Essential Equipment Needed to Set Up an Efficient Home Office

With so much of our business being conducted from home, the home office should be as well organized as possible. Take the time to create an ideal spot for getting things done.

Your home office should reflect the way you work and harmonize with the décor of your home. The skeletal system of a great home office includes the following:

• A desk that’s comfortable and the right size for your space and type of work

• Home office cabinetry for storage and files

• Shelves for additional storage, books and decorative items

Once you have the bones in place you’ll want to consider the peripheral essentials that keep you productive and happy.

Here’s a list of the 16 most important home office equipment must-haves:

1. Comfortable Ergonomic Desk Chair

Office chairs come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors. Select a chair that is comfortable and adjustable—comfort definitely comes before style. You’re going to spend a lot of time in that chair; make sure it’ll be easy on the body, not necessarily on the eyes.

2. Computer

No home office is complete without a computer. Whether desktop or laptop, a computer is essential for connecting via e-mail, surfing the web and storing documents electronically.

3. Sit-To-Stand Desk Converter

It’s no secret sitting all day is your enemy to your health. Incorporate a standing desk by adding it to existing counter areas. Varidesk sit-to-stand solutions can be purchased on Amazon and office supply sites.

4. High Speed Internet

Business moves at the speed of light and so should you. High speed internet is essential for doing business from home. Business downloads and even casual web surfing is filled with large file exchanges, so you need high speed connectivity to keep up.

5. External Hard Drive or Cloud Service

Having the means to back up your important documents and media is not only a smart idea, it’ll give you peace of mind. With cloud service available there is truly no excuse and it’s very affordable.

6. All-in-One Printer

Reduce the amount of equipment cluttering your home office by getting an all-in-one printer that’s also a scanner, fax and copier.

7. Surge Protector

Small electronics and computers contain delicate microprocessors that can easily be damaged from an electrical surge. Protect them with a surge protector.

8. Charging Station

Desktop charging stations are a great way to keep your small electronics organized while making sure they’re always charged up and ready to go. These handy home office gadgets also help eliminate additional cable clutter. Many charging stations are also equipped with areas to store mail, loose change, wallets and other small items.

9. Desk Lamp

Good lighting is essential to getting work done efficiently…and your eyes will thank you.

10. Desktop Accessory Storage

Corral those frequently used supplies like pencils, pens and paperclips in desktop organizer caddies or cups.

11. Clock or Smart Watch

If you work from home full time, a clock will help you know when it’s time to start and stop working. Sounds odd, but you can easily lose track when you’re the only one in the office.

12. Google Home Or Alexa

It really works well to have a seperate voice activated assistant these days. Set appointments and reminders with it. Ask it to make calls for you. It’s the way of the future. You’ll be in heaven as you get use to using one or both of these devices. Remember to set alerts that get you up and moving about if you do not wear a smart watch.

13. Shredder

Crumpling up paper and tossing it into the waste basket isn’t good enough. Working from home often means you’ll have hard-copy documents that may contain personal or secure information. Protect your identity and the identity of those you work with by shredding documents before recycling or trashing them.

14. Wastebasket w/Bags

You’re on a roll—don’t lose the momentum by going into another room of your home to throw things away! Equip your home office with its own wastebasket.

15. Supplies

You’ll need pens, pencils, tape (with a dispenser), stapler and staples, paper clips, scissors, sticky notes, note pads and of course copy paper for the printer.

16. Stationery

Even though we live in an electronic age, snail mail is still a reliable and professional method of communicating. Make sure you always have supplies on hand for written correspondence.