Separating the home office from the rest of the home, or the family activities can be a challenge at best. You have to create some sort of division between your home office and the rest of the home to maintain some form of productivity and to ensure your success as a home office professional. If you have the same option that I had, you should try to find a room that is as isolated from the rest of the house as possible. I use a room in my basement. Some others I know, use the attic, a spare bedroom, or a converted back room of the house. Still others use a room in the garage and even an outbuilding completely separate from the main house structure. The smaller the home, the more of a challenge it will be.
Personally I am not in favor of trying to use a room for your home office and also for other family functions. And I don’t believe you can be productive if you use dividers in an attempt to separate yourself from the rest of the house. As they say in the movies, “get a room.” And have a door you can shut.
In my home office and even though it is in the basement, I have a separate outside entrance to my office. Not that I make it a practice to meet my clients at my house. But it it nice to know if I do, they don’t have to interrupt the rest of the house. Having a separate entrance may be important to you. This can also be a consideration as to where in the home you will put your home office.
Get organized!! If you use files, try to have the room for as many file cabinets as you might need. I scan as much of my files as I can. Two reasons. One, saves on the necessity for square footage. Second, if I leave the office I have my files with me and when I am in the office, I don’t have to look for a file folder. It is all on my computer. How much space you have available in your home office may decide for you whether you will be a paperLESS office or not.
The main concern in deciding whether you are going to be a home office professional or not is will you have enough room. Enough room to be comfortable, to do the work you need to do and to store and organize the things you need.
A couple of months ago I bought a new house. The real selling point for me was the huge, well-lit lower level. I took one look and all the things my home office lawyer friends have been telling me clicked. So I took the plunge, told my landlord I would not be renewing my lease, and on March 1, 2008 set up the command center of my practice in my house. I also have a virtual office where I meet clients and have an address, but the heart and soul of my practice is in my home. It hasn't been very long, but I'm loving every minute of it!
I'm lucky because my kids are grown and until my youngest graduates from college in May, there isn't anyone else here but me, and, on occasion, my assistant.
My desk looks like mission control in Houston. I've got an iMac and PC (pesky but necessary) on my desk, to my left is my fully networked Xerox and I got security installed the other day. There are lights blinking and computer-generated voices 'round the clock.
It might be overkill, and it's probably a lot more formal than most home offices, but I bet I'm about to teach those fancy, 20th story partners on Wisconsin Avenue that a little old solo can be just as effective and sophisticated as their $5000+ a month law office suites.