Working from home can be grand. In this week's Friday 5, Des Walsh shares the top 5 great things about working from home. His number 1 pick:

If I have bosses now, it's my customers, or me. Realistically, there is no boss in my business. And that works for me.

When you become a consultant or small business owner, you gain freedom unavailable to people working at regular jobs. You call the shots. You pick your schedule. You choose your clients. If that isn't a great reason to work from home, what is?

When you work for yourself, you can't expect a lot of accolades. It's not the same as having a boss or co-worker pat you on the back several times a day. You need to be your own cheerleading squad. But what can you do to reinforce your successes?

Tips for rewarding yourself when you work alone
1. Keep track of business metrics. For example:

• number of clients
• revenue
• hours worked
• leads generated
• biggest sale
• highest consulting fee charged

2. Give yourself incentives. If you increase a metric to a certain goal level, reward yourself. A dinner at a great restaurant, time at a spa, a latte, an hour of bicycle rental, a vacation, a new book -- no matter whether you pick a small or large incentive, do reward yourself.

3. Keep track of emails, cards and comments from happy clients and business associates. One consultant I know has a "rainy day box" where she keeps such mementos. Whenever she's having a bad day, she opens the box and reminds herself of a past success.

4. Focus on your own success. Don't compare yourself to friends or associates who work in totally different fields, businesses and environments. A few years ago, I got caught up in downplaying my own success, just because a local marketing consulting firm seemed to be  doing better than I was. In time, I realized the owners had come from wealth, had no children, had two people running the business full-time and so on. I wasn't comparing apples to apples.

5. Network. Make connections with new people. The bigger your support network, the more you can achieve and give back.

Happy Hallowe'en! Ah, Hallowe'en in the work place. On a day like today, many corporate offices shed their uptight images and allow employees to dress up and party. When I worked for one software company about 10 years ago, I put on a pirate hat and hook and grabbed a sword and cape. Under the cape, I had taped several floppy disks. I was a software pirate, of course. That went over well with my fellow software workers.

But what do you do when you work from home? Well, I don't dress up on my own and I don't go to an office Hallowe'en party on Hallowe'en. Over the years, I have managed to crash other companies' office parties, though. But no plans for that this year. I'll leave the dressing up to my son. Of course, because of the flexibility of working from home, I can spend all day -- all week if I want -- celebrating Hallowe'en with him. And that's better than any office party.

Related:
Big list of reasons to become a consultant

Happy Friday! It's time for the Friday Five. Via One Healthy Sucker, here are the top 5 reasons to work from home. For #5:

"Work in your pajamas/don't have to get dressed"

Even if you do get dressed, you can save a lot of money on clothing by working from home.
You can make do with more casual clothing, saving your splurges for the garb you wear to meet clients -- or for what you wear in your offtime.

• Keeping on top of your growing list of home office supplies can be a challenge. Even if you have a dedicated home office, it's still a challenge to store all the supplies. If you find that you don't have enough space for materials in your home office, try the following:
• storage bins that slide under your bed
• a storage ottoman in your living room
• bins in your garage or storage locker
• mini-storage rental
• a bookcase cabinet with doors that you can place anywhere in your home
• baskets in your closet or above your kitchen cabinets
• shelves
• a hutch for above your desk
• filing cabinet, if you have space

Be creative. There's no rule that all your home office supplies need to be in your home office. If you insist on buying supplies in bulk, look around your home for places to keep them.

If you're thinking about working from home, you don't need a separate home office, according to Debra Ng. Just find somewhere to keep your files and your laptop -- your kitchen table can do the rest.

Setting up a home office really means finding somewhere to keep your work. You may find it easier to concentrate and switch to "work mode" if you have dedicated space. But just having a place for your things can help. A home office armoire may be a quick solution if you like having somewhere to keep everything without using up much space.

Still, legions of independent consultants work from coffee shops and libraries. Just stick your laptop in a briefcase and you're ready to go.

