Many people view a home office as a wonderful idea and an easy option. And it can be. However, it can also be frustrating. The difference between wonderful and frustrating is proper planning. Here are some guidelines to help you:

• You will need to have a special place set aside for your office. It can be a den, office, spare bedroom, unused dining room, garage, or any appropriate space. It is preferable that this space has a door that will separate your workspace from your living space.

• Keep your workspace dedicated to work. This means keeping distractions to a minimum. Such distractions can be the TV, computer games, or even family members.

• If you have small children at home, you will want to work when a caregiver is available.

• Having small children in your home office is very distracting, and should be avoided.

• Make your workspace comfortable.

• Make your workspace organized, with filing cabinets, folders, labels, in-boxes, etc.

• Create a schedule that best suits you. Be sure to schedule breaks, lunch, and other needs.

• Determine at what time work is over for the day. Becoming a workaholic is very typical among those that work at home. Once your day is over, close the door to the office and don’t go back in. Once again, this is setting the office boundaries. It works both ways.

• Don’t become isolated. Working from home can keep you insulated from others; maintain a business and social network.

• You will not want to use your home address as your business address. You can either use a Post Office Box, a ‘virtual’ office address, or a Commercial Mail Receiving Agency (CMRA) mailbox service that gives you a corporate-sounding address and a suite number. Either way, you are going to have to go pick up your mail. Also, keep in mind that many companies, such as UPS, will not deliver a package to a PO Box. With a CMRA you can receive packages, have 24-hour access, and request notification when a package has arrived.

I’d like to hear what you’ve got to say about different business settings and formats. Please leave a comment…