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The Business of Writing

Diana K. Serquina

Setting Up A Home Office On A Budget

If you’re just starting to freelance, you need to set up a home office. If you’re like most newly self-employed workers, however, you don’t have a lot of money to spend on furniture and other office equipment. Even if you are lucky enough (or have planned your exit from Corporate America well enough) to have a significant amount in your savings account, it’s best to leave most of it there for the inevitable “rainy day” when assignments aren’t what you hoped for, or when publishers are slow to cut you a check for work you’ve done. Fortunately, you can set up a basic home office without going to too much expense.
 
Where Should The Office Be?
First of all, you don’t absolutely need to have a separate room for your office. It’s nice if you do—and if you use it only for your work, it also can be a nice tax break. Many of us, however, don’t have the space to dedicate an entire room to our home office.
 
As I type this, I’m at a desk in the dining room of a two-bedroom apartment. My son having his own bedroom is more important than my office having a door that closes it off from the rest of the house. By this time next week, however, my office will be in a room of its own in the four-bedroom house my family is moving into. Don’t buy a new house or rent a bigger apartment just because you’ve started a freelance career. But the next time you move (whether because your spouse’s job is requiring a cross-country relocation, or because you’ve finally decided your budget can sustain a higher rent or mortgage payment and you want more room), see if you can find a place that has a separate room available for your office.
 
What Do You Really Need?
Once you’ve decided what space you’re going to use, there are some things that are obvious must-haves to put in that space. You need a desk, a chair, and a computer. Yes, in a pinch you can set up a laptop on the dining room table, but I wouldn’t recommend it. If you have to move that laptop and your work-related papers for every meal, it’s too easy to postpone setting them back up and getting back to work. Similarly, if the desk and computer you use is also where your kids do their homework assignments, you’ve got built-in excuses for not getting work done. Therefore, priority one is getting your own desk, chair, and computer.
 
The desk can be fairly simple—all it really needs to do is house your computer and other work essentials. You may already have a desk that will fit those needs. It should, however, be a desk with a keyboard tray so that the keyboard is at the right height. If it has a drawer that can hold hanging files, so much the better.
 
Do not use a folding chair or dining room chair at your desk. When it comes to this essential item, don’t put price ahead of comfort in your priority list. Make sure the chair is ergonomically correct for you. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that if when you sit in a chair your feet are flat on the floor that’s the only height consideration. It’s more important that the chair adjusts to the right height relative to your desk, so that your arms are level or slanting slightly downward as you type. If you’re short, like I am, this means using a footrest. The chair should also provide proper back support; if there are armrests, they, too, should be adjustable. While this may sound picky and not like a good use of your initial home office dollars, trust me—it’s far better than spending money later to treat a repetitive stress injury such as tendonitis or carpal tunnel syndrome.
 
In terms of the computer, you don’t need the top-of-the-line (and, thus, most expensive) model. You mostly need a machine that is good for word processing and e-mail, unless you work a lot with graphics. Any new computer should be more than adequate for your needs. In my opinion, the most important “accessory” for your computer is an ergonomic keyboard. You’re going to spend a lot of hours at that computer, and the right keyboard can make the difference between those hours being comfortable, or increasingly painful as your wrists and hands object to spending hours in the unnatural position required by a straight keyboard.
 
Make sure you have a phone on your desk. You don’t want to have to go in another room every time you need to make a phone call, or every time the phone rings. Have either an answering machine or voicemail so you don’t miss important calls—and have Caller ID so you can screen out the less important ones during your work hours.
 
You’ll need some kind of filing system to keep your paperwork organized. Initially, a single hanging-file drawer in your desk or filing cabinet will suffice; eventually you will need a whole filing cabinet. You’ll also need some shelves to house reference books, magazines, and the copies of magazines containing your work. Simple (and inexpensive) bookshelves that you buy at discount stores and assemble yourself work just fine for this purpose.
 
What Can Wait?
It’s easy for many of us to walk into an office supply store, see things we are sure we will need, and walk out having spent thousands on equipment we don’t really need at this point. For example, while having your own fax machine right there in your home office is convenient, many freelancers (myself included, even after more than a decade of freelance work) send only a few faxes a year. If that’s true of you, your money is better spent on other items. You can go to a nearby copy shop (or even some grocery stores) to send those occasional faxes.
 
Another item I wouldn’t splurge on right away is a multifunction printer. Again, they look tempting—you can use them to print, scan, copy, and in some cases, fax paperwork related to your business. We’ve already covered the fax issue. Scanning and copying may be similarly overrated and underused features. There are copy machines almost anywhere—I can find them at the branch library, the grocery store, and a mailing center, which are all less than a mile from my home. I use one of those when I need to make new copies of clips to send out. If you already have a decent printer, stick with it. If you find that you really need the scanning capability (which also means you can copy—either by scanning directly to your printer or by scanning a document to your hard drive and then printing it), you can get a scanner without the much greater expense of a multifunction printer.
 
You Don’t Have To Spend Thousands
Other than the computer equipment, which I recommend getting new because it will (a) be under warranty, and (b) not already be halfway to obsolete, you can save money on your home office setup by looking for used furniture and equipment. Check out used furniture stores. Where I live, we even have one specifically for used office furniture. If you’re lucky (and perhaps willing to put a little work into refinishing furniture) you might even be able to find a desk at Goodwill or a similar thrift store for very little expense. Used office furniture that’s still in good condition will cost a bit more, but still save you money over new items. Again, be sure you get a chair that’s a good fit—if that requires buying it new, it is still well worth it.
 
Now that you know what you need and where to start looking, setting up your home office should be fairly easy. Happy shopping!


About the Author
Diana K. Serquina is a freelance writer living in Spokane, Washington. She has written for a variety of magazines and newspapers, and is currently a columnist for the Great Falls (Montana) Tribune.  Just recently, she moved into a new home where she's been able to set up her best home office yet.