Related to home office

• Tips for dealing with home office isolation
• Is it time to leave your home office?
• Setting up a home office
• List of home office supplies

When I became a consultant, I gave up my commute. Now, together, my husband and I put about 5,000 km (3100 miles) on our car each year. Although that's great for the pocketbook and for the environment, it did mean giving up a few things.

I no longer have 30 minutes to myself twice a day. No talk radio, no radio tunes. No unwinding in the car on the way home from work.

Wait a minute...unwind in the car? I was fighting bridge traffic, downtown snarls and more. Just driving outside downtown for lunch today reminded me why I quit commuting. It took me 20 minutes to drive about 2 km. And this is in Vancouver, Canada, not Los Angeles or even Toronto.

Sure, I don't listen to the radio as much as I once did. But I'm not exhausted when I finish work for the day. And, if I do want to listen to music or the radio, I can just pop a disc into my CD player or turn on the stereo.

I could wax nostalgiac about my old commute, but the truth is that I don't really miss it. Do you?

Ah, the lifestyle of the self-employed. Pajamas till noon, bunny slippers all day, soft jazz playing in the background....

Self-employed realtor, Teresa Boardman, shares the truth about bunny slippers, the badge of the home business owner. I don't own a pair of bunny slippers and I don't know any home-based business owners who do. I do know several people who wear pajamas till noon, although I'm not one of them. However, I do often trek out to get the mail in my slippers, simply because they're easier to put on than shoes in a hurry. I don't wear shoes in the house, that's all.

Working at home brings both rewards and obstacles. Via eMoms at Home comes a list of the top 10 keys to work at home success. Tip #10 rings true for me:

In order to become successful in your chosen field, it is important to study the people who are already successful, especially if you don’t have a lot of personal references as to what that would be like.

When I started out as a consultant, I interviewed several successful marketing consultants to find out about the field. I used their advice to hone my business plan. I also started networking at professional events, so that I could build my reputation and meet others with whom I could exchange information and contacts. This helped tremendously.

If you're not a networker, check out building a business network for introverts.

Related to work at home success

• Consultant jobs
• Staying motivated

I'm not sure how many of you read Lifehacker -- it's one of the top 1000 websites -- but my article on home office isolation was just featured on the front page of Lifehacker. Check out Lifehacker's discussion of home office isolation.

Following yesterday's post on home office isolation, a few readers wondered if I feel isolated in my home office. I don't. At least, I don't right now. When I first started out in consulting, I did feel isolated from time to time. However, over the years, I've learned to balance my week with meetings, telephone calls, email, networking events, social activities and other activities. I often collaborate with other people on projects, so I have that feeling of being part of a team, too. When I was new to working from home, I had a tendency to focus on my work and feel guilty if I took time off for mid-day social activities. Now I see those activities as part of my work-life balance. I've also made an effort to connect with other people who work from home, so I can share the rewards and frustrations of self-employment. But am I isolated? Not at all. Besides, I have a steady stream of emails from my Consultant Journal readers!

Is isolation making you wonder if it's time to leave your home office? Working from home can sometimes be isolating, making it hard to stay motivated. I recently mentioned that shared office space can help. If there's a solution like that in your community, go for it. But here are some other tips for dealing with home office isolation:

Nine tips for dealing with home office isolation

1. Go for a walk. Get out every day.
2. Buy a light book. Reset your routines and perhaps your mood.
   
3. Create some routines. Buy a latte every morning at the nearest coffee shop. Go out for lunch. Take a lunchtime yoga class. Go for a jog. Incorporate some of the structure you'd have in an office setting.
4. Rent cubicle space. I've seen cubicle rentals on Craigslist for $10 an hour.
   
5. Share an office. I know a group of medical professionals who rent out the receptionist's desk because they have no use for it. 
6. Work from the library. Take your laptop and grab a desk.
7. Work from a coffee shop -- lattes, WiFi and lots of small business owners.
8. Share another home office. I know a couple of graphic designers who share a home office. It helps them feel like they're in a regular office environment.
9. Invent work that keeps you out of the home. I teach university-level courses. I have friends who teach at community centres. Come up with ways to get out of your home office and get paid for it.

