So you have decided to take the plunge and finally start running a business from home. Congratulations! You’re already ahead of the game because you’ve taken that all-important first step. You are an action taker and should be commended for it. Too many people get caught up in that, “I wish I could have my own business.” phase. Now that you’ve decided to start your own business, you need to literally get your house in order. Your needs are going to change drastically now that you are an entrepreneur. The rest of this article will tell you what you need to have in your home office to run a successful business from home.

your workspace

You must have a place to work. This can be a corner in the bedroom, a spare room, or the dining room table after dinner. As long as you have a desk and chair, you’re in business. Of course, as you get more clients, you can upgrade to a fancier chair and desk. Get a good chair as soon as you can. Your back will thank you later as you will be spending a lot of time in that chair in the first few months of your business.

Your team

You need some basic supplies to run a successful business from home. You have to have a computer. Now I’m not going to get into this debate about whether to buy a PC or a MAC. That is not the purpose of this article. I will say buy any type of machine you are already familiar with. If you’ve been using a PC at work, buy a PC. If you’re comfortable using MAC, get a MAC. Just get something you can use without a huge learning curve. The last thing you need to slow down is have technical problems because you’re trying to learn how to use a new machine.

You also need a dedicated phone line with voicemail that only you answer. You can get a separate phone line or you can get a prepaid cell phone that is for business purposes only. There are also companies that offer free voicemail accounts on the web. Just go to Google and type in free voicemail and you’ll find plenty of places to choose from. Whichever method you choose, make sure it’s something only you have access to. I know I said it twice, but it bears repeating, especially if you don’t live alone.

Depending on the type of work you do, you will want to have a printer. If you don’t need much printing in the course of your work, you may be able to do without a printer for a while. However, if you’re doing work like desktop publishing or graphic design, a printer is a must. Get the best printer you can afford. This is not the area where you want to be cheap, as your reputation will often be defined by the quality of your work. If your work looks shoddy, you won’t get many repeat customers.

If you haven’t set up your website yet, you at least need to have a professional-sounding email address. No one will take you seriously if your email address is bunny123 on some .com domain. It is best to use your first and last name as your email identifier. That makes you look so much better. Of course, it’s best to get your own hosting and use it. If you can’t do that, at least get a Gmail account.

Running a business from home can be an exciting adventure. It can also be profitable. You just have to start off on the right foot. Following some of the ideas in this article will put you on the right track.