Although working at home is dream come true for many, it offers its own set of challenges. Two that are the on the top of the list are lack of organization and lack of comfort.

Talk to anyone who is successful at a home based business and they’ll tell you disorganization and discomfort presents the most challenge. However, with planning and commitment you can banish these productivity bandits.

A home based business is a goal many aspire to. Can you relate to this vision… the luxury of getting up whenever you want, grabbing a cup of coffee and sitting while welcoming in the morning, watching as the sun slowly wakes up the world with its golden hue, walking a few feet to reach your forever dreamed about home office , and settling in for a good productive session?

But, do you find yourself hours later having gotten nothing done, leaving your “home office” every 1/2 hour or so because you’d rather be somewhere else or the refrigerator, phone, doorbell or magazine calls your name?

Succeeding in a home based business of any type requires a different mindset along with changes you must master that are very different than those of working from a traditional “out of home” office.

Perhaps you’re saying to yourself you already know this. But in order to succeed and make working from home actually work, you must recognize and be willing use the tools and practice the techniques that will help start or expand your business, with the gusto you put into learning and marketing your business.

If you are one of the few that have it all together, get your work done in record time with no interruptions -kudos to you. But if you are like the majority of us struggling with the new or different way of life I’ve got some tips and suggestions that will help you not only love going to your home office for a productive and profitable session as well how to make it work for you.

Now mind you it is a change and does take effort, many times a lot of effort, but once you are committed and stick to it you will find this part of being your own boss and working from home will be as important and beneficial by adding to the bottom line as anything else you do.

Comfort is Critical…

Studies have proven that efficiency and work output increases dramatically when ergonomics are incorporated in to a workplace environment. What this means is there is a significant return on investment.

Ergonomic technology understands and utilizes the physics and movement of the human body to determine the best structure for ultimate comfort.

Invest in a high quality ergonomic chair with lumbar support. It may not be the thing that comes to your mind first off but your health and level of comfort is a major contributor to your overall performance and productivity.

Rather than trying to fit yourself into a work environment, the point of ergonomic office seating is to fit your environment to you in order to achieve maximum comfort and performance.

By relieving stress and strain on the back that sitting creates due to increased pressure on the shock absorbers of the back (discs in the spine) as well as slow down of blood circulation (ever get that leg/foot pins and needles?) legs and feet an ergo chair helps alleviate as many of those pesky issues as possible. The research that has gone into ergonomic chairs is astounding. These adjustable office chairs reduce: fatigue, neck and back pain, discomfort and pressure and reduced circulation throughout your extremities.

Take advantage of science and you’ll reap the rewards in comfort, design and productivity.

With the right chair your body will feel as refreshed at the end of the day when you leave your desk as it does when you first sit down in it.

To get the maximum benefit as well as ensure both your mind and body stay focused and pain free, spring for one of these office chairs. The cost of an ergo chair will more than pay for itself in a short period of time through the measurable increase in performance and efficiency as well as the savings of time lost due to recuperating from muscle strain, neck or back pain or state of mind because of your mental stress.

Be sure to check out which options you prefer and make the recommended adjustments for maximum benefit.

Look for features such as:

• adjustability
• tilt
• seat back height
• soft or hard arm rests
• armless
• seat and seat back material such as leather, mesh or cloth material
• model of chair-executive, task or 24/7
• type of frame
• rollers or stationary (what type of flooring will it be on)
• style-modern or traditional

Organization is Vital: Both For Your Office and Your Day…

We’ve all become victim to the hazards of disorganization at one time or another. But in a home office environment, where your goal is to develop and build a business, focus and lack of distraction are essential elements to success.

Organization is really a word for making sure you have the tools you need on hand for the tasks you are in the process of accomplishing,

If you can’t find what you need and spend time searching for it or if you don’t organize your day and spend time deciding what to do next or jump from one undertaking to another your day your effectiveness is depleted and your income potential diminishes with each passing wasted minute.

Regardless of your budget or workable space, planning is essential when designing a successful home office space-a dedicated space is vital, whether it is a separate room or separate section/space of a room the ability to leave projects, writing or whatever you may be working on out, without disruption, can help you pick up where you left off without worry of it getting messed up.

De-clutter- Clutter is actually excess. Remove magazines, articles, newsletters you haven’t read but are saving (what year are they from?), courses you haven’t opened, and just about any stuff that is just that- stuff you really would never use or is old, worn out or lost is usefulness.

Don’t let your office become a dumping ground for stuff, (you all know what I’m talking about), experiment with straitening up either in the evening before you “leave the office (thin might be a great transition tool to end of work day) or before you start in the morning-a transition into start of the work day. See what works best for you.

Keep things where need them-

• Store common office supplies together near where you’ll use them (ink, paper near the printer), (pads, hands free headset, pens, post it notes, scissors, letter opener, near the phone),
• Keep all like material together- ex: dedicate a shelf, storage container, work bin to one subject, marketing books/material
• In/out boxes- be careful to clean out each day-this can easily pile up to unworkable levels
• Make sure you go through mail material and either file it or dump it
• Files and tools that you use the most should be no more than two feet away from where you will be using them.

Realistically prioritize what you need to accomplish and make a plan. Cross off as you work down your list.

One major issue many overlook, that can be disastrous and a huge source of loss of productivity, income and time, is neglecting a data back up plan. It’s sort of like insurance, you never ever know when it will be necessary and by the time you need it, it’s too late.

You can’t imagine the number of people who have told me horror stories of months and years worth of critical data and information vital to their business and contacts that they have lost, never to recover because they failed to have a plan for computer data backup.

A final caution about continually buying productivity software without using it. If you don’t implement it –it won’t work, and you also need to take time to learn new software. By thinking it will be a magic pill you are facilitating procrastination (and perhaps spending a lot of money on unused programs).

By incorporating an ergonomic work environment with a plan of organization and self –discipline that’s free of distractions, you’ll create a work space that is conducive to conducting your business, with creativity, inspiration and a healthy stress free mind and body.

About the Author

Denise Zangoglia is a home office professional who has been working from home since 1999. She is the publisher of TheHomeOfficeCafe.com, a website devoted to helping entrepreneurs and work at home professionals with resources for creating an ideally designed ergonomic work space along with tools to support and grow their business. This lifestyle allows her enjoy her family, pursue her love of horseback riding and experience life at its best. She writes on a variety of topics ranging from office setup/design and productivity to home based business resources such as online backup solutions, website creation and marketing strategies.

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