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Home-Based Business Basics: Home Office Design

July 31, 2021 By Administrator

By Kelli Brewer

When you run a home-based business, your home office will serve as your home base for success. How you design it has a significant impact on how your clients view your business as a whole. Although home businesses are much more common today than ever, some people still believe that you have to have a brick-and-mortar environment (and the ridiculous overhead associated with it) to provide a professional service. Here’s how you prove them wrong.

An Investment

One of the first things that you should know is that creating a beautiful and functional home office may increase your home’s value. This means that you could potentially enjoy a return on your remodeling investment. Redfin smartly notes, however, that you’ll want to take before and after pictures of this or any home improvement. Doing so offers tangible proof of why your house’s value deserves to go up.

Your Space

What exactly does it mean to have a fully functional home office? First, it must be in an area of your home that has access to lightning-fast internet. Ideally, you’ll also have proper lighting and plenty of space to spread out, especially if you’re entertaining clients in your home. A room or series of rooms that are heated and cooled with a private bathroom is also important. Somewhere quiet and removed from your spouse, pets and children will also lend well to the professional atmosphere when you’re on the phone or have customers on site.

Design for Safety

Your office design has to be more than just beautiful. It also has to be set up to allow for plenty of space between you and your customers. Even though pandemic-related restrictions have loosened, many people are still practicing social distancing to stay safe. Therefore, you’ll want your office laid out to promote great communication and interaction even when you’re six feet apart.

Start your home office design with the big stuff. This means your desk, conference table, and chairs. Make sure that your desk is facing where your customers will sit when you talk. Ideally, you’ll have a second computer monitor that you can mirror to your desktop or laptop. This will keep them from having to sit next to you when you are working on the computer together.

Finally, make sure that your home office has a separate entrance, if possible. This will keep customers from inadvertently bringing germs into your main living space. Likewise, it will keep them out of range if you have sick children home from school.

Protecting Your Home Office

If you’re going to have strangers coming and going into your home, there’s one significant business decision you can make to protect your assets. This is to establish a limited liability company (LLC). If you remain a sole proprietor, your personal residence may be targeted if the customer decides to sue you for any reason.

By starting an LLC in Arizona — which you can do on your own without an attorney by using a formation service — you add a layer of protection to your personal property. Keep in mind, however, that each state has different rules, so do your research. In addition to this, make sure that you have business insurance and that you alert your home insurance provider if you plan to do business from your home.

When you work out of your house, the design of your office matters just as much as where it’s located. Make sure that you not only have a beautiful space but one that’s also conducive to a healthy and professional environment. From setting up your home office for social distancing to forming an LLC to protect your assets, the above information can help you run a better business — even if your boardroom is the basement.

For more advice on enhancing your work life, refer to Judy Vorfeld’s blog.

June 22, 2021 By Administrator

How to Leverage Veterans’ Skills for Your New Business

Guest Post by Kelli Brewer

Every new business owner knows how tricky it can be to find the right candidate for a role. Start-ups require immense role juggling, with every employee wearing multiple hats simultaneously. It is also critical to have a self-starter hire, who can work competently and without constant supervision. This is where veterans come in. Not only do they have a wide range of skills perfect for a fledgling business, but they also have the drive to make your business goals a reality.

Benefits to Hiring Veterans

There are innumerable benefits to hiring vets for your new business. From problem-solving and decision-making to honesty and attention to detail, veteran hires are sure to have a varied skill set to apply to your workplace. The following are some standout skills most vet hires come with:

Veterans work well independently: As a new business owner, it is natural for your business to pull you in numerous directions, making it difficult to delegate. Hiring those who take initiative can be critical to being able to carry out work efficiently. According to Lifeline for Vets, veterans are 45% likely to find business success, indicating that they are self-starters and independently minded.
Veterans are goal-oriented: One of the biggest takeaways from military service is completing missions accurately and correctly. Collaboration, cooperation, and hard work are emphasized to make target goals a reality.
Veterans are technically skilled: For example, did you know that veterans receive government-provided accreditation and degree opportunities? In addition, veterans are trained in technological knowledge, with practice in numerous industry-standard software and procedures. These skills will be a great addition to your talent pool.

How Can I Hire a Veteran For My Business?

Go about looking for the perfect vet hire just like you would any other employee: by searching job sites. Decide on the skills and experience you’re looking for, and reach out to candidates that will be the best fit for the role. When it comes to hiring vets, consider the skills they have and how they may be suited to your workplace — for example, a vet with experience in recruiting is ideally suited for an HR position. Remember to include ‘veterans encouraged to apply’ on your job title so that it is visible to veterans and helps your listing gain traction.