Update: Lifehacker has picked up the above post on home office isolation. One commenter there wanted to know why on earth I'd suggest renting a cube for $10 an hour. If you're the kind of person who can't stand working in a coffee shop and you can't afford to rent an office, renting a cubicle for $10 for a couple of hours once a week or once a month may be well worth it. If the cube comes with free local phone access, you may also save on cell phone charges.

Working from a home office can be a great setup. But, for many people, there comes a time when external office space makes more sense. Here's how to tell if it's time for you:

• Isolation is getting to you. In spite of pursuing activities outside your home, going to business events, meeting with clients and otherwise getting involved with you community, you still feel really isolated at home. Shared office space may be the solution.
• You hate working from home. The distractions -- noise, kids, TV -- and relaxed atmosphere make it too hard to focus. Coffee shops and the library don't help. If that describes you, it's time to get out of your home office.
• You need to hire staff. If bringing on more staff and moving to an office will deliver more profits, that's a great reason to move.
• You'd like to look more professional. You're in a position of regularly meeting clients and you need to bring them to your office to look at projects or equipment. Taking clients to your home feels uncomfortable -- because of privacy, security or image issues. You no longer find that coffee shops, client offices and restaurants fit the bill. If this is you, you need to consider rented space.
• You want to store supplies and equipment. If you haven't got the space at home and a rented storage unit is too inconvenient, opt for rented office space.

If these situations describe you and you haven't been able to solve your problems through any other means, it may be time to consider renting office space. Of course, that may be as simple as a drop-in cubicle or shared office space -- or as fancy as a downtown office suite.

Related:

Tips for dealing with home office isolation

One way to start working from home is to take up a telecommute job. Even established consultants may enjoy the regular cash flow, structure and stability of a telecommuting position. And, if you're just starting out, a telecommute job lets you build up some savings and try out working from home. Once you've got your feet wet, you can take the plunge to full-time consulting.

By working at a telecommuting position, you'll have flexibility and independence. You may be able to move your work hours so that you can meet with clients for your consulting business. You can see if you even like working from home. (And, if you don't, you can save up to rent a desk elsewhere!)

Even though I do consulting on a full-time basis, I hear great things about telecommuting from my friends who do consulting as a side business. So, if you aren't at the point where you have enough clients to go full-time, check out telecommuting jobs.

"Should consultants try telecommuting?" from Become a Consultant at ConsultantJournal.com.

Telecommute jobs - work at home jobs that let you telecommute can be a great transition from full-time office worker to work at home consultant. Work at home telecommute jobs give you the security of a regular paycheck, along with the support of the company that employs you.

If you're interested in many of the reasons to become a consultant, you think you should become a consultant, but you're not quite ready to make the commitment, consider a work at home telecommute position. In most cases, the easiest thing is to convince your existing employer to let you work from home one or two days a week -- if not more. This may give you the opportunity to see how you like the format of work from hom jobs.

However, if what's stopping you from consulting is that you're short of ideas, consider doing a personal inventory to generate consulting business ideas. And remember, you can always consult part-time, as a side job.

Posts related to telecommute jobs

• More on finding work you can do from home
• Work from home scams
• Getting your first consulting job
• Second job ideas
• Should consultants try telecommuting?
• Post resume for telecommute jobs

"Telecommute jobs | Work at home" from Become a Consultant at ConsultantJournal.com.

Consulting from home isn't quite the same as working in an office. Some people worry that, if they start working from home, they'll feel isolated and depressed. Well, some people would feel that way anyway, but isolation is an important factor to consider. Rather than using it to rule out becoming a consultant, look at it as a consultant should. In other words, identify the problem and work out a plan for managing it. A financial planner I know has a rule that he must leave his home for an hour every day -- he's on his way to being independently wealthy at age 40, so he must know what he's doing. So, listen to him and work out a plan for becoming a well connnected, non-isolated consultant.

