Now just out of curiosity I thought I'd take a little 'poll' and see what everyone has in their home office.
Please feel free to answer any or all of the following questions - if it's easier to copy and paste them into your reply please feel free to do so...

Do you work mostly with online products or do you have a fully stocked room complete with fax machine, copier, etc.

If you work with hardware, what items do you have in your office? Which ones do you feel you just couldn't live without?

Number one favorite piece of equipment?

If you work with software, what items do you have in your computer and which ones do you feel you just couldn't live without?

Number one favorite program?

How is your home office set up for ease of use and comfort? What kind of furniture, setting, plants, decorations, etc. do you surround yourself with?

Do you ever meet with clients at your home office? If so, how has this impacted your business for the better or worse?

Do you have a sep. phone line for your home office? If so, why do you feel this is important?

Do you have set office hours? If so, how did you decide what they would be and how do you ensure you and others maintain/respect them?

What do you most love about your home office?

What do you like least about it?

If you could suggest to a new VA how he or she might best utilize space at home to create a home office, what would your top three suggested guidelines be?

Feel free to share any other details about your own fabulous home office setup, strategy, or scenario here too!

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Great idea for a thread! It'll be fun to hear about everyone's office settings.

Do you work mostly with online products or do you have a fully stocked room complete with fax machine, copier, etc.

I work mostly with online products, but I do have an all-in-one copier/fax/printer/scanner. Nothing too heavy duty, but it's come in handy for small tasks.

If you work with hardware, what items do you have in your office? Which ones do you feel you just couldn't live without?

I love my PC. My husband surprised me bought it as a gift when I graduated last year to use for my business. We already had a two perfectly good PCs but he knew I wanted one just for myself. It's a great PC with a huge monitor, but I love it more because it represents his belief in me and my dreams of starting my own business.

Number one favorite piece of equipment?

Headphones, so I can get my groove on while I work and the baby sleeps.

If you work with software, what items do you have in your computer and which ones do you feel you just couldn't live without?

I use Express Scribe a lot for transcription (it was a free download). I use Time Stamp to track my hours. And I love the PDF995 that I found out about on this forum.

Number one favorite program?

I'm really into playing around with Publisher. I'd like to go in the direction of Graphic Design eventually, so let me know if anyone has reccommendations for software or training.

How is your home office set up for ease of use and comfort? What kind of furniture, setting, plants, decorations, etc. do you surround yourself with?

My home office is set up in the den on the first floor of the house. It's nice because there is a big bay window looking out into the front yard. The room used to be a guest room for my in-laws when they came in from India (we now have a finished basement that is set up for guests) and the room is decorated with knickknacks from our trips to India and has an Asian feel. I have a huge black wood desk that I love and that accomodates all of my clutter. In the corner is a "little office" that I set up for the kids. My one year old is home with me all day, so she hangs out with me and colors or talks on her phone.

Do you ever meet with clients at your home office? If so, how has this impacted your business for the better or worse?

No, never. Working virtually hasn't really been an obstacle. I have never tried to "convert" a client to going virtual though. I've focused on marketing to people that are already on board with the Virtual Assistant industry.

Do you have a sep. phone line for your home office? If so, why do you feel this is important?

I use GotVMail for my toll-free phone number. It's great because I can have calls directed to any phone (home, cell, anywhere) and I can also receive faxes with the same number and they are stored until I send them to my fax machine.

Do you have set office hours? If so, how did you decide what they would be and how do you ensure you and others maintain/respect them?

No, I really need to work on doing that. With kids, especially the one year old, I often end up doing my best uninterrupted work at night. And I've got dark circles to prove it. Luckily the baby still naps like a champ.

What do you most love about your home office?

I'm with everyone else on this one - it's home. I love being able to stay home with my kids. I don't want anyone else to be the recipient of that first sleepy smile after the baby's nap. And I love being able to pick the kids up from the busstop, walking home as slow as possible and hearing about their day.

What do you like least about it?

Sometimes it's hard to separate home life from work life. The line is definitely blurred. I need to give myself more credit for the fact that I usually put in full time hours at work and I'm always working overtime as a wife and mom. I need to get better at accepting help when it's offered.

If you could suggest to a new VA how he or she might best utilize space at home to create a home office, what would your top three suggested guidelines be?

Try to run through a potential job or project in your mind or on paper. From start to finish, how do you forsee the work getting done? How will you receive work and communicate with clients? What equipment will you need in order to accomplish getting the work done? Make a list of the things you think you'll use and use these forums to bounce your ideas off of established VAs.

When I was first getting started, I typed up a few standard replies to questions that I thought might come up with potential clients. It gave me a more professional sound when on the phone and it saved time when I was doing e-mail responses.