You can also look up veteran-specific resources, such as veterans’ job sites. Job banks and government recruitment websites are also great places to post your listing. Check out the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs and the Department of Labor’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS). These pair veterans with corporate leaders and run incentives and schemes that encourage businesses to hire veterans. For example, did you know you can get tax credits for hiring ex-military personnel? Just another reason to hire a vet today!

Once you’ve hired the right candidate for your post, you’ll need to go ahead with onboarding and settling them into your workplace. This process is typically the same for any hire: You settle them in, delineate their tasks, and help them navigate their entry into the workforce.

You’ll also need to integrate your new hires into your payroll. Look for a service to allow direct deposit with payroll and automatic payroll scheduling to pay your employees on time and, by extension, happy. Accurate reporting and tax filing are also necessary to keep your business above board and organized. After your payroll goes out each month, it’s just a matter of adjusting tasks if need be and evaluating your new hires’ performance.

Indeed, the best way to honor veterans is to hire one. You’ll be able to give back to the courageous men and women who served our country selflessly for years. And remember: Hiring a veteran has innumerable benefits for the small business owner. Utilize the standout skillsets veteran hires bring to the table today, and watch your business transform to new heights.

If you need comprehensive office support, or simply to find more hacks for professional and personal growth, subscribe to Judy Vorfeld’s blog and newsletter!

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How to Maintain Work-Life Balance When Working from Home

April 8, 2021 By Administrator

Whether you have spent years working from home or this is new to you, staying productive can be challenging. Plus, there is a thin line separating work life and family life.

That said, here are eight productivity tips that can help you achieve work-life balance:

Start Your Day Early

One of the work-from-home perks is that you can start work whenever you feel like it. Nonetheless, it would be best to start your day early.

That does not mean you have to be part of the 5 AM Club, but doing so lets you maximize your day.

Have a Morning Ritual

Aside from making the most of your day, you need to have a sense of normalcy while working from home. And one of the ways to do that is to set a morning routine.

Your morning routine can include waking up like usual, taking a bath, having your breakfast, and dressing up as if you were going out to work.

If you tend to walk on the treadmill for 30 minutes before starting the day, so be it. What’s important is that you get the right mindset so that you can boost your productivity.

Dedicate a Suitable Workspace

One thing that blurs the line between work and life is your workspace. Hence, it is essential to have a dedicated workspace.

It can be a spare room, an awkward corner in your living room, or an unused table you placed near a window. No matter where it is, your workspace should house all your equipment. It should also be a space where you can work undisturbed.

Lastly, only use this space for work—no lunch break and binge-watching on your work computer.

Manage Your Day

Now that you have a suitable workspace, the next step is to manage your day. It can be as simple as using task management apps to update your to-do list every morning.

Task management apps let you keep track of what you need to do for the day. Thus, you are on top of your priorities and deadlines.

However, there are other ways you can manage your day. Some prefer to do bullet journaling to organize their tasks, some use Google calendar, some use their smartphones.

The key here is to look for task management tools and techniques that will work well for you.

Specify Your Work Hours

With your day organized and laid out, you should specify when you should do your tasks.

Sure, working from home means flexible work hours. But it does not mean you can spend all 24 hours just working. You still need to eat, take a break, sleep, rest, and spend time with your family.

Thus, the rule of thumb is to spend the bulk of your workload when you feel more productive.

If you are a content writer who feels more creative in the morning, you should consider writing a lot in the morning. You can then spend the afternoon on ad-hoc tasks, like scheduling social media posts or responding to emails.

Stand Up and Stretch

As mentioned earlier, you should include breaks and rest time in your work hours. After all, we tend to sit for hours when working.

Mind you, sitting for long periods can lead to heart disease and weight gain (especially in your mid-section).

To mitigate that, CUErgo recommends having a workspace that promotes good posture (standing desk). You should also stand up every 20 – 30 minutes to stretch.

Taking at least 30 minutes to walk around the house can also help.

Know When to Clock Out

When working from home, it is vital to know when you should clock out. Turning off your desktop computer or laptop and not thinking about work is essential to achieve work-life balance.

If you find it challenging to do, we suggest developing a “clock out phrase.” Think of it as a mantra that you say to yourself to signal your brain that you are done with work.

Another tip is to write whatever work-related stuff is bothering you. That way, you can clear your head and tell your brain that you will deal with these things the following workday.

Lastly, you have to be deliberate when clocking out. Telling yourself that you are done for the day is one thing. Turning off and staying away from your computer is another.

Clean and Declutter Your Workspace

Once you shut down your computer, do not forget to clean your workspace. Doing so allows you to start the following workday afresh.

