How To Run A Home Office On A Budget
Setting up an office within your home can be a lot more challenging than you
think. A den with a desk, computer and a small filing cabinet would be great for
doing your taxes and paying your utility bills, but you would need something a
bit more elaborate if you are planning on running an entire business from home.
Whether you are selling trade goods like homemade housewares and décor, or
rendering specialized services to clients in your area, you'll want to devise an
efficient home office system for the most success. Here are some simple
suggestions to help you obtain everything you would need to run a home office on
a tight budget.
Finding Office Space in
Your Home
Some people may have the luxury of a spare bedroom or den
to use as their home office, while others may have to build their own home
office space. If you're one of the less fortunate and you're looking for a
location to setup your home office, don't spend a fortune on adding square
footage to your home. All you have to do is find a corner or section of the home
and define it as your office space:
Section off your office from the
rest of the room with dividers
Having a wall divider or screen to define
your office space is no different than having a cubicle in a regular office
building. Since you're the boss, make sure you give yourself as much room as
possible. You can even give yourself a view by setting up in a part of the home
that has a large window. Homebodies can save big on their tax bill.
Choose an area with limited distractions
A walk-in closet or
a stair landing might be a more suitable place for your office. Using your
living room or bedroom for your office might tempt you into being unproductive
with a TV and a bed in such close proximity.
Affordable Office Supplies
If you're running a business
from home, the last place you would want to shop for office supplies is from the
big office supply chains. Leave these places for the bigger businesses. Head to
discount stores and start browsing for the best deals on essential office
supplies. Try to buy in bulk at warehouse club stores, or buy second-hand office
supplies at garage sales and thrift stores. Keep an eye out for offices in the
area that are going out of business and see if they are willing to sell, or even
donate, some of their left over office supplies. In the worst case scenario, you
can shop at an office supply chain, but make sure you sign up for a club
membership and loyalty reward points before you buy.
Cut Your Printing and Paper Costs
The first thing you
need to do if you want to save on home office expenses is to go paperless. This
will eliminate the need for obtrusive filing cabinets everywhere, lighten the
clutter around your desk and save you money on paper costs. Here are a few tips
that can help you save big:
Ditch the idea of having your own fax
machine
It's an unnecessary expense that can be easily replaced by
Internet faxing or emails, which will save money on paper, toner and maintenance
on a regular fax machine. Plus, you'll save money by cutting that extra phone
line for your fax machine.
Go for a scanner-printer
combo
Even if you're trying to go paperless, you're likely to have a few
incoming paper documents to deal with. Invest in a scanner-printer combo to
convert paper documents into electronic data.
Change your font color and type
This can save you money and help
you get the most out of your ink cartridge.
Start using both sides of
the printer paper
While you may want to keep certain documents strictly
one-sided, you can cut paper costs by printing certain documents and printouts
on both sides of the paper.
Furnishing Your Office on the Cheap
Before you set out to
buy a new desk, printer, fax machine, computer, filing cabinets, calendars,
planners, dry-erase boards, motivational posters and an office lamp, take a
moment to plan out what you really need for your home office. If you've decided
on going paperless, you probably won't need as many filing cabinets as you
think. Internet faxing eliminates the need for a fax machine. Once you've
figured out what your essential office items are, you can start furnishing. Here
are some tips to help you get started:
Scan your home for old items
and decor
Think about any pictures, posters, photos or paintings that
you've had to store because they didn't match your new bedroom linens. They
might go well in your new office space. Old, empty flower pots can be used to
hold various office supplies like pens, pencils and paperclips.
Buy
refurbished big ticket items
Garage sales and store clearances are great
places to look for an office desk and chair. Search for websites that specialize
in selling refurbished computers and laptops. Some of these second-hand items
even come with a warranty.
Save on Internet Connection, Phone Lines and Office
Software
The final things you'll need for running your home office
on a budget are an affordable Internet and phone connection, and office
software. For an Internet connection and office phone line, check your local
providers for package deals. Many affordable Internet deals can be obtained at
very low monthly costs. The only catch is you need to sign up for a phone plan
as well. This works perfectly for a home office that would need a separate line
from your home phone anyway.
For office software, avoid using the big name brands. You can find much more
affordable software online that can meet all of your office needs, from
operating systems to affordable word processors. A lot of downloadable software
comes free through a trial version, and usually requires a small purchase fee to
use the full version instead.
Know Your Business
Saving money on overhead costs is
important for running a home office on an affordable budget, but it's also
important to know where you need to spend and where you need to save. If your
business is reliant on a fast Internet connection and a powerful computer rig,
you'll probably want to pay top-dollar on these expenses, while saving
elsewhere. Likewise, if you have a business that requires more time spent out of
the office than in the office, you can probably afford to save on high end
office items, and invest more money on the necessary tools and equipment needed
for when you're on a job. Whatever the case may be, make sure you plan ahead
before you start setting up your office, so you can devise the most efficient
plan for running a business from inside your home.
