By Josette Keelor — Daily Staff Writer

Have you ever considered working from home? It has its benefits, such as allowing you to make your own hours, be your own boss, work in a comfortable atmosphere and keep an eye on the children.

It can even be a "greener" option than driving to work. As oil prices climb and money becomes tight, many people in the work force might decide to work from home, says Randy Woetzel, area manager for Vision Business Products in Woodstock. He and other area professionals say that making your house suit your professional needs is the key to being able to work from home.

Size matters

The first thing to consider before you start to rearrange your house is how big your office space needs to be.

This will depend on your needs, available space and money to spend on the transformation.

When Woetzel built his own home office it was only about 7 feet by 10 feet, but it suited his needs. He was able to work in a paperless environment because he kept all of his files on the computer. All he really needed was a desktop surface.

If you do not have space for an actual office, you could consider placing a desk in the corner of another room, such as your bedroom or living room. Just reserving that space for work can be enough to get the job done.

Constructing a home office is another idea, if you want to partition off part of a basement or even add onto your house. The final cost to build an office, complete with equipment, might seem like more than it's worth, but it could be less expensive then renting another office space somewhere, not to mention paying another phone and electric bill every month.

Atmosphere

Despite how much space you might have for your office, if you do not feel comfortable in the space, it will not be functional.

Pat Koch, owner of P.J. Designs in Woodstock, says she knows of people who have home offices but who actually do all their work in the kitchen or in another room. If your office is not comfortable, then you will not use it, she says.

One aspect that Koch says she feels is important to a work space is having a view. She recommends having a window in your office to provide that view, but positioning your desk so that it is not facing the window.

"Views are great for inspiration, but they're also distracting," she explains.

Woetzel says that where you choose to place your office depends on the parameters of your life. If you have children or other distractions that will challenge your ability to work at home, this will affect where you should build your office.

"I needed a room totally separate from the rest of the house," he says of his own home office. People might choose to make their office part of the basement or a spare bedroom, in order to remove themselves from the bustle of the rest of the house.

It really depends on the person, as well as pets and other family members, who will be in your space, says Koch. If you anticipate a lot of distractions during your work time, then she recommends that you have a door to your office. Other than that, the world is yours when it comes to how big or small your office space is and where you place it.

Function

Consider what equipment you will need for your office.

"It depends on the type of business you have," says Gary Chrisman, owner of Apple Valley Office Products in Winchester.

For people on the go, a BlackBerry or another personal digital assistant can be a good way to keep track of information for a home business, but Koch says that an actual desktop computer or laptop might be more functional.

"Most people want a computer, a computer desk and a printer and fax," she says.

Having all of this hardware does not, however, mean that you need a large space for an office.

People can also design their office to function in various ways, such as keeping the printer in a drawer or buying a combination printer, copier and fax machine.

Another form of consolidating machinery is to have a printer that will work with more than just plain, white paper. Many ink jet printers will also print out photographs.

"It does not have to be a special photographic machine," Chrisman says, explaining that a simple printer can produce good quality color prints.

He recommends seeking advice from a professional, though, when it comes to what would best suit your business.

"A lot of times, people get caught up in not buying something expensive," he says, adding it's unnecessary to buy a machine that has a lot of functions, just because it's cheap, if you do not need it to multitask.

People might think they are being frugal by buying a machine that has a lot of functions, Chrisman says, but the upkeep could be more than they bargained for.

"They buy one of those and find out the cost of supplies is outrageous," he says.

Another essential item for your office is a phone.

Having a phone system with multiple lines is handy for people who spend a lot of time on the phone for their business. Woetzel says that a headset is extremely valuable to the user, because it does wonders for posture and comfort, as well as freeing up the caller's hands for writing, typing or completing other office tasks.

Placement of items in an office is also important.

Put furniture and machines where you will most likely benefit from them.

"The phone [ought to] be on the side that you're holding it," says Chrisman. If you are right-handed, you will probably hold the phone in your left hand, so you can write at the same time. He says that a lot of new computer users also have trouble deciding where to put the mouse — on the right if you are right-handed is best, he says, on the left if you are left-handed.

Having your office set up in the most efficient way will make your day easier.

Chameleon

Koch explains that many people do not want their office space to stand out or distract from the rest of the room or house.

You can make a home office look like an entertainment center, she says, or make an entertainment center into an office space. Computers, she explains, can provide so many uses, that even if you use it for its database, your family might use it to watch movies.

You could even hide your computer behind other furniture to make the office space less noticeable and more private, she says.

"Even small spaces can be used for repurposing," Koch says, explaining that she once helped a customer build a home office in a closet. No one could tell it was there, except when the doors were open, she says.

"And talk about lack of distraction," she says of the closet office, which was no deeper than the length of a hanger. The most important aspect to an office in a tight space, such as a closet or an attic, is the lighting, Koch says. The right light will make your office feel comfortable as well as allow you to get work done.

Another way to minimize work space at home is to have a wireless connection for your computer. This will allow you to take your laptop anywhere in the house or even outside, instead of confining you to your desk.

"Wireless in a house could probably work well," Chrisman says, explaining that this will also allow for more than one computer in the house, though going wireless is more expensive than just hooking into the phone line, he says.

It might be worth it, though, if your goal is to integrate your office life more with your home life; however, Woetzel suggests setting parameters between work time and rest, so that you will not feel like you are always at work.

Whatever your space situation, a home office is always possible, whether it is in its own room or in the corner of your bedroom.

"All things are possible," Koch says, even if you are not good at designing or maximizing space.

"We can help those who might not be creative," she says of P.J. Designs. "We can help them think it through."

*Contact Josette Keelor at jkeelor@nvdaily.com