Setting Up Your Office

INTRODUCTION

Now that you’ve selected your business name, registered your business and set-up your GST account, what’s next? If you’re planning to work out of a home office, give careful consideration to the location. If you have dogs or children, does your office have a door that you can close for privacy when you’re talking on the phone or participating in a conference call? Do you have room for a computer as well as adjacent workspace? Have you given consideration to the equipment you will need and where it will go? Do you have enough electrical outlets in the office space to handle the equipment? Will you be inviting clients to your office at any time, and if so, do you have space for holding a meeting? Can you control the temperature in your office space? Do you need an office phone number that is separate from your home phone number?

Setting up and properly managing your home office is critical to making your new business work for you. Here’s a quick checklist of things to consider when setting up your home office. Not all of these will be applicable to you, depending upon the nature of the services you are offering.

EQUIPMENT

  • Cordless telephone with voicemail (does it have speakerphone capability? Can you
  • place someone on hold and take another call? Do you need a second handset elsewhere in the house? Do you need call display?)
  • Fax machine
  • Computer (MAC or PC/desktop or laptop – what do most of your prospective clients use? What system will best match your needs as a consultant based on the services you will be offering? Will you need a portable system to accommodate presentations to clients?)
  • Scanner
  • Back-up hard drive (remember to always back-up precious client information – computer crashes, theft, viruses, and damage happen, so be prepared)
  • Shredder (do you want client documents or confidential business information going into the recycle bin?)
  • Filing cabinet (be organized right from the start!)
  • Printer/Photocopier
  • Internet Connection (wireless or dial-up?)
  • DVDs/CD-ROMs

Consider leasing your equipment during the start-up phase of your business rather than buying it, particularly when it comes to computers. By leasing the equipment, you can more readily upgrade as the equipment evolves.

COMMUNICATIONS

  • BlackBerry or other PDA (will you need access to your e-mails when visiting clients?)
  • Cell Phone (do you want clients to be able to reach you when you are out of your office?)
  • Skype (software that allows you to call anyone in the world who is also on Skype, for free)
  • Headset (will you be doing podcasting? Do you need to have your hands free while taking a conference call?)
  • Webcam/videoconferencing (do you need this capability?)
  • E-Mail (will you be using your personal e-mail address for your business or will you be setting up a separate business e-mail? Is the provider you currently use for your personal e-mail reliable or are the servers frequently down? Will you be handling large files and if so, can your provider offer you the capacity you will need to receive and send the documents?)
  • Website (are you planning to develop a website as part of your marketing strategy? Will you be hosting podcasts or blogs on your website? Will you need e-commerce?)

STATIONERY

  • Will you be creating a visual identity for your new business? Will you be using a graphic designer to create the artwork for you? This isn’t the time to suddenly exercise your creative juices (unless of course, you’re a graphic designer or illustrator!). If you’re considering a visual identity, engage a professional to create it for you.
  • Letterhead
  • Invoices
  • Business cards
  • Envelopes
  • Labels
  • Information kit folders

MAIL DELIVERY

Do you want to use your home address as your mailing address for any work-related mail deliveries? Are you comfortable using this on your letterhead and business cards? Are you expecting to host client meetings in your home office? Are you okay with a client ‘stopping in’ to drop something off? If not, you may wish to consider using a P.O. box number for your mailing address instead. These are available through your local post office for a nominal fee.

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