3 Tips for Creating a Productive Home Office

As an entrepreneur, odds are you have a home office.  You may have a formal “office” in a spare room of your house, you may have some space set aside in the family den, or perhaps your home office is a nook in the basement where you have a computer set up. Regardless, you have a spot where you hunker down to do work.  What you need to ask yourself is have you set up your personal workspace to maximize your productivity and minimize your distractions?

Use these tips to increase your productivity when working at home:

• Keep all of your “work” in your workspace to maximize efficiency.  It’s important that all of your business materials are close at hand.  Having to scour the house every time you can’t find something is a sure time killer.  Plus, keeping your work items in one space promotes a healthier work/life balance because you’re not stuck staring at work materials during your down time.
• Establish set work hours so you can balance your home life with your work schedule. Not only does it enhance your own productivity, but it also helps minimize outside distractions because your family/roommates are aware that certain times of the day are dedicated to work and interruptions are to be kept to a minimum.
• Ensure that your workspace is relatively private. No one can work effectively surrounded by noise and subject to constant interruptions. If a door to the office area is not practical or available, consider adding a sign (ex. "No interruptions" or "Quiet please") to remind others in the space that this is "work time."

References:
Design the Ideal Home Office - Eve Gumpel

Comments

[furnished offices]

Thanks for the tips it will help a lot. very useful and informative. keep up the good work.

Margarette Smith

[Candyce Castaldo]

Good ideas, I also find that if I keep a few "pretty" things on my desk and some low background music it feels like I'm really at an office!