Equipping Your VA Office: Furnishings (Part 2)
When I left the classroom to start a virtual assistance business, I was so psyched to be my own boss that an old (40′s) typing table scrounged at an auction and a vintage chair tucked into a corner of my bedroom brought me immense pleasure.
When you’re getting started and your focus is marketing and building a clientele, you really don’t need that much furniture, though what you do acquire should be of good quality. That cute little desk and chair, a sweet memory now, was sufficient for that period in my start up, but I realized soon that I needed different furniture.
After awhile, working out of the bedroom no longer seemed so inviting, so I moved to the living room, acquiring a drafting table and an ergonomically correct chair, plus a two-drawer file cabinet.
Today I am fortunate to work in a dedicated office which fits me to a tee. Take a peek at my office.
Initially, you need comfortable furniture that fits your size and style, and that can serve multiple functions when possible, as many of our offices are tucked into small spaces. As your business grows, you can change out what you have or add to it, but purchase items that will be comfortable and purchase with an eye toward the future.
Home office essentials, ktcosmos-style:
1. Desk that fits your style
My solution: is a vintage drafting table, which allows space for desktop, laptop, and space to spread out photos, colored pencils, sketch pad, and reference books.2. Ergonomically correct chair or stool
My solution, found at Staples: A stool that fits my drafting table, set pretty high to match my above-average height. I have an additional stool tucked into a corner, used for those rare occasions when a client comes over for a meeting.3. File storage
My solution, from a local office supply store: Two three-drawer file oak file cabinets and one vintage four-shelf book shelf for resource materials like books, reams of paper, envelopes, etc.5. Lighting
My solution: Two overhead light fixtures, one deskmounted lamp with goose-neck adjustability (from Staples) and a Solartube above the desk, which casts a large amount of natural light.5. Decor
My solution: framed black and white photos of my own work and art by local artists. Thick wool carpet from Pottery Barn, and coordinating homemade balloon valance.
It’s ironic, isn’t it, that I finally set up a wifi network this week, so I am back working in the bedroom, occasionally.
Where to find furniture and more ideas on outfitting your office space:
Any furniture store
Yard or tag sales
Target
Office supply stores
Classified ads
More online resources:
Home Office Furnishings: What You’ll Need and What You’ll Spendby Jeff Zbar, publisher of ChiefHomeOfficer.com. Tons of A+ resources are found on Jeff’s terrific site! More of his tips follow.
The Right Design for Your Perfect Home Office
Furnishing Your Office from Freecycle.com by Susan Cartier Liebel.
Furnishing a Home Office: Ideas & Suggestions
Next up in this series:
Part 3: Software Must-Haves for Your VA Practice
Part 4: Hardware Needed
Part 5: Basic Office Supplies
Part 6: Utilities (your internet connection, phone service, etc.) Required
Part 7: Reference Material
Send me your ideas or contact me to discuss a guest blogging gig!
Speaking of this, a relevant post elsewhere on Loose Speaking:
The first article in this series is Equipping Your VA Office (Part 1).
Comment // February 14th, 2008 // 6:19 am
Great ideas and leads. Keep in mind that home office design can/should be a practice best done over time. To paraphrase Aristotle, furnishing a home office – like excellence itself – is not an act, but a habit. You may find the perfect desk, but it must accommodate all your accessories, technology and supplies – today, and tomorrow. You may buy a great ergonomic chair today, but in time, it might wear down, and need replacing. Even your psyche or spirit in the home office could change, requising a minor adjustment – or complete overhaul of your home-based workspace. THAT’s when designing a home office becomes fun!
Comment // February 17th, 2008 // 2:28 pm
As a writer and editor with a home office and a former bookseller, I put a lot of thought into reference storage in my new office. Books, magazines, and other reference materials can represent a big investment over time, so it’s important to provide adequately for them.
Reference materials include books and magazines plus client files and literature.
My office is in a walk-out basement, which tends to be cool but humid in summer and cold but dry in the winter — 60% humidity is ideal for books, and the higher it is the more prone to mold paper becomes, the lower the humidity the more brittle it becomes. Water saturation can also affect the efficacy of the paper, and if there is a lot of dust it can permiate the dust. I keep a moderately inexpensive thermometer with a humidity meter in my office and monitor it during the day and during wet weather.
Bookshelves don’t have to be expensive, but you should avoid sharp edges to keep from wearing book edges and pages (round the shelf edges slightly). If you have wood shelves, make sure you sand them to remove rough spots, and if you stain the planks make sure you coat them with varnish or polturethane to keep the paper and cloth from absorbing the stain. Make sure everything dries before putting books on the shelves.
I invested in barrister shelves, which have doors that slide open for access but slide shut to protect books from excess dust and other intrusions. Sauder sells a moderately priced set in a couple of different styles that are easy to put together and look nice. The store where I bought them even put one set together for me.
Sometimes keeping humidity levels in check is a matter of moderating temperature and air. Keep air temperature consistent my adjusting curtains or blinds on the windows on sunny days and by using heaters, such as an electric heater. (Air temperature can affect humidity, too.) Keep air drier using a de-humidier in summer especially during wet weather and a humidifier in winter especially during really dry weather.
A side benefit of taking care of your books is that it can also protect your furniture and equipment from the same kinds of heat and humidity.
Sauder Barrister Bookshelves:
http://www.sauder.com/furniture/search_text.asp?l=16&pb=1&dym=1300&searchbox=barrister+bookcase
Inside Thermometer with Hydrometer:
http://www.amazon.com/Crosse-Technology-WS-9400U-Thermometer-Hygrometer/dp/B000AMB0AM
My Blog on Books:
http://booksville.blogspot.com
Comment // February 18th, 2008 // 5:16 pm
Sallie Goetsch, the Author-izer, who I met at LinkedIn recommends these two people’s ideas for setting up your office space:
* Eve Abbott, A Brain New Way to Work
* Stefan Didak, Ignyter
Sallie goes on to say:
“Eve has done extensive writing about how to set up your office so that it works for your brain style. Stefan has the world’s most-viewed home office computing setup. “
Comment // February 20th, 2008 // 7:41 am
Mario Sundar, who is an editor/blogger at LinkedIn sent me links to a couple of posts that show some corporate office overhauls. (You can find Mario here ,as well as on LinkedIn)
“Adam Nash, Sr. Director of Product, LinkedIn wrote a piece on our corporate blog on our expansion plans and a couple of articles on how we were setting up our office. Hope these help. ”
Links:
Breaking New Ground: More Engineers, More Room
Silicon Valley Workspaces Circa: Web 2.0