Once you have made that momentous decision to start your own business, chances are you can think of all those relevant business start-up tasks that need to be addressed faster than you can add write them down. However, before you start brainstorming about logo designs, get too overwhelmed by the prospect of drafting your very first business plan, or get bogged down attempting to analyze tons of market research data, it is of paramount importance that you designate an area that will be your office as this will be your base of operations.

In all probability, to begin with, this space will be in your home. If you are like many city dwellers, your “office” may be no more than a corner of your studio apartment or, if space is not at such a premium, you may be fortunate enough to have an extra room in your home that can be converted into an actual office or at the very least have a shared function…part office and part den or guest room. Regardless of whether or not the walls are visible, it is essential that some thought be given to setting up your work space.
If you can devise a plan that efficiently utilizes the space, anticipates your immediate goals and can be adapted as needed, you will be off to a great start.

As you give serious consideration to which piece of furniture will serve as your desk and where to position it, giving some thought to the following suggestions will ensure that your space will be organized and functional.

Select a suitable location in the space for your desk. In doing so, you should consider your proximity to the window(s) as exposure to natural light can be very energizing. In addition, if you are like most people, you will want to face the doorway. Lastly, if you are an avid fan of erasable wall calendars, you will want wall space above or adjacent to your desk so that you can easily reference and update the calendar.

Segregate your living space from your work space. Once you get caught up in the tidal wave of start-up activities, there may be a tendency for your work area to overflow with paperwork from the various tasks that you are juggling simultaneously. As a result, your work area will begin to slowly encroach upon your living space. While the rate at which this will happen is inversely related to the amount of space designated for your office, you will need to address this issue so that your entire home doesn’t become your office. Hence, it is important to make a very conscience effort to keep your paperwork organized and filed when not in use so that you won’t be tempted to use the coffee table as your auxiliary desk.

Set up your office space so that it is functional. If you are like a lot of new business owners, you will be spending a lot of time in your office working. As such, it is essential to position whatever limited furniture and computer equipment you have to start with in a logical manner so that you are not constantly battling with the equipment for use of the limited desktop space. Since you will be spending a lot of time in your work space, it is great to personalize it with pictures or your favorite set of desk accessories. However, remember that space is at a premium and cluttering it up with too many personal items will be counter productive.

Keep a reasonable quantity of office supplies on hand. In all probability the amount of available storage space for office supplies will be an issue. It is beneficial to maintain a limited supply of those few frequently used key items (like toner cartridges or paper) in your work area so that they are readily accessible when needed. Space should be designated in your pantry or linen closet to store surplus file folders and other small office supplies.

By investing a little time in organizing your office space during those very early days in business, you will have created a solid foundation for efficiently managing your space.

Once the myriad of start-up tasks kick into high gear, you will be thankful to have set up an office that allows for maximum productivity.

Posted on Wednesday, November 5th, 2008 at 7:27 pm and is filed under Startup Advice. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.