From the WHY Vault*

25 Home Office Essentials: The Must-Haves, Should-Haves and Would-Be-Nice-to-Haves you need to work more efficiently

No home office is the same. Some of us have carved out a nice little section of our living rooms in which to work, while others have a completely separate sound-proofed space replete with door, deadbolt and peephole. Some work in windowless basements; others enjoy the pleasures of shedworking with invigorating garden views.

Whatever your home-office set-up, there are gadgets, accessories and architecture that help make your work lives easier. The following 25 essentials, listed in no particular order, come from WHY staffers, experts in the field and other friends of WHY magazine and are just a few of the things out there that can help you conduct business more efficiently.

1. Door
Category: It Would Be Nice to Have
Why? One word: barrier. A door, by far, was the most cited “essential” of a productive home office environment. “During the day, the door can be closed to keep the rampaging hordes at bay on the other side of the barrier – and, hopefully, a bit of solace, solitude and quiet on the office side,” says Jeff Zbar of chiefhomeofficer.com. “Nights and weekends, it keeps the home officer from sneaking back in to check ‘just one more email.’ ”

2. WiFi/high-speed internet access
Category: Must Have
Why? Business nowadays is filled with large-file exchange, so it’s time to hang up on, not on to, dial-up connectivity. And WiFi allows for working outside, on the backporch, garden, poolside, and frees you from your office.

3. Laptop computer
Category: Should Have
Why? A laptop embodies one of the best things about working from home: mobility. “Even if you have a monitor on your desk, too, you’ll find that a laptop gives you flexibility,” says Myra McElhaney of myramcelhaney.com. “I normally work at my desk with my laptop but sometimes when working on a creative project I need a different perspective—literally. It’s amazing how you can refocus simply by moving temporarily to the sun porch or the local coffee shop to write or plan a project.”

4. Wireless telephone headset
Category: Must Have
Why? Cradling or wedging the phone into the crook of your neck, especially during long conference calls, is the quickest way to the chiropractor. Plus, as Julie Poland of summithrd.com advises, you should find a headset “with a mute button to camouflage the inevitable ‘Mommy!’ during important business calls.”

5. Alarm clock
Category: Must Have
Why? To keep track of when to start working and when to stop.

6. Window
Category: It Would Be Nice to Have
Why? To escape? No, for inspiration and to keep that connection to the outside world. It would be great to know the local weather not just by checking The Weather Channel’s website.

7. Paper shredder
Category: Should Have
Why? As Bronagh Hanley, “chief noisemaker” of Big Noise PR puts it: For “purging the files that seem to multiply and getting rid of confidential info.” Also, Geralin Thomas, founder of Metropolitan Organizing, suggests investing in a cross-cut shredder with a drawer that pulls out to empty versus a lift lid.

8. Desktop notebook (yes, the paper-and-pen kind)
Category: Should Have
Why? To jot down itinerary or ideas. Janet Perry calls hers the “book of all knowledge.” “Studies have shown that we remember things better when we write them down,” she says. “I write down everything which happens in my business in it, changing the color of pen each day.”

9. Space heater and blanket
Category: Should Have
Why? “Now that I work from home, I spend a small fortune heating my home all day throughout the winter,” says Laura Roeder of Roeder Studios. “A small space heater by my desk lets me keep things a little cooler throughout the rest of the house and save money.”

10. A good sense of humor
Category: Must Have
Why? You won’t last long as a home worker without one.

11. FedEx or other shipping account
Category: Should Have
Why? “It’s free and will save time, hassle and money,” says Aimee Bennett, principal of Fagan Business Communications in Castle Rock, Colo. “You can provide your number to clients or others as necessary if shipping costs should be billed to you.”

12. Multifunction printer
Category: Must Have
Why? Most of us don’t necessarily need high-resolution scanning or advanced faxing features, so a multifunction printer can be ideal. Having one machine that prints, faxes, scans and copies is a great space and money saver. “Even if you use eFax, it’s nice to have a spare machine for sensitive documents and a way to receive faxes ‘directly to my desk,’ ” says Alan Guinn, managing director, The Guinn Consultancy Group. “Clients love that special treatment.”

13. Multi-line phone, for work only
Category: It Would Be Nice to Have
Why? For lots of reasons: So you have the opportunity to have more than one caller on the line, so that callers don’t go directly into voicemail while you’re on the phone, so you don’t have to deal with the abruptness and obviousness of Call Waiting beeping. Plus, a work-only line will help keep the kids from accidentally interrupting a work call.

14. Label maker
Category: It Would Be Nice to Have
Why? We don’t know about you, but we like to have everything labeled – folders, binders, staplers. Helps keep things tidy and organized.

15. Surge protection
Category: Must Have
Why? To protect your electrical devices from voltage spikes (keep in mind that not all power strips feature surge protection, so read the label).

16. Small, stocked refrigerator
Category: It Would Be Nice to Have
Why? This mention comes from Meredith Gardner, president of The Strategic Edge. Indeed, a small fridge just for your home office will help keep you from wasting time (we hope!) by wandering into the kitchen looking for food when you need a quick pick-me-up. Keep this fridge filled with lots of water and healthy snacks.

17. Comfortable, ergonomic chair
Category: Must Have
Why? Your chair is the place where you spend the most time, so it pays to invest in a proper model. A stability ball, of course, is another way to go, for all you health nuts and contemporary living aficionados.

18. Ergonomic computer accessories
Category: Should Have
Why? Jean Schiller, a certified professional ergonomist, of Tenor Design recommends keyboard trays, monitor glare guards and palm/wrist rests too, in addition to the right chair, for keeping your body happy and healthy.

19. Wastebasket
Category: Must Have
Why? You don’t want your garbage and other tossables piling up when you don’t have time to venture into another room to dispose. Thanks to Gail Sideman of PUBLISiDE Personal Publicity for bringing this oft-forgotten home accessory to our attention.

20. Calculator
Category: Must Have
Why? Because we despise using the calculator feature on our computers.

21. Safe
Category: Must Have
Why? Protect important paperwork and data from fire, theft, etc. Find a safe that’s compact enough to be stowed in a cabinet or hidden under the floorboards, or one that can be mounted to the wall or floor.

22. Vision board
Category: Should Have
Why? To have a visual reminder of your “bigger picture goals,” says Adrianne Machina, chief velocity officer for Tornado Marketing. All it takes, really, is a poster or foamboard with cut-out pictures, drawings and/or writing of the things that you want to achieve.

23. USB flash drive
Category: Must Have
Why? For data transfer. Luckily, newer models are being manufactured to withstand our mishaps – like leaving our drive in our pants pocket while it gets tossed around the washing machine or in our pocketbook where the contents of a “sealed” juicebox find their way onto it.

24. File cabinet
Category: Must Have
Why? Because we all need a place to put our stuff. (For ideas on organizing paperwork, see this issue’s organization article.)

25. Supportive significant other
Category: It Would Be Nice to Have
Why? Human or animal, it’s nice to have someone to rest your head on when you have a bad day (or month).

--This article ran in the september/october 2008 issue of WHY magazine, sponsored by Annie Jennings PR.

*From time to time, I'll present info from past WHY articles or WHY Xtras in case you missed them the first time around. :)