Shops have reopened, streets are bustling and businesses are back on the rails. For entrepreneurs, that means an opportunity to put the home office to good use and meet with clients in person. If you’re looking to host at home, here are a couple of tips for perfecting your personal work space.
Safety First
Even though restrictions have been lifted, it’s still important to factor in safety and show consideration for your visitors. Some people are immunocompromised and remain vulnerable, others are anxious about the remaining risks. Standard precautions for keeping things safe and people happy include opening windows and wearing masks, but you can also go a step further and provide UV Light air purifiers (which have shown remarkable effectiveness in protecting from the virus) or even to adjust AC units to better limit the chance of a spre
If a client is uncomfortable or unwilling to meet face-to-face, you can continue to make use of the multiple digital options that help limit unnecessary face-to-face time, including invoicing & payment solutions, widely accepted video conferencing apps, and shared project programs. If you’re unsure, it’s worth giving the client/customer a choice between meeting physically or online.
If a client is uncomfortable or unwilling to meet face-to-face, you can continue to make use of the multiple digital options that help limit unnecessary face-to-face time, including invoicing & payment solutions, widely accepted video conferencing apps, and shared project programs. If you’re unsure, it’s worth giving the client/customer a choice between meeting physically or online
Functionality
Your office space can have a direct effect on your ability to work well and remain productive. Some remote workers have found that it helps to create a specific work ambiance that separates their office space from the rest of the home. These can include good lighting (as studies show that artificial lighting affects productivity), limited distractions (such as kids, pets, etc.), and surroundings that inspire hard work - it helps not to have TVs or games consoles, for example.
You’ll also need to take utilities into consideration. Which temperature helps you to work? Do you have a strong broadband connection? Workplace providers have understood for years that these easily overlooked factors inform work performance. Now you have the freedom to adjust the environment exactly to your personal preference.
Staging & Decorating
When you’re hosting visitors in a home office, it’s important to design the space in a way so that it doesn’t feel like just another room in your home, after all, you want to imply some professionalism. A good rule for this is to separate its design scheme from the rest of the house and to use clean, neutral wall tones and furniture akin to a professional workplace. From there, you can customize it to reflect your personality and to suit your clientele. Modifications sometimes even represent a good long-term investment - there are plenty of home buyers interested in a fully functional home office. Just make sure you take before and after photos and keep track of improvements so that you can properly quantify the property’s value increase.
With the advent of video calls, it’s also important to think about how your office space looks from the webcam. Getting your space right for a zoom call is actually pretty simple and inexpensive - the keys are good lighting (soft, warm light from multiple sources works best), some background decorations (bookcases, plants, etc.), and ideally limited vision of anything distracting (windows, kids in the living room, etc.).
Perfecting Your Business
If you’ve been using this time out of the traditional office environment to work from home, you may have found that not having to commute means you’ve had extra time to work on those ideas you’ve been thinking about. Perhaps you’ve perfected an invention or innovation that you think is ready to go. Or you’ve developed a new logo, sound, or design. Even if you’ve composed a new company jingle, you’ll want to get a patent, trademark, and/or copyright protection. It’s important you find a legal firm who specializes in doing just that, especially if it means getting new usiness agreements reviewed.
The design of a home office can seem superfluous but the truth is, when remote working, we spend anywhere up to and around 40 hours a week in this one small space. It’s important, therefore, to ensure that it’s a nice space to sit in and somewhere we’re comfortable inviting people into. Taking steps to improve your office conditions now will inevitably lead to a happier and more comfortable work life in the long term.
The professionals at INNOVATE LLP can help you achieve the best legal protection for your idea, invention or brand name. Contact them today for more information
Leslie Campos is the author of wellparents.com, a website dedicated to promoting healthy living for parents with busy lives.
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