Before I inspire you to jump up, tear around your house, and find the perfect home office spot… let me just say congratulations for needing home office inspiration in the first place!
Those of us who work from home, and especially ones who have no other boss to contend with are: So. Very. Lucky.
I don’t know about you, but I’m extremely blessed to be sitting here writing this post from my favorite spot in the house. Yep, my home office.
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If you’ve never heard my story, it’s quite the tale of starting a business despite my life being in shambles.
You’ve got a story too. I’m so glad you’re here, and I know it hasn’t been an easy push to work from home. It never is.
I hope the biggest message you leave with today is that YOU deserve a work space to call your own. If you don’t have one, lets’ talk about the reasons you should.
There are far more than seven reasons for setting up a dedicated home office space, but I’ll address some of the best ones.
Seven Reasons to Set Aside Your Own Home Office Space
- You’ll have more privacy.
- Your productivity will increase.
- It’s a great tax deduction.
- You’ll get the psychological benefits of feeling official.
- It keeps your work area and tools organized.
- A home office is a symbol of purpose and encourages concentration.
- Provides a creative and professional space to use as a backdrop for videos and conference calls, etc.
Let’s talk about privacy
Working from home creates a huge set of challenges when you have kids, pets, and partners. Am I right? Having a space where you can get behind a closed door is the most ideal home office situation.
If you don’t have the extra space for a full room with a closed door, try to choose a spot that is out of the main flow of traffic. Get creative and see what quiet areas you could convert. Is there space in an oversized closet, laundry area, sunroom, garage, or out building?
Maybe you’ve found the perfect spot for your desk and other essentials, but you don’t have a door. No problem… noise-cancelling headphones can be a dream come true. They’re also a great reminder to those around you that you’re in working mode!
**Side tip: When you purchase things to use for work, it’s tax deductible, so keep all receipts. And that may be a good reason to spring for top quality noise cancelling Bose headphones. 😉
Home office productivity
We all know that you can get more quality work done when you FEEL productive. While productivity can’t always be about the feeling, having a home office (or space to call your own), will most likely boost your motivation to get down to business.
Productivity is a matter of prioritizing and managing our time to the best of our ability. It’s also about learning to be productive. Creating a dedicated place to work will enable you to establish an effective work routine that you’ll look forward to most days.
If establishing routines and sticking to them is an issue for you (like it is me), just work at it slowly — developing one small habit at a time — and you’ll get it.
Home office tax deduction
One of the major perks of setting aside an area in your home that’s specifically for work, is that it’s tax deductible. So is your equipment, organizers, paper goods, technology, furniture, etc.
Awesome, right? I painted my office a bright sunshiny yellow, and saved receipts for all paint and equipment as part of my home office setup.
In fact, there are a lot of tax deductible expenses bloggers and self-employed individuals can claim. I came up with at least 66!
The most important thing to know about your home office deduction at tax time is that it must be a space set aside just for work. So, a kitchen table will not qualify because you also have family meals there.
But, a desk in a quiet corner of a living space, a typical room with a door, or even an oversized closet… all qualify. For more specifics on home office tax deduction, read these guidelines from the IRS.
Psychological benefits of feeling official
Let’s face it. Starting up your own business and feeling official about it can be a constant mind battle sometimes. There will be days when you wonder “what have I done?” or “am I actually qualified to do this?” Yes. Yes, you are! But you will have those nagging feelings sometimes.
Having a dedicated home office really helps with those self doubts of being “official”. On the days that you struggle, look around your space… notice your desk with the various schedules, notes, laptop, etc.
Remind yourself that this work area you’ve claimed is where you’ll set goals, and meet them. It’s where you’ll learn what works for your business, and what doesn’t work. It’s your learning space.
A home office keeps you organized
Having all of your work stuff in one central place will make your business run a lot more smoothly, I’ll tell ‘ya! Having worked out of my bedroom for a while, I was constantly weeding through things on my bookshelf for where I’d put my daily schedule notes etc.
Whether you have a small corner with a desk or an entire room with the works, there are some great desk organizers for every size. Make use of some quality organizing tools to keep your work products well organized and within reach. You’ll be much more productive if everything has a place of its own.
A large wall organizer is fantastic if you have some good wall space. I don’t know about you, but my desk can get pretty packed. Hanging stuff is my jam!
For a smaller office space, a shelf and organizing all-in-one set with room for plants and other items you love, can infuse your workspace with a bit of inspiration and tranquility.
*If you don’t even have room for a regular-sized desk, this espresso-colored floating wall desk is the bomb! Now there’s no excuse not to have a desk of your own!!
Your home office can provide a positive mindset
Having a workspace of your own is a great symbol in itself. It says “this is where I work”, “this is where I create”… in short, it can be a powerful mindset boost for all entrepreneurs.
Be sure to infuse your personality into your personal home office space. Consider adding creative elements, colors, and unique touches that inspire confidence. Make a visual inspiration board with images of various goals, where you hope to travel, what you hope to accomplish etc.
Running a business is hard enough. Make sure to remind yourself often of the “why” behind the hard work. A beautiful and personal workspace will help you push for those goals even on days when you don’t want to show up.
A professional space for visual content
Don’t you love getting a glimpse of those gorgeous home offices some bloggers use as backdrops in their videos? I do! It gives you an idea of what their style is like. And it represents who they are, in a way.
If you enjoy doing Facebook Lives, in-person workshops, and videos that compliment your content… then a personalized and creative office space makes a perfect backdrop for you, too!
This doesn’t have to be expensive at all. Creating a nice, professional feel to your office can be as simple as a classy, uncluttered bookshelf in the background. Or some trailing plants on a desktop unit. You can even get creative with fairy lights and mason jars.
Vintage clocks like this country French one, make a gorgeous wall centerpiece! Add some personal flair to your space, and let your audience get a glimpse into your personality. Show them there’s a down-to-earth, real person behind that screen! 😉
Remember, no matter what type of home office space you decide on — make it your own. This is your inspirational home office where you’ll create, work, and fulfill those business and personal dreams!
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