If you have kids, it's really important to make sure that you accomodate their needs as well as your own. I set up an area for them so that they know what things are off-limits and what things they can use. I found it better to not just say that my office was off-limits, but to incorporate an area so that they can come in and feel comfortable and occupy themselves. My older girls love to come in and do their homework while I work and they are always respectful of the fact that occasionally I need to work alone.

Feel free to share any other details about your own fabulous home office setup, strategy, or scenario here too!

Do you work mostly with online products or do you have a fully stocked room complete with fax machine, copier, etc.

I have a fax/copier/scanner/photo printer. I couldn't live without it.

If you work with hardware, what items do you have in your office? Which ones do you feel you just couldn't live without?

I have a MacBook Pro, a sweet PC that my husband built, my iPhone, and my Wacom tablet. I could not live without my MacBook Pro. It is my dream computer.
Number one favorite piece of equipment?

My iPhone. It saved my life!

If you work with software, what items do you have in your computer and which ones do you feel you just couldn't live without?

MS Word Mac 2004, MS Office 2007, Adobe CS3 Design Suite, Adium, Cyberduck FTP, Garage Band (for podcasts), iCal.

Number one favorite program?

The entire Adobe Suite.

How is your home office set up for ease of use and comfort? What kind of furniture, setting, plants, decorations, etc. do you surround yourself with?

My office is actually my husband's cave at the moment. I work in our breakfast nook so I can allow my daughter to play in the living room/nook while I work. I always have the TV off and quiet music playing in the background. My daughter loves classical music, so it's usually that. I actually enjoy working in the nook because it's so much brighter than the rest of our home. I need lots of light!

Do you ever meet with clients at your home office? If so, how has this impacted your business for the better or worse?

Nope. I've never met any of my clients.

Do you have a sep. phone line for your home office? If so, why do you feel this is important?

Yes I do. Cell phone service can be so hit-and-miss. I'd rather not lose an important call!

Do you have set office hours? If so, how did you decide what they would be and how do you ensure you and others maintain/respect them?

I don't. I work around my daughter's schedule. I limited my hours per week so I don't have to worry too much about someone stepping over the boundaries.

What do you most love about your home office?

I love the windows and warm light in my nook. It's very inspiring.

What do you like least about it?

The fact that it's a nook and not an actual office! I'll have to wait until we finish our remodel to get my own office. My husband works from home as well.

If you could suggest to a new VA how he or she might best utilize space at home to create a home office, what would your top three suggested guidelines be?

I would say create lighting conditions that are conducive to productivity. This is can be different for everyone. For me, it's warm light.

I would also suggest a desk with a return. In my husband's office, this allows me to work on the computer and still have adequate writing space for paper projects.

If you have children, a great way to incorporate them into your day is to provide a space where they can "work" with you. My little girl has her books and magnetic tablet so she can work alongside me.

Brianna

Do you work mostly with online products or do you have a fully stocked room complete with fax machine, copier, etc.

I try to use mostly online products, the more mobile I am, the better.

If you work with hardware, what items do you have in your office? Which ones do you feel you just couldn't live without?

I have a great Dell computer that my computer guy set-up for me that has tons of memory and hard drive space with a 25" flat panel monitor (which is amazing) and a cordless keyboard and optical mouse, which are a must.

A toshiba laptop with wireless high speed internet and printer.

An HP all-in-one machine, a HP inkjet and a 10-key.

Number one favorite piece of equipment?
My laptop with wireless, I love being mobile so I'm not stuck in place.

If you work with software, what items do you have in your computer and which ones do you feel you just couldn't live without?

QuickBooks Pro (couldn't live without), Adobe Pro 8, Adobe Photoshop Elements 5.0, Office 2003 (laptop), Office 2007 Pro, LogoSmartz.

I also use MyFax for sending/receiving faxes and MyHours for timetracking.

Number one favorite program?
QuickBooks and Publisher

How is your home office set up for ease of use and comfort? What kind of furniture, setting, plants, decorations, etc. do you surround yourself with?

I have a love/hate relationship with my desk. I love it because it's super cute, but I hate it's functionality. When I originally bought it I only used it occasionally, because I had no idea I would be starting a business.

(not my actual office)

I just painted my office the most adorable shade of yellow and the decor is Mary Engelbreit. I wanted it to be bright and cheery.

Do you ever meet with clients at your home office? If so, how has this impacted your business for the better or worse?
No, it has been an issue yet.

Do you have a sep. phone line for your home office? If so, why do you feel this is important?
I use my cell phone so I'm mobile and my home phone as back up. I live by myself so I don't have to worry about others answering the phone.

Do you have set office hours? If so, how did you decide what they would be and how do you ensure you and others maintain/respect them?
I have set office hours as far as client contact, but I don't as far as my own work schedule.

What do you most love about your home office?
I like being able to setting my own schedule.

What do you like least about it?
It can get kind of boring.

If you could suggest to a new VA how he or she might best utilize space at home to create a home office, what would your top three suggested guidelines be?