"Consulting from home" from Become a Consultant at ConsultantJournal.com.

Despite the trend in more and more people working from home, the office furniture industry has been slow to catch up. You'd think there would be dozens of ways for people working from home to hide their home offices in armoires. Yet armoire home office options are few and far between. The furniture industry doesn't seem to do much to help people with setting up home offices.

An armoire is a great way to hide a home office. It offers many benefits:

• looks like regular furniture and blends into a non-office setting
  
• closes up to hide your computer
• maximizes height while minimizing space
• fits into a small space and takes up less room than a big work desk

But, at the same time, I see an awful lot of problems with armoires for home offices. Some of the challenges include:

• most models have office furniture colors and may not look right with home furniture
• pine- and oak-look armoires may not blend in with more modern settings that feature steel and espresso finishings
• lack of writing space
• no blocks to lift up a laptop so that the screen is at the right height
• no filing cabinet space
• no drawers
• printer is near the floor, meaning that your tidy home office is open to children and pets when in use

Although I've noted some flaws above, I still think computer armoires are a great home office solution. If you can keep the drawbacks in mind, you can easily eliminate poor armoire offerings and better accommodate your home office. So, when shopping for a computer armoire for your home office, ask yourself these questions:

• Do I need to use this with a computer? A laptop or a desktop?
• If so, what height do I need the screen to be at for ergonomic comfort?
• Do I need space for a printer?
• Where will I keep my inbox and outbox?
• Will the armoire provide space for a few books and working files?
• Is there a filing cabinet drawer?
• Where will I keep pens, scissors and other home office supplies?
• Do small children or pets prevent me from using storage along the floor?
• Will small children slam their fingers in the doors or spend time flapping the doors while I'm working?
• Do I have enough space to open the doors as widely as I need to?
• Is my space tall enough for this armoire?
• Do I like the color and finishing?

Those are just a few shopping tips. Before you hit the stores, come up with your own list of questions. Whether you're spending $250 or $2000, you'll want to make sure you pick the armoire that best suits your home office and not some fictional display.

Armoire home office options.

If you’re new to consulting, you may be surprised by the home office supplies you’ll need to run your business. However, you may already have a computer, desk or phone you can use and most, if not all, items will be tax write-offs. Here’s a list of 15 basic office supplies (in no particular order) to get you started.

List of home business office supplies

1. Computer – laptop computers are flexible, but if you have a dedicated workspace, you can save by buying a desktop computer system. See my post on how to find cheap computer equipment.
   
2. Telephone – if you share your phone with the rest of the family, consider a two-line cordless phone that has call display.
3. Printer (multi-function printers also act as a fax and photocopier)
4. Fax – consider a multifunction printer so that you don’t have a fax and a printer cluttering your office.
5. Internet connection – consider wireless Internet, if you don’t have a dedicated desk or if you need to share your connection with other people in the home. Wireless Internet usually just means you need a router and a card.
6. Filing cabinet – keep working files on your desktop, but make sure you have somewhere to keep business records. You need to keep tax records for seven years!
7. Desk or home office armoire – get an ergonomic one that’s set at the right height
8. Chair – get a chair that’s suited to heavy long-term use
9. Stapler – need we say more?
10. Stationery and supplies – envelopes, business cards, printer paper, paperclips and the like. (Here's a great article on organizing stationery and office supplies.)
    
11. Stamps and envelopes for sending out invoices
12. Clock – many people find their computer lets them know the time
13. Calendar – schedule appointments with your computer or PDA, but keep a hardcopy in a calendar or appointment book
14. In-box (and an outbox) – stacking trays help you manage incoming and outgoing paper
15. Home business permit from your local municipality, if applicable

Of course, before you start shopping for office supplies, make sure you've covered the basics. See our article on setting up a home office.

What do you need for your home office? Tell me what home office supplies you need and I'll add them to the list.

