Setting Up A Simple Home Office

An up side to the downturn in the economy is that you really can get some great bargains right now. Combine that with a little imagination and setting up an office for your new home business can be a relatively easy and inexpensive task.

I started thinking about this when both my printer and fax machine decided to depart this life together a few days ago. Not surprising, really, as they’re both five or six years old – eons in today’s technological era. My scanner, the granddaddy of them all at eight, is ready to head for the retirement home, too. Dreading what this was going to cost me I started researching replacement equipment and was happily amazed.

All-in-one (print, copy, scan and fax) machines, wireless to boot, can be had for as little as $100. That’s less than half of what I paid for the scanner alone eight years ago! For my needs I settled on the Lexmark X7675 All-in-One Printer, which goes for a measly $103 at Amazon, with free shipping. It’s listed elsewhere in the $300 range.

Complete computer packages, which include monitor, keyboard and mouse, can be had for as little as $400 – $500.  Obviously, if your business is graphic design you’ll need something with greater capacity, but to operate your Bonanzle booth or promote your pet-sitting service, minimal is just fine. Just scout around online for the best deals or check your local stores. And don’t waste money on a new phone system; use what you have until you start making money. Just make sure all your household members know how to answer when the phone rings. You don’t want your four-year old saying, “Hi, Mommy’s changing my baby sister’s diaper”.

For office furniture, if you can’t make do with the dining room table and a bunch of cardboard boxes as filing cabinets, look on Craigslist. I just saw a computer desk, cherry wood-stained, in good condition, for $25. And that’s the asking price! They’d probably take less. Or you could go “a la college days” (30 years ago, that is) and opt for plastic cartons and plywood to create a pseudo desk with storage space beneath and make bookcases from concrete blocks and wood panels.

Another don’t is printed office stationary. Most of you probably don’t even need business cards. I know people who’ve made millions and never had a letter-head or business card in their lives. If you are in a business that relies on handing out cards, then get the free ones at Vista Print. You can go for the gold-leaf embossed after you start making the big bucks.

One of the biggest rip-offs of all is the replacement cost of ink and toner cartridges for your office equipment. Search online to compare prices and look for compatible cartridges, rather than name-brand. My experience has been that they work equally as well. Or, for inkjets, you can try refill kits. This will involve injecting ink into your existing cartridges and can be a bit messy if you’re not careful.

The general object here is to get only what you need, when you need it and save your money for more important things. Believe me, I speak from experience, and an office full of obsolete and excessive file holders, floppy discs, 3-ring binders, floppy disc holders, business cards, printed labels, rubber stamps……..