Friday, 9 March 2012

How to Prepare Your Workspace When Starting an Online Business

Every business will need a workspace or workstation where all transactions can be handled and processed. This is also true when starting an online business; you need to pay attention to your work area the way traditional businesses attend to the requirements of their office.
It doesn't mean that just because you are calling the shots online you don't need to set up a physical office. You still need to set up your own workspace that you can call your own that will serve as your hub for your own online business.
So how do you select the better workspace when starting an internet business? If this is your first time to venture in an internet business, keep in mind that the choice of the workspace will depend on the kind of business you choose. From here, it will be easier to plan out the type, place and the size of the workstation. On top of these concerns, you also need to factor in your family's lifestyle. Do you host parties and a get-together from time to time? Does your family accommodate guests and friends during certain days of the week? If you are raising a family, you need to make sure that their needs and lifestyles should be considered. The key here in making a choice and planning for that perfect workstation is to strike the balance between work and family.
There are general considerations that you need to keep in mind when planning your workstation. The best bet when it comes to workstation is to get a separate and dedicated area. Sometimes you need to concentrate on the demands of the business for decision-making purposes and you can do this by having a separate room. If there's a need to make informed decisions or you need to focus, you can simply close the door. In line with this need, look for an area where distractions are limited. Don't stay near your television or their play area. Even though you consider yourself a disciplined person, having a tv near you can affect your concentration. When planning your workstation, make it conducive to working. The area should be large enough to accommodate your personal and professional files and equipment. Prepare a cabinet for the files and another table for the printer or scanner.
Do you expect to receive guests and customers on a regular basis? If yes, better look for a room with a separate door or close to the outside door. If you think that customers will be visiting you from time to time, make sure that you have the space to accommodate these visits. A parking area in front of your house should be helpful.
If your business requires you to attend to the usual paper works and answering e-mails and phone calls, a workstation inside the house is okay. But if the business creates noise as part of the production process, transfer your office outdoors or you can convert your garage into a workstation. Confirm with the local government if there are zoning laws that need to be considered. If your business requires machinery's and other equipment, consider upgrading your heating, cooling and electrical system. A ventilation system may work as well and this should be part of the plan. You may also need to pay attention to fire safety requirements if your business is into production and manufacturing.
Don't forget your communications connectivity
because you are working and calling the shots from home you need to make sure that the workspace is primed for task. Your cell phone should work and should come with a strong signal when you are inside the office, and there should be multiple phone jacks for the landlines. Can you accommodate wireless routers inside your chosen working area? The internet should be up and running and obviously the broadband provider should be reliable, fast and secure.
When starting an online business, you need to make sure that your business is equipped with the right communication tools. This should help you communicate not just with your customers but with your employees and suppliers too! Suggested tools include Skype, VoIP and project management tools. Sometimes the success of your own online business depends on how comfortable the workstation is, so make it a point to invest on it.


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