Location, location, location
Choose an area of the house that’s quiet and isolated – somewhere with good natural lighting and ventilation that’s well away from the noisiest areas of the house where the kids can’t disturb you.

Ergonomics
It’s wise to treat yourself to an ergonomically designed chair. When sitting at your computer, the top of the monitor should be level with your eyes. This will improve your posture and prevent back, neck and shoulder pain.

Tidy room, tidy mind
Use bookshelves, folders, filing cabinets and drawers to keep your documents in order and your desk uncluttered.
You can also avoid much of your paperwork by doing much of what you do electronically – check out our demo above to see how. There are also plenty of templates available such as our work-from-home planner, to-do list and even stationery templates such as for brochures and newsletters which will help you keep organised and create much of your work electronically, alleviating the need for lots of paperwork lying around.

Office equipment
In addition to a computer and landline, you might need a printer, scan and fax machine. You’ll need several power outlets, and a power board to protect your equipment against electricity surges.

Internet connections
It’s important to have a fast internet connection if you’re working from home. A wireless network will give you the freedom to work from different areas of the house, but any ADSL2 or cable connection should give you fast enough speeds (at least 1,500 kbps is recommended).

Protect your data
Without an IT department at your beck and call, it’s your responsibility to protect your data. Buy an external hard drive and back up your computer at least once per week, and install anti-virus software on your computer to fight nasty bugs.

Outsource your weak points
If technology isn’t your thing, hire a technician to set up your network and fix any glitches for an hourly rate. You might also think about hiring a bookkeeper to keep your accounts in order, or a virtual secretary to help with administrative tasks.

Get creative
It’s important to create an environment that’s professional yet pleasant, particularly if you’re using your workspace to meet with clients. Plants, photographs and paintings can add character, while colour scheme is important – warm colours are said to be stimulating, while cool colours are calming and reflective.

We spend so many hours working, it’s important to create an office that’s distinct from your home life. Aim to create a space that is professional, stylish, uncluttered, quiet and, most importantly, pleasant to be in. The money you spend on office equipment and furniture should be tax deductible, so don’t feel guilty about investing a little money to get the basics right.