Safety-Conscious Home Office for In-Person and Virtual Meetings

Many entrepreneurs need to host in-person and virtual meetings from their home offices. Since the pandemic is still a concern, using safety-conscious design choices is essential. If you want to know how to update your space correctly, here’s what you need to know.

Must-Follow Safety Best Practices for Client Meetings

If you’re hosting in-person client meetings, embracing safety-conscious best practices is a must. A few of the most important are:

• Have Everyone Wear Masks
• Open Windows for Ventilation
• Try UV for HVAC

Using technology – like invoicing apps and your website – can help you reduce contact, too. That way, you won’t have to handle items the other person touched, keeping everyone safer.

Choosing the Area for a Home Office

Picking the right space for your home office is essential. If you want to be safety-conscious, a separate home office with its own exterior door is ideal. That way, visitors don’t have to cross through your house. Plus, you’ll be able to limit distractions and create a sense of privacy.

If selling your home soon is part of your plan, a full-fledged home office could increase your home’s appraisal value, too. Just make sure that you keep records of the improvements and take photos along the way, making it easier to justify a higher asking price.

Home Office Design for Client Visits

As you work on your home office layout, keep social distancing requirements in mind. If you make staying six feet apart simple, the odds that everyone will maintain that distance go up dramatically.

For example, make sure any visitor seating is at least six feet away from your chair. Positioning a table or desk between you and them can also help. However, if you want to ensure that clients don’t attempt to scoot the seat closer, opt for larger furniture pieces like couches instead of smaller chairs.

You can take a damaged couch you love and make it office-ready. By contacting a furniture upholstery service, you can get a sofa reupholstered for around $1,200 to $3,500, depending on the size, fabric, and other factors. Just make sure you search for “chair upholstery near me” and read company reviews before you get in contact. That way, you can find reputable businesses. Once you have a shortlist, call them to talk about your needs and request a quote.

Preparing for Video Conferences and Virtual Visits

Meeting with clients online is inherently safer than gathering in your home office. If you want to make sure your video conference calls go off without a hitch, start by investing in broadband internet and choose a hardline over a Wi-Fi connection.

When it comes to being seen clearly, use a combination of lighting approaches. Open curtains and blinds for natural light. Brighten dark spaces with desk or floor lamps. Then, add a ring light to illuminate your face.

Additionally, set up neutral but flattering background. Colors like beige and light blue can work well on camera, so either position yourself in front of a suitable wall or try a pulldown or foldable screen for a backdrop.

Bonus Tip: How to Protect Your Assets

Protecting your personal assets is essential if you’re going to operate a home-based small business. Thankfully, by using the proper business structure, you can safeguard your personal assets, ensuring company-related litigation doesn’t impact your personal life.

Often, going with an LLC is a smart choice. Along with reducing your liability, you can avoid hefty attorney fees by either filing yourself or using a formation service. Since rules regarding LLCs do vary by state, you’ll want to take a close look at local regulations before you begin. That way, you’ll handle the process correctly.

Job Hunting in the Time of Coronavirus: Budget-Friendly Tips for Finding Work

Are you wondering how you’ll pay the bills now that your workplace has shut down due to coronavirus? 

Not only are job opportunities limited due to the pandemic, but when you’re short on funds, it’s hard to come up with the cash you need to cover job search expenses. These budget-friendly tips will help you find work during the coronavirus lockdown without going broke.

The Cheapest Websites for Finding Work

Freelancing is a good way to start earning income ASAP when you’re out of work, and freelancing websites make it easy to connect with paying customers. Unfortunately, these platforms also charge fees — up to 20 percent of your earnings in some cases!

To find clients for graphic and web design, marketing, communications, data entry, remote customer service, and other freelance-friendly gigs, look to these free and low-cost websites instead:

• Craigslist: Craigslist is free to use, but watch out for scams. The Balance explains how to tell legitimate freelance opportunities from fake ones.

• Hubstaff Talent: Hubstaff Talent charges zero fees to freelancers and clients, making it the cheapest freelance platform on the web.

• Guru: With freelancer fees of 9 percent for basic users, Guru is more expensive than the aforementioned options but still one of few freelance sites with fees under 10 percent.

• FlexJobs: Instead of a percentage of earnings, FlexJobs charges a flat monthly fee with options starting at $14.95 a month, making it a great choice for people freelancing temporarily.

Budget-Friendly Tips for a Professional Video Interview

Before you can land a freelance gig, you need to ace the interview. While working from home technically means you can work in your pajamas, it’s not the best choice when you’re hoping to impress a client over video chat. In addition to ensuring you’re well-groomed, have a professional outfit ready for virtual meetings. If you don’t have anything suitable in your closet, don’t panic. Even with stores closed, you can find good deals on professional clothing by shopping online with retailers like American Eagle and searching for AEO coupons and promo codes to enter at checkout.

How to Build Your Skills with Free Online Resources

Are you struggling to get hired online? It may be because your resume is lacking. Luckily, there are tons of online resources that let you boost your skills for free. These are the best online learning resources you can use to strengthen your resume:

• Coursera: Coursera has some of the most diverse class offerings of all online learning resources, with course options ranging from computer science to communications.

