So, you’ve finally decided to be your own boss. That’s great. But before you go all Cuba Gooding Jr. and start shouting, ‘Show me the money!’ to everyone you meet on the street, it’s better to make sure that you’re doing it the right way.

For many people, the concept of working from home is synonymous with lounging around on the couch in their pyjamas and going to town on a bag of Doritos while conducting business. While the description may not be too far off the mark, it gives the impression that working from home is always smooth sailing and anybody can do it.

However, people who have experience making a living from the confines of their home will tell you that it’s no walk in the park. And you most certainly can’t expect to get work done without the right equipment. Here, in no particular order, is a list of items you should have in order to be at your productive best while working from home.

An office space

No, we’re not talking about the classic office movie starring Jennifer Aniston (although it wouldn’t be a bad idea to watch it to remind yourself of how boring life in the cubicle can get), we’re talking about designating a place in your home for work. It can be the couch in the living room or the hammock on the patio. The point is, you must designate a place where you need to get in the zone. This is your Fortress of Solitude. This is where you let your creative juices flow and nothing breaks your attention.

A need for speed

Working from home means the bulk of your interaction with clients, co-workers, and resources will be via the internet. A high-speed and strong connection then becomes a make-or-break deal for you in terms of landing a gig or losing out to a peer. Productivity equals smooth connectivity. So, loosen those purse strings and get a Wi-Fi connection with a reliable router that won’t breakdown.

A Standing Desk

A standing desk from VARIDESK helps with weight loss while standing, you’re able to burn more calories as sitting all day can significantly slow your metabolic rate, which can also make you slow and sluggish. It also helps to reduce back pain as your back is less compressed in the standing position. Lastly, standing while you work helps with your brain health and mental health which was shown by a study from Texas A&M.

The desk comes in 3 different sizes – 30 inches, 36 inches, 48 inches and also comes in 4 different colours.

VARIDESK is very easy to use and has two-tier design: upper display surface, lower keyboard/mouse deck. There are 2 “settings” – sitting and standing – to use it as a standing desk you drip and push in the 2 side levers and slowly move it up to the desired height, when you are happy, slowly let go of the levers to set in place – adjust to any of the 11 height settings.

VARIDESK come fully-assembled and is ready to go right out of the box!

A trusty laptop

Whether you’re working from home or in a cubicle, laptops are the way to go. Desktops is a thing of the past and in today’s fast-paced world, it shackles you and slows you down. A laptop keeps you mobile so that sometimes, when the impulse strikes, you can move about outside your office space.

Creativity and inspiration can come anyplace, anytime. You wouldn’t want to be stuck behind your Desktop while the next brilliant idea was waiting for you to show up at the park on a bright sunny day. Plus, having a laptop with you at all times saves you from running back each time you want to update a draft agreement or make some new changes that the client wants after a physical meeting. You can do that right then and there.

My favourite is an Apple Macbook pro, I’ve had all sorts of window based laptops over the years but have found they slow down as they get older or struggle to keep up with browser updates etc, my Mac is still going strong years later!

A print in time saves more time

Nowadays, it’s virtually impossible to conduct business without a printer. There are a million and one situations where you will need a hard copy of whatever you’re working on. In order to avoid hassles later on, invest money in a good multi-functional printer that scans and copies as well.

Protect against the surge

A good trusty surge protector is the knight’s guard to your office kingdom. In addition to guarding against the threat of an electric fluctuation frying all your expensive appliances, it also provides multiple outlets so you can plug in all your necessary electronics at once.

A comfortable ergonomic chair

No one built an empire on a sore back. A good, comfortable chair can be the crucial difference between spending long hours working from home or being confined to bed with a sore back after the first day. Spend some time choosing one that supports your back and provides the comfort you need.

A trusty notepad and pen

Inspiration can come at odd times. You can’t be expected to carry a laptop with you everywhere you go. And even if you do, sometimes a laptop can’t keep up with the pace of your thoughts. Whether it’s taking down an address, drawing an outline, or taking minutes, whatever the occasion may be, you can’t go wrong with having a notepad and pen in your home office.

A file cabinet

Going paperless sounds exciting, but let’s face it: there will always be documents that you need to have in hardcopy. Having a dedicated file cabinet to store those precious papers saves you future last-minute headaches.

A paper shredder

Sometimes you need to get rid of important documents once you’re done with them because they contain confidential information. A paper shredder solves the problem of data breach as you can dispose of sensitive details after using them.

An alarm clock

If only we all had an internal clock to alert us before a deadline expires. While we wait for technology to catch up with our wishes, we can make do by hanging a good alarm clock on the wall of our office space. Make sure it’s placed somewhere in plain view so that you never lose track of time.

Headphones

Laser Foldable Wireless Over-Ear Bluetooth Headphones has amazing sound quality! Using comfort foam ear cups which isolate outside noises the Laser  headphones are ideal for everyday use. 

Wireless Phone Charger

Belkin BOOST↑UP Wireless Charging Stand 10W for Apple, Samsung, LG and Sony. Fastest wireless charging for your Qi-enabled devices has arrived. The BOOST↑UP Wireless Charging Stand 10W delivers 10-watts for fastest charging and offers optimal wireless charging for iPhone models 8 and later including iPhone XS, XS Max and XR, Samsung, LG, Sony and other Qi-enabled devices. Choose from four different color finishes to find the perfect color for your space.

Miscellaneous

A trusty flash drive is handy in all the relevant documents on hand in places where you cannot access your inbox. Always keep a couple of flash drives with adequate space on hand. Also important are other items such as a stapler, paper clips, paper reams, all-purpose adhesive, and highlighter pens.

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