Introduction
Professionals who work in the corporate world, whether the business is small, medium or large, don't have to think about their physical surroundings too much because someone else has already taken care of those accommodations. Everything from your desk, office chair, cubicle, break room and restroom to the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system is handled by someone else at the business, such as the manager or another person with a building supervisory role.
Creating a professional home office places a considerable burden on you, especially because your overall success and ability to generate income is dependent on how you set up this space. The most obvious failure in planning is when you start to feel uncomfortable and your body starts to ache while working at home. This could be a sign that your professional home office setup is not ergonomic, meaning your are not using furniture and equipment that is engineered with the human body in mind.
Another sign of poor planning in the professional home office setup is when your productivity goes down. For example, if you are an independent contractor and you are frequently late with meeting client deadlines, that hurts your income. If you telecommute as an employee from home, your manager and the business operations can suffer a decline if your productivity drops while working at home. Setting up a professional home office is as much functionality as it is aesthetics.
Step 1
Buy furniture and equipment for your professional home office that emulates the environment in the corporate arena. For example, obtain an desk that has drawers and built-in file storage space so that you can retrieve pens, pencils, staplers and documents in arms reach; don't use a regular four-legged table as a desk.
Step 2
Buy a chair for your professional home office that moves up and down, left to right, and any other direction that is unique to ergonomic office chairs. Don't use a patio chair or sofa for office seating.
Step 3
Set up your professional home office furniture and equipment in a room with windows and proper air conditioning and ventilation. For example, a spare bedroom is ideal as opposed to a damp and moldy basement.
Step 4
Add bookshelves and file cabinets to your professional home office to help you stay organized. Don't allow things relative to your business or income to become cluttered or messy.
Step 5
Install an air purifier, dehumidifier and any other room-based equipment to make your professional home office feel comfortable. When you are working, you are breathing in air and expelling carbon dioxide in an enclosed room. You want air in your work space to stay clean and healthy. Also, keep a vacuum cleaner and other household cleaning equipment handy so that you can maintain your space as custodians do in the corporate world.
