Photo by Mingo.nl via Flickr Creative Commons.

Photo by JAGwired via Flickr Creative Commons.

When setting up your home office, one of the important considerations is whether or not your clients will be coming to you. In my situation as a writer, my clients do not come to my home office. Sometimes I make a video, or have a video chat. In those cases, I make sure that my background is reasonably attractive and professional looking.

If you will have clients coming to your home office, it is important to make things look as professional as possible. Have a neat work area, and make sure any part of the home your clients see is clean. If you expect to have clients visiting regularly, it is worth considering adding a separate entrance for your home office (remember, though, that you might have to consult your town’s codes to make sure you are in compliance).

Some work at home professionals arrange meetings off-site, at a restaurant or coffee shop. There is even office space or meeting space available for rent on an hourly basis in some localities. However you choose to do it, though, it is important to work on professionalism when meeting with clients for your home business.

Image via Wikipedia

For most people, a home business means a lot of time in front of the computer. And, if you are a freelance writer (as I am), that time is even more likely to be a lot. That means that you might feel eye strain and other problems. However, there are some things you can do to help ensure that your vision doesn't suffer as much from heavy computer use. Computer use won't permanently damage your eyes, but you can get eye strain, focus problems and experience discomfort. Family Health Guide offers these tips for reducing the load on your eyes:

Managing your computer use so that it keeps your eyes comfortable is an important part of your home business. You want to be able to work efficiently and effectively, without being slowed down by eye strain.

Great, funny video about computers.

Happy Friday!

What a difference a chair can make! You can see it to the left — it’s the black one. I recently got a new chair for my home office (paid for from my separate business checking account). This chair is much better than my old one. I am more comfortable, and more productive. And my arms and shoulders hurt much less (read: not at all).

Here are some of the great things about the new chair for my home office:

* Better padding/more comfortable.
* Better back support.
* Sits higher, so that my arms and shoulders are in a more ergonomic position.
* Puts me in a better place to view my computer screen.
* Has wheels, so I can get to my files more easily.

Have you recently acquired some home office furniture that makes your life easier?

When it comes to your home office, it is important to make sure that you are comfortable, and that your workspace is practical for your needs. But it can sometimes be difficult to create that space in your home if starting a business is a relatively new development.

While you can force your home office into an existing space, another option is to do some remodeling on your home in order create the ideal home office space. There are advantages to building home office space:

*It can help you avoid having to hunt for available space in the house.

*A dedicated home office space comes with tax benefits.

*You can create an area that is just right for your home office.

*It can increase the value of your home.

When building a home office space through remodeling, though, it is important to find knowledgeable help and advice. There are several Web sites (like Cal Finder) that can help you find remodeling contractors, and it is important to also call around to find the best options in your local area.

This is a great video promoting telecommuting. A funny way to spread bet work from home message.

Happy Friday!

Sometimes it is worth it to have a home office, just to escape some of the weirdness that is possible in office decorating. (Or maybe you embrace the weirdness in your home office.)

At any rate, Kathy over at Shak & Jill sent me a link to 10 interesting offices from PoPFi. Really, this is some great stuff.

Does this stimulate your creativity? Or stymie it?

Your environment can actually affect your productivity. This means that it is important to set up your home office in such a way as to allow you to maximize your productivity. This is especially important if you are a work at home mom or a work at home dad. I know that every minute of productivity counts for me.

There are some great tips on increasing productivity with home office design from Darrell Zahorsky. Here are five things he suggests:

*Create a home office that matches the "brand" that you offer — even if no clients ever see it.

*Limit the amount of noise that enters your home office while you work. (This is why I do most of my work early in the morning and while my son is at preschool.)

*Add nature to your home office. A window, plants and pictures can be soothing and helpful.

*Make sure there is a barrier between your home office and the rest of the house.

*Think of ergonomics when you are setting up and furnishing your home office.