Home Office Must-Haves for New Businesses

Posted by: Neil Callanan

Many if not most of today's small businesses start out in atypical office spaces. Home offices, garages, borrowed cube space, you name it and someone out there is likely working in it. But when you are starting out it can be tough to decide which offices purchases are essential, and which should be left until you've been around for a while. A few must-haves that have paid for themselves twice over in the 6 months since I've been self employed:

1. A Quality Chair- This is likely the most costly of the must haves, but the value of an investment in comfortable office chairs is often underestimated. You'll be in it for 1/3 or more of your day, so don't cut corners here. Check craigslist for great deals on used furniture from other offices who have scaled back or have gone under.
2. Lighting- Your eyes were not designed to stare at a computer screen all day. Some ambient lighting will make focus and concentration come easier. Desk lamps are often cheap and considerably less painful on the eyes than over head lighting over long periods.
3. Plants- A plant or two will go a long way towards making your new office feel more "real", and have been proven to improve your mood.
4. Organization- For little cost, a trip to Ikea or the Container Store can help you give everything a much needed place of its own. Starting a business is hectic enough without having to search for everything you need.
5. Personalization- Not one specific item here, but owning a business means you have the freedom to have your workspace look and feel however you please. Make an effort to make your space feel like you.

For me, this was all done for less than $300 and has made "going to" work feel a whole lot more efficient. There are a number of resources you can use for inspiration I recommend Lifehacker and WebWorkerDaily. What about your home office. What was worth investing a bit of time and money.