THE set up of a home office can make a big difference to the success of someone trying to run their business from home.
Perth architect Sharni Howe said she chose her home specifically with the home office in mind.
Ms Howe chose her premises in the East Perth Redevelopment Authority area because “it was suitable for an office”.
“I think clients can feel uncomfortable coming to an ‘office’ in the suburbs,” Ms Howe said.
“You also have to choose your working space carefully. It can’t be too intimate. You can’t have clients walking into something that looks like your lounge room.”
Ms Howe said it also paid to allow for expansion of the business. She said there were times she had to take on other architects to complete a project and had laid out her workspace to allow for that.
Sandra Devahasdin PR principal Sandra Devahasdin also chose her current home with the home office in mind.
However, her first effort in the home office stakes was not a great layout success.
“The first home office I had was poorly positioned. When I went to bed I was looking straight into the office,” Ms Devahasdin said.
The home office in the next house was almost completely separate from the main living area.
It even has its own street entrance.
“With this house I can physically walk up the stairs and close the door on the office,” Ms Devahasdin said.
“I can still work on my laptop but I won’t go back into the office after business hours.
“Plus I’ve always had two separate phone lines – one for the house and one for the business.
You have to keep the business scenario and the home scenario completely separate.”
According to office suppliers Officeworks, keeping the workspace away from the living area makes it easier to ‘switch off’ after work.