Have a good computer.
Have a good backup system.
Have a designated area for working.

Feel free to share any other details about your own fabulous home office setup, strategy, or scenario here too!

Do what's best for you, but make it functional and efficient.

__________________
Rebecka Melson ~ Virtual Business Services

Brianna,
One of the first things I'm going to buy when we get settled next month is a Wacom tablet...I was looking at the Bluetooth (wireless) version - do you have any recommendations on which one is best. I'm guessing the 'tablet' size is fine for me...but would love to know more about your experience and preferences with whatever model you're using?
Thanks!

And - I must say I am looking forward to snapping up a few items - a multi-purpose scanner/print/copy/fax among them! AND as much as I love my Dell laptop she's so destroyed after being shifted around the world for so many years and needs to be replaced (desperately)!

__________________

I've had both the wired tablet and the Bluetooth, and the Bluetooth is better by far! I also got the 6 x 8 when I went Bluetooth. I didn't think it would make much of a difference, but I really like the bigger workspace.

I mostly use mine for photo retouching, and not so much for graphic design yet. I'm still working on getting comfortable using it on a daily basis.

The Bluetooth can be kind of spendy, but ee caught an ending auction on eBay and got it for about half the price...this was after weeks of waiting for one to pop in our price range!

Anyway, you'll just love it! Good luck!

Brianna

Truthfully, if I can sit on the couch and design (wireless style) then it's worth every penny! Thanks for sharing your experience - it makes my own decision that much easier. Bluetooth it is - and I was planning on the 6x8, I just know there are the ones that are like twice the size but that seems a bit big as I'm not much of a painter

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Haha! I totally sit on the couch and work all the time! It's great to sit back with my tablet in my lap and my laptop on the ottomans in front of me! Yay!! I'm glad I helped!

Brianna

Do you work mostly with online products or do you have a fully stocked room complete with fax machine, copier, etc.
I use mostly online although I do have a 4 in 1 printer/copier/fax/scanner

If you work with hardware, what items do you have in your office? Which ones do you feel you just couldn't live without?
I have a Dell computer w/built in fax software. The hubby said he'll buy my a laptop for Xmas this year, which is what I REALLY want

Number one favorite piece of equipment?
Laptop (as soon as I get it!) This will give me the freedom to work where ever I want!

If you work with software, what items do you have in your computer and which ones do you feel you just couldn't live without?
I use QuickBooks, MS Word, MS Excel for my VA business and Paint.net for my website/pictures

Number one favorite program?
Paint.net - it's the poor man's version of Photoshop!

How is your home office set up for ease of use and comfort? What kind of furniture, setting, plants, decorations, etc. do you surround yourself with?
I have a triangle-shaped desk that sits perfectly in the corner of my downstairs hall. It's peaceful and quiet, with GREAT airflow and light. I like to listen to music (XM Satellite Radio on-line) while I work and have various toys (stuffed cow, pinwheel, hot wheels cars, etc.) scattered around my monitor for fiddling with while I think

Do you ever meet with clients at your home office? If so, how has this impacted your business for the better or worse?
Nope - I always think "virtual" when talking to clients. If I HAVE to meet with someone, I usually meet them for lunch at a local Chinese buffet. It's only $9/person so I can afford to pay and the casual atmosphere makes us all more comfortable

Do you have a sep. phone line for your home office? If so, why do you feel this is important?
I currently use my cell phone as my business line. Whenever Goddess gets up and running, I will add a second line to the house so I can have my fax machine available 24/7 and to keep my personal and business lives separate.

Do you have set office hours? If so, how did you decide what they would be and how do you ensure you and others maintain/respect them?
While I'm working Goddess part-time, my office hours are 6:30am - 8:30am M-F and 8:00am - 12:00pm Saturdays. I simply made it clear that I am "a figment of your imagination" during those hours and won't even respond if spoken to by the hubby. It didn't take long for him to stop trying to talk to me during those hours

What do you most love about your home office?
Peace, quiet, freedom to stop and walk away from something if it gets too frustrating. No "Lily, help - I can't do ***" while in the middle of a project

What do you like least about it?
I still have to work

If you could suggest to a new VA how he or she might best utilize space at home to create a home office, what would your top three suggested guidelines be?
1) find somewhere away from traffic, preferably where you can shut a door.
2) have a practical desk/filing situation with lots of flat space to work
3) be sure there is lots of light and airflow - dark, stagnant offices stifle creativity

__________________
Lily Chambers, The Virtual Office Goddess, LLC
Author "How to Do Your Own Small Business Bookkeeping"

Ah, Lily...I totally agree with you about the airflow in an office! I used to work in an office that smelled like old vinyl records and had no circulation - it was AWFUL! I almost always have the attic fan on in my home in the autumn. Moving air is so refreshing!

Brianna