from the office. However, if you work flexibly and allow employees to work remotely, then it increases the geographical location of potential candidates. You can really choose the best people that apply, rather than having to choose the people that apply only because they live in the vicinity.

In a similar vein, you can also have continued access to existing staff. If they’re moving home to a different part of the country, they don’t have to leave working for you when remote access is implemented. Another benefit for business and the business budget.

Three people working remotely and collaboratively

Collaborative working and resource sharing

When you have a remote working business, you can work with colleagues on a collaborative basis, as well as externally with clients, third parties or suppliers. When you interact remotely, it helps to save time on travel, save money and improve productivity on the part of all involved.

Using remote access and accessing something in the cloud for document sharing means that you can share work with others, wherever they are in the world. As documented here, https://workplace.com/cloud-collaboration, cloud collaboration can be something that can really benefit business and be a good thing for employees too. You just need to think outside the box and it will help to make a difference to how your business works.

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How the right office equipment can boost productivity

How the right office equipment can boost productivity

With the rise of remote work, a growing number of people realise that they can do their job perfectly well outside a traditional office environment. Working outside your company’s office and no longer having your supervisor’s eyes on you offers a lot of flexibility. But to maintain productivity, you still need an office space that encourages deep focus. Without essential office equipment, your efficiency and the quality of your work are likely to suffer.

Read on to discover how the right office equipment can help you reach peak productivity even when you’re working from home in your pyjamas.

Illustration of woman sitting at a home office desk

Comfort

The majority of office jobs require you to sit in front of the computer for several hours each day. To stay productive throughout the whole day, you need to sit in a comfortable position that doesn’t cause strain to your body. An ergonomic furniture set-up can provide the necessary comfort so you can maintain good posture for hours. First, you need an ergonomic chair with lumbar support that can protect you from back and neck pain. Although all desks are mostly the same in terms of comfort, choose one with drawers to store important items you need to have within reach. Thus, you’ll avoid creating clutter on the desk.

Illustration of a desk lamp over a laptop with a cup & saucer to the side

Convenience

Imagine having no printer where you work and being forced to visit a local library each time you need to print a document. This is the perfect example of why investing in the right office equipment is worth it. High-quality gadgets, electronics and office machines can help you save minutes and even hours each day. To use a wireless printer at home, for example, you only need a smartphone or tablet. There’s no simpler or more convenient way to get fast, high-quality printing.  So, think about your daily office activities. You may find that there are more convenient ways to do them than you think.

Illustration of a man on a conference call

Connectivity

When you work remotely, staying connected with your co-workers, supervisors and clients is vital. So, it’s important to install equipment in your office that can ensure fast connectivity with the outside world. First, you need a high-speed internet connection so you can easily transfer files, access digital platforms and maintain instant communication. To enhance the internet connection in your office, purchase a high-quality router. Besides a fast internet connection, you may also need a reliable phone and a generous phone data plan.

Illustration of a smiling man standing at a desktop computer

Efficiency

The best part about remote work is that the time you save by being more efficient is all yours. Depending on the type of work you do, you can increase efficiency simply by creating a strategic office set-up. For example, adding a second monitor can help boost productivity significantly because you won’t have to switch between windows, projects or platforms for a piece of information, thus disrupting your work-flow. An updated computer system with the latest and fastest hardware can also increase productivity.

Whether you work from a traditional office, a co-working space or from your living room, you can’t reach your maximum productivity if your environment is not geared towards efficiency. Invest in high-quality office equipment to streamline your work and gain valuable time.

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Get their look: Jungly work station

 

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by 🌴 H E L E N 🌴 (@homewithhelenandco)

When I saw this photo, I immediately recognised the pattern on the wall. It’s inspired by the Martinique banana wallpaper which famously adorns the Beverly Hills Hotel. The original was designed in 1942 by Albert Stockdale who was commissioned to create it by the company, CW Stockwell. Helen even uses the iconic design as her laptop’s wallpaper!

To add to the jungly feel of the corner, there are lots of lush pot plants dotted about; including a Swiss cheese plant, string of pearls and mother-in-law’s tongue. The use of natural wicker accessories continues on the tropical theme. What a lovely place to sit to embark on a day’s work!

Get their look

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Velvet shell-shaped pillow
Velvet shell-shaped pillow
Nogu rattan teardrop mirror
Nogu rattan teardrop mirror
Malu vintage style shelf
Malu vintage style shelf
Rattan planter
Rattan planter
HK Living cappuccino mug, pink
HK Living cappuccino mug, pink
Jimi 4-drawer bureau
Jimi 4-drawer bureau
Original Martinique wallpaper
Original Martinique wallpaper
Velvet shell-shaped pillow
Velvet shell-shaped pillow
Nogu rattan teardrop mirror
Nogu rattan teardrop mirror
Malu vintage style shelf
Malu vintage style shelf
Rattan planter
Rattan planter
HK Living cappuccino mug, pink
HK Living cappuccino mug, pink
Jimi 4-drawer bureau
Jimi 4-drawer bureau
Original Martinique wallpaper
Original Martinique wallpaper