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You’re tired of moving your office off the table every mealtime.
Your eyes burn by the end of the day, and your neck and shoulders
are as tight as an elastic band. It’s time for a real home
office but you have no idea where to start. But before getting
up off the couch and running to the nearest mega-furniture
store, first take some time to plan out your office. No matter
how simple it may be, if you skip the planning process you
run the risk of your monitor not fitting under the hutch or
a new desk stuck halfway up a flight of stairs.
- Planning
As kindergarten as it might sound, start
by drawing your physical space. Measure all of your computer
equipment and furniture you plan on keeping. Commit it to
paper, because you won’t remember how high the window is off
the ground when the deal of the decade stares you in the face.
When planning, consider how you like to work. What are your
business needs? How much shelving do you need? How much filing
space do you require, and how much will you require next month.
Expect your business to grow, so plan 25 to 50 percent more
storage than you need. If you have clients visiting your office,
that will dictate a certain professional image. We have clients
meet us in our home office. It keeps us off the road during
rush hour and gives us a chance to show how we have mastered
the home office.
Next, set a budget. As simple as it may sound, people have
no idea how much to spend on their office. To set a realistic
budget, consider how much your time is worth or what else
you would like to be doing if you weren’t in your office.
A well designed and furnished home office will increase your
productivity. If you can save yourself just 10 minutes per
day, that works out to about 40 hours a year. But that number
is ridiculously low considering studies have shown a person
working from home can be as much as 40 percent more productive
than their corporate counterpart, provided they have a well
designed office.
From our experience, the average efficient, ergonomic and
comfortable home office costs between $3,500 and $5,500 depending
on design, finishes and details. Remember an office is an
investment into your business that will start earning you
timesaving dividends immediately.
- Shopping Trip
Okay, now you have a plan and a shopping
list. You’ve decided how much you want to spend. It’s time
to go shopping. Our clients tell us that next to visiting
the dentist, shopping for home office furniture is one of
life’s more painful experiences.
Office superstores carry a large variety of lower quality
furniture intended for the American mass market. If you know
exactly what you want and you fit the mould, you may be able
to come up with some real bargains, but you will have to make
all the choices. Check guarantees very carefully. You will
want your furniture to last more than a couple of years. And
be prepared to spend some time assembling it.
Office specialty stores sell large volumes of office furniture
to commercial buildings and understand the corporate world
very well, but they don’t specialize in the home office, even
though their sign out front might say they do. One company
designed a single desk that was 10 feet long. Make sure you
ask the right questions. When in doubt, refer to your plan.
Ask for a drawing or a 3D-computer print out of your home
office and spend time going over it as if you were actually
in the space. These stores usually advertise up to 40 percent
off list price. But that’s not a sale that will end next week.
Everyone gets that price all the time. Again, check guarantees
and make sure the price includes delivery and installation.
Decorators and designers will provide you with everything
from personalized service to drawings, colours, finishes and
furniture. They will even do the plan for you, but make sure
you participate fully. They will charge you between $75 and
$250 per hour depending on experience and reputation. Regardless,
check their portfolio for expertise in home office productivity
and ergonomics, and always call references. One designer did
a custom desk for a client that couldn’t accommodate a keyboard.
Aesthetics is important but not paramount. And remember, if
you buy it you own it.
The Art of Working is a new niche store that specializes exclusively
in furniture and accessories for the home and small business
office. Part of their service includes coming to your home
and providing you with space planning, helping you select
appropriate furniture, designing the space with you, renovating,
and managing the project. They will even set up your computer
for you after installing all furniture so you are up and running
immediately.
With all this information, it’s now time to put on a fresh
pot of coffee, pull out a clean sheet of paper, sharpen a
pencil and start working on a plan that will give your kitchen
table back to the family. Even if you don’t purchase everything
at one time, having a plan and sense of what you want will
keep you on course and save you money.
You
can visit The Art of Working in Oakville at 348 Lakeshore
Road East. 905 339-3388,
or www.theartofworking.com
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