• edX: With access to courses from Harvard and MIT, edX provides high-caliber online education for free.

• Alison: In addition to free courses, Alison lets users earn certificates and diplomas at no cost, making their online classes a great addition to your resume.

Not sure where to start with online learning? The Muse offers 18-course recommendations for expanding your skills.

Low-Cost Solutions for a Professional Website

A professional website boosts your credibility as a freelancer, but what if you don’t have the funds to pay a professional web designer? When you need to get a website up and running with as little time and money as possible, look to website builders. Website builders combine drag-and-drop web design tools with integrated hosting so you don’t need to be a tech wiz to set up a website. While there are a variety of website builders out there, Weebly offers the cheapest plans for month-to-month users with pricing starting at $9.

Finding freelance work is a great way to boost your income during the coronavirus lockdown, but getting started with freelancing isn’t free. Luckily, there are lots of ways to save money on the things you need to find freelance clients and build a professional web presence. Whether you freelance for a few weeks or start working for yourself full-time, these tips will help you do it at a price you can afford.

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Create The Perfect Home Office

As home-based businesses become more common, it’s not surprising that home offices are also trending. After all, you need a comfortable and productive workspace, no matter what type of business you’re running. The good news is that no matter your industry, there’s a way to create and set up the perfect home office. Here’s how.

Don’t Settle for What You Have

Say your current home doesn’t have a spare room for an office space or any storage. Do you have to make do while your business grows? Definitely not. One solution to the dilemma of not having enough square footage is to buy a new home with more space. If you know you need more space, research home prices in your area or your desired neighborhood (the median listing price for homes in Dallas is $385,000). Keep an eye on floor plans so you can pick a house that’s perfect for you and your company.

Now that most of us are working remotely, it’s important that our home offices (whatever they look like) provide a safe, healthy place to work. OfficeChairPicks.com just published an article: Everything You Need To Know To Set Up An Ergonomic Home Office which does the best job that I’ve seen at exploring this topic. It starts by defining the term “ergonomics”. Then talks through the decisions you need to consider, such as:

• Which chair to use
  
• Where to position your laptop and monitor
  
• How to remain aware of your posture

Office Chair Picks covers why a proper office configuration is important and the health problems that may result if you get it wrong. They offer tips on how you can set up your home office to provide a safe and efficient day at work.

Average Single-Family Home

Although building a home may have been a cost-effective decision in the past, lumber prices have exponentially increased in the past year and a half, causing the price of an average single-family home to increase by $35,872 in 2021. The experts at Bankrate created a resource to explain why lumber prices have increased and what it may mean for the housing market in the near future.

Consider an Expansion

Just like you’re growing your business, sometimes you need to grow your property, too. If buying isn’t an option for whatever reason, investing in home improvements might be. Think about adding onto your property with a garage conversion, spare room, or over-garage apartment—it may even add value to the property. Consult with an expert before knocking down any walls, though, or it could end up costing you much more than necessary. Plenty of factors are at play, but the average room addition runs somewhere between $80 and $200 per square foot.

Know Your Needs (and Priorities)

Every business is different, which means the work environment for yours may stray from the norm. Consider your company’s needs and priorities. Maybe you’re a sole proprietor or freelance professional and only need space for a single desk and computer. Or, you might operate a company that requires you to meet with clients in your office. Either way, prioritizing your business functions helps you design a workable space for the operation.

Think About Storage Methods, As Necessary

For business owners with physical products, storage can become a headache. Even if you have space at home, you may not want piles of inventory in your work area or excess boxes and packing materials making a mess in your garage. The good news is that expenses like storage unit rental can be tax-deductible for your business, meaning your home office doesn’t have to house every aspect of the operation. Other tax deductions apply for small businesses, too, whether you have everything on-site at home or not. Make sure to check every box when it comes to getting breaks on your company’s taxes.

Invest in Technology

Though it can be challenging when you’re first starting out, some technology is vital for your company’s success. No matter the industry you’re in, reliable tech isn’t optional. HGTV recommends office devices like a laptop/tablet hybrid, a Bluetooth headset for client calls, and a shredder to discard confidential documents. Plus, you may need an internet upgrade before working from home is even feasible. For example, NerdWallet recommends a minimum of 1 Mbps internet speed if you’ll be hosting video conferences.

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Establish Clear Work-Life Boundaries

Staying focused when working from home can be a significant roadblock for your business. After all, distractions are everywhere—from family responsibilities to social media to the snacks in the fridge. Therefore, making sure you establish clear limits between work and home life is a smart and productive step. Inc offers productivity tips like taking regular breaks to clear your head, using “bribes” to stay motivated (and on schedule), and sticking to a schedule and level of attire you would use in a standard office environment.

Running a home business can present both unique benefits and harrowing trials. But with the right home office space, equipment, and mindset, nothing can stop you from making your business ownership goals a reality. You just need to take steps to get started.

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