As the Planet Maids Cleaning Services NYC people point out, clutter and mess can inhibit your productivity.

For one, clutter makes it cumbersome to look for things when you need them. Imagine having to spend five minutes looking for a pen. If your work desk is clutter-free, you could have used that five minutes to pick the pen, sign a document, and put back the pen.

Simply put, an organized workspace reduces work-related stress. Hence, take a couple of minutes of your day to clean and declutter your workspace.

Conclusion: Get Rid of “Work Creep”

When working from home, your career can invade your personal life. But it can only happen if you let it.

The tips listed above can help prevent that from happening. As a result, you can be productive and achieve a work-life balance while working from home.

Guest post by Andrew Chu

6 Creative Tips for Designing the Perfect Home Office

February 10, 2021 By Administrator

By Andrew Chu

Following the COVID-19 outbreak, big companies encouraged their employees to work from home. This includes Twitter, Microsoft, and Amazon.

Such corporate action also renewed the emphasis on working from home.

But whether it is due to the pandemic or not, working remotely can be challenging. More so if you are new to this concept. Luckily, having a dedicated workspace at home can help you get past the hurdles.

Thus, follow these x tips in designing the perfect home office if you want to be a productive remote employee:

Have a Functional Desk

Of course, a proper work desk is integral for a home office. This means having an office table and chair of the right size and height.

The goal here is to look for office furniture that can house your home office without compromising your comfort. Otherwise, poor ergonomics can lead to issues later on. We are talking about shoulder and back pain, lethargy, and carpal tunnel syndrome.

Should you go for a standing desk? You can if you want to.

Still, it would be best to get out of your home office and take a walk from time to time. Walking is a fantastic way to add some movement to your routine, and a change of scenery can help you recharge.

Make Room for Essentials

Once you have the right office desk and chair, the next step is to place your work essentials. Whatever you put on your office table will depend on the nature of your work.

For a graphics design, that would mean having a space for his drawing tablet. If you are a virtual assistant, you might want an area where you can place your phone.

For someone who is into data analytics, he might need dual monitors. But if you are a web content writer, you might only need your laptop and extra space for pen and paper when jotting down content ideas.

Whatever it is, only place items on your desk that are essential for your work. According to Cleaning Exec Home Cleaning Services NYC, doing so is the first step to making your home office clutter-free.

Have Proper Lighting

Other than your desk and work essentials, your home office should also have proper lighting.

According to Cornell University professor Alan Hedge‘s study, natural light can decrease the following symptoms by 84%:

Headaches
Blurred vision
Eyestrain

And these symptoms can hinder you from being productive.

But what if you have a windowless home office? Then, you must use adequate lighting.

And when we say “adequate,” it means your light is neither dim nor harsh.

Dim lights force your eyes to work harder to see things clearly, leading to eyestrain. This can result in drowsiness and lack of focus. On the other hand, harsh lights are believed to trigger migraines.

So, what can you install for your home office? We recommend LED lights.

According to the researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, short-wavelength (blue) light can help you perk up and be productive. And LED lights are abundant in short-wavelength light, which mimics daylight.

However, there is an on-going debate on how blue light affects our sleep. Until smart lighting technology can catch up with such nuances, it would be best to turn off your devices one hour before sleeping.

Get a Bit of Green

According to a 2014 study, adding house plants in the office makes employees 15% more productive. But living in a city apartment means you are out of luck.

Just adding a small pot of plant somewhere on your desk can work wonders in your productivity. Mind you, there are small plants that can thrive in a small windowless room.

But if you are not fond of tending a plant, consider hanging a poster or painting of a lush garden.

Pick an Inspiring Color

Speaking of a windowless room, you can repaint the walls of your home office with something inspiring.

Some say painting the walls blue can give you a productivity boost. That’s because it is a soothing color that helps you increase your concentration.

You can also opt for any hues of green since it does not strain the eyes. If you are the kind who faces your computer for eight hours a day, green might be the paint color that suits you.

Meanwhile, if you want a color that uplifts your mood without being too loud, consider repainting your walls with orange. It combines red and yellow, which are ideal if you have a physically-demanding job and want your creative juices flowing.

Keep it Clean and Clutter-Free

Lastly, you should maintain your home office’s cleanliness. This could mean cleaning your work essentials before or after working.

Another way to do it is to clean your home office regularly. But if you are pressed for time, consider hiring a professional home office cleaner.

Having a dedicated workspace does not mean you need to occupy a room. Placing a desk at a quiet corner should suffice. What’s important is that you are free of distraction and clutter, you can work in peace, and you know when to call it a day.