Working from home has many advantages. And these days, especially since the start of the pandemic, many people are enjoying the opportunity of setting up an office at home. But sometimes it can be a bit difficult to motivate yourself to work in the coziness of your home.
This is why it’s essential to properly set up your home office. As a remote worker, you should take the time to design the right setup with an eye towards maximum efficiency.
We’ve looked into a number of areas that can help you decide when and how to upgrade your home office with some new and useful tech.
Laptop/Desktop
If you don’t have a fast and reliable computer you will almost certainly encounter daily obstacles as a remote worker. If you’re running a setup that is over 5 years old, this might be the perfect opportunity to lay your hands on a new machine.
What kind of computer you should buy, should, of course, be determined by the kind of work you do. If you are a copywriter who mostly needs fast browsing to research topics, a Microsoft Surface Pro X will probably do. On the other hand, if you happen to be a video editor, you will want something a little more solid, like an iMac Pro.
If your home office revolves around a desktop computer, there are ways to refresh the existing machine and give it more life. The easiest way to do this would be with additional memory and storage. And, don’t forget to make backups of everything, and doing a fresh, clean install of the operating system will ensure operational longevity and increase performance.
Monitor
There is a lot to be said about choosing the right monitor. Even if you are using a laptop, adding an external monitor can be of great help. If you work with many tabs open at once, you know very well how unproductive it is to constantly click back and forth from a webpage. The good news is that using dual monitors has been shown to increase productivity by up to 30%.
Alternatively, using a large external monitor is also a game-changer in the laptop vs. desktop debate. With it, you can opt for a mobile laptop but also have a desktop-like setup. Simply put, choosing the right monitor gives you the possibility to have the best of both worlds.
One option you might consider is the Samsung Space Monitor. This 32-inch monitor with a frameless design will take up minimal space in your home office. If you attach it to the back of your desk it will free up desk space and appear to float as you move and adjust it to your viewing angle.
Printer
Even in the digital age that we live in, when most of our information is stored on the cloud, a good printer can be an important part of your home office, and in some cases even essential.
But before you get a new printer, consider that, just like with the previously mentioned desktop computers, there is always a way to refresh your old printer and make it as good as new. Firstly, inspect the ink levels, make sure they are good, and if not, proceed to refill them. Not only will you be saving money in the process, but you’ll also be doing your part for keeping the environment clean.
For anyone who hasn’t upgraded in years, the good news is that there was a wave of new printer tech in the last few years, such as the elimination of the cartridge in modern inkjet printers. Epson is, for example, offering the EcoTank series of printers that have a much larger page count than conventional inkjets.
Connectivity
In today’s world, you need a reliable wireless router – your livelihood depends on it!
When it comes to routers, most options offered to you by your internet service provider are often cheap and inefficient. Depending on how you’ve set your office up, having a reliable connection is paramount. If you happen to live in a larger home and find that your connection has issues, then you should consider getting a signal booster or a Wi-Fi range extender.
The most frustrating thing when working from a home office is a faulty internet connection. Never has this become more apparent than during the current conditions brought about by the global pandemic. For many, this is the first time when long-term remote working was added to the usual mix of entertainment, education, family video-calling, and general web usage. Simply put, all those additional activities require a much faster and more stable connection to make the day-to-day as efficient as possible.
If working from home was a dream come true for you, then these new living conditions brought by the pandemic will have come as a blessing in disguise. And it is entirely understandable why you would prefer to work that way. There is nothing like being able to do things at your own pace and in the comfort of your own home. But as we said, too much comfort can also be a downside. This is why it is essential to make your home/workspace as conducive to productivity as possible, and choosing the right equipment and setup is the most efficient way to achieve those results.