Related Posts

• Office gadgets I can't live without

From Become a Consultant Blog at ConsultantJournal.com.

Home office set up for consultants made simple? Setting up your home office need not be an onerous task. Although figuring out how to set up your home office is just the first of many tasks in establishing your home business, you can figure out how to set up and organize your home office with careful planning. Of course, many people hire a professional organizer, since it often makes sense to outsource non-core activities!

When you become a consultant, it often makes sense to start by working from home. When you work at home, your home office offers many advantages. These include the possibilities of deducting mortgage interest, maintenance, utilities, cleaning, and upkeep. You might also be able to use your dining room table, home computer, telephone, Internet connection and other facilities in the home. For many people, setting up a home business just means putting a computer and a phone in a corner of the dining room, living room, spare bedroom, den or basement. (Heck, look what some people can cram into their 100-square-foot apartments, let alone home offices.)

 
So what do you need to start your home business as a consultant? Consider these points before you start planning your home office.

 Planning your home office needs

• How often will you work from home? Will you work for a couple of hours at night or are you planning a full-time venture?
• What work will you be doing? A communications consultant may simply need a computer, whereas a financial planning consultant may need space to meet clients, spread out financial plans, or assemble direct mail campaigns.
• Do you need to meet clients or vendors? Most consultants venture out to coffee shops, restaurants or the client or vendor’s office. But your needs may vary.
• Do you share your office or home with others? Although it’s nice to be able to shut out disturbances by closing a door, many consultants find that they can manage by working when other members of the household are at work or school (or even napping!).
• Do you need to separate work and home? Some people find it distracting to be unable to leave the office. A door, screen, curtain or armoire can help you separate work and home life.

Setting up your home office for all your functions

Before you start shopping and organizing your space, define your home office needs. You’ll want to make sure you have:

• A designated workspace. You need a place to call “home” for your home office. But this doesn’t mean you need a separate room. Millions of home business owners work from their dining rooms, living rooms, closets, stair landings, attics, or even a corner of the bedroom. If you own a service business, like consulting, you probably don’t need to store merchandise or other supplies – you don’t need a lot of space. Just pick somewhere that has good lighting, ventilation, and minimal noise, if possible. Make the best of what you have.
• Somewhere to sit while you work – even if you’re using the dining room table, make sure you have a flat surface, chair and lighting. Make sure the furniture is at the right height for you, so that you don’t later waste time and money on physiotherapy and massage!
• A system for managing and storing paper – if you previously worked in an office, you may be surprised by the amount of paper you’ll now need to manage. You’ll need to keep receipts for everything related to your business and your business use of home – mortgage interest, utilities, meals and entertainment, supplies, auto insurance and more. You’ll need filing cabinets, bankers boxes, stacking inbox/outbox trays, working file storage, file folders and more.
• A way to connect with business contacts. In the old days, this just meant a telephone. Nowadays, this typically means you’ll need a computer, cordless phone, cell phone, Internet connection and multifunction printer. You probably don’t need a dedicated fax line when you’re starting out. Most documents come by email or courier.
• A few things to make your office seem comfortable. Depending on your space and budget, this could mean paint, photos, a framed inspirational quote, a funky mousepad or anything else that helps you feel like you’re in a comfortable workspace.

If you're having trouble figuring out how to set up your office, consider enlisting a professional organizer. However, if you have the time, figuring out how your needs is a "doable" task.

Now that you have an idea of what you need, on to the list of home office supplies!

From Become a Consultant Blog at ConsultantJournal.com.

Got a small home office? If you think your home office is cramped, check out 100 pictures of 100-square-foot rooms in Hong Kong: small spaces. Some are organized, some are cluttered, some are minimalistic and some push their space to the max. If some people can live their lives in a 10x10 room, a work from home consultant should have no trouble using a stair landing, closet, guest room, armoire, or other space.

Related Posts

• Home office setup

From Become a Consultant Blog at ConsultantJournal.com.