Various startups and small businesses have opted for remote work since COVID-19. With the increase in individuals embracing this business model, home office setup has become critical in-home decor.
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Adopting this style of operation means more CEOs organize meetings in unconventional spaces, like their homes. But for this to be effective, business owners should implement a home-based collaborative environment for effective coworking among employees. It is not uncommon for employee’s who have a working from home arrangement to go to co-workers houses for collaboration and socialization.
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Also people are finding that it is not just themselves who are working from home but also their partners or roommates, which means that there needs to be an organised shared office space.
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Benefits of Working from Home
Traditional office spaces have advantages. However, the benefits of working from home are more than meets the eye. Here are some benefits of working from home:
- More Economical: Remote work saves money on office spaces and appliances. Extra funds can go into other areas of the business. Therefore, remote working is advantageous for start-ups and nonprofits.
- Saves Time: The time spent on commutes can be a loss for the company. For remote workers, immediately after getting ready, work begins, saving them the time and energy of hitting the road.
- Comfortable Environment: Working from home is more refreshing for one’s mental health. Home coworking benefits workers and supervisors because it is a more flexible environment with less chaos and office politics that can annoy reticent people. Hardly will two employees clash due to space in a working from home setup.
- More Enthusiastic Workers: When employees are enthusiastic, there is no doubt about the mutual benefits both parties enjoy. The staff are energetic and excited about their work, thereby boosting output. A traditional office space may choke this keenness to work.
- Increased Productivity: Bosses maximise their staff’s energetic hours to churn out more efficient work in the morning. Without the hassle of maneuvering traffic or whatever they had to fight to get out of the house, employees will have more productive hours at work from home.
- Work-Life Balance: Striking a work-life balance is what many 9-5ers struggle with in our days. Working from home allows homemakers and those with other engagements to attend to their duties outside the workplace.
How to Configure a Home Office Setup
Here are some basic things you need to consider before setting up a home office space:
- Number of people using the shared workspace
- Availability of room to cater to each worker’s preference or needs.
- Closeness to a window or source of fresh air
- Cross-ventilation or effective home-cooling system
- Proximity to a restroom or toilet
- Types of furniture to buy for comfort and ease
- Any special needs of any of the workers, e.g., disabilities.
- Interior decoration that enhances the corporate feeling
- Color psychology
- Presence of water taps or bottled water to prevent dehydration
- Electrical outlet to charge laptops, phones, and other devices
- State of the background for official conference calls
- Durability of the furniture chosen
- Separation from distractions and noise
- Lighting
- Access to WiFi
- Bins for trash
A home office space can also be prepped well enough for remote collaboration. It should be away from interference like the TV or a disturbing roommate. If home coworking is the goal, each individual must be considered in the planning phase. After this, we move on to the next item on our agenda: purchasing office essentials for a home office setup.
Items You Need for an Effective Remote Work Environment Or Home Office Renovation
Say there is already an existing remote workspace that you need to renovate for coworking purposes. Or looking to commence a shared workspace at home. Here are the items you need for this endeavor:
1. Laptop
If a business can operate remotely, the homework space will likely need a laptop to function. Depending on your scope of work, you can find the best laptop for what you do.
2. Wifi Router
Since this is about remote collaboration, multiple devices need a fast internet source for business to go smoothly and uninterrupted. Also, for the different gadgets to interact with each other, find routers here.
3. Lighting
Working from home can be frustrating in a poorly lit space. Even though the bulbs in the room are dim, table lamps, especially the rechargeable kinds, are the perfect fit for a home office setup.
4. Ergonomic chairs
They ensure the comfort of every user and help maintain good posture while working. Ergonomic chairs are the best options. They help fight burnout by keeping your posture good for longer.
5. Quality desks
For home office renovation, do away with the old, rusty table and purchase more quality office desk options for well-fitted corporate functions. Have a look at our detailed article about standing desks.
6. Storage facilities
In a shared workspace, there will be documents and files that need to be saved for later. Storage facilities like cabinets and drawers are important to buy. Or the desk could have a lower compartment to mitigate messiness.
7. Anti-Blue Light Glasses
This is an optional addition, but if your work involves staring at screens for a long time, then you should evaluate the importance of anti-blue-ray-glasses
8. Surge protector
Sometimes, the electricity coming into our houses experiences a surge that damages devices and appliances. A surge protector is relatively cheap compared to fixing anything damaged during the surge.
9. Extensions and adaptors
Multiple sockets are essential in-home coworking spaces so that different gadgets can be plugged in and used at the same time.
10. Bulletin Board
Sometimes, to enhance that collaborative environment, every coworker has to be involved in a project, and one way to do that is by hanging a bulletin board. This displays the tasks, goals, events, and plans of the company.
11. Printer
This is necessary when materials have to be turned from soft copy to hard copy for team use for any reason. The printer type depends on the work it will be used for.
How to Set Boundaries And Avoid Conflict in a Shared Workspace
Shared workspaces are here to stay. So avoiding conflicts is the best way to go.
Setting office boundaries is crucial, but not just that, but setting them in the right way.
- Your boundaries should be firm but flexible
- Establish boundaries early on
- Talk politely but firmly when a workplace boundary is crossed
- Appreciate people for understanding and keeping to your boundaries
- Respect other people’s boundaries.
With these, you should be able to lead a seamless and productive remote work environment with ease and comfort.
The landscape of remote work has paved the way for a journey, where the synergy of coworking spaces meets the comfort of working from home. It’s important to embrace collaboration, productivity and a balanced work-life integration. The future of work is undeniably flexible, so make of it what you like and create something unique to you.
