For My Office
When starting your new online home business there are certain things you will need to be productive. You maybe wondering, what is the best home office equipment? I will tell you what I personally use for my business. I have been working from home continuously for the past 5 years using just the basics in home office equipment. My suggestions on this page will help you to make the beginning growth of your business a smoother process without spending too much.
The three basic pieces of equipment.
Obviously if you are going to be operating an online business you will need to have access to the internet. That being said the way you have your internet set up now will be just fine for starting out. However there are three pieces of equipment that will make the 
overall working experience more productive and at times much easier.
Ideally you would be better off using a laptop than a desktop computer, mainly because of the portability it provides. Then it would be even more beneficial to have a Wi-Fi network set up so that you can work from any place in your home. One of the many great things I love about working from home on my Wi-Fi is that I can work from my bedroom, in bed if I need to, though I wouldn’t recommend it if you are married.
I am the type of person that doesn’t like to get out of a nice warm bed during the cold winter months unless I absolutely have to. I am also someone who often thinks of ideas while lying awake in bed. Having a Wi-Fi network in my home and using a laptop computer affords me the opportunity to do work updates as soon as I get the idea. Most times when I am writing content for my website and I’m in the middle of creating a web page such as this one, I will always bring my laptop into my bedroom just in case an idea should pop into my head while in the comfort of my bed.
Another basic piece of home office equipment that I use is a Wi-Fi capable printer, scanner, copier and fax. If you have one that is not Wi-Fi capable you do not have to get one if you don’t want to. I personally like one for the same reason I gave above for not wanting to get out of bed in the winter time. Sometimes I do proofreading of content for other people that want their corrections faxed back to them so that they have a hard copy. Having a Wi-Fi capable fax affords me that luxury of sending the fax from anywhere within my home.
This is what I personally use.
It doesn’t really matter what brand of equipment you use for your home office computer network as all of them will work just fine. Some people may use only Windows compatible hardware and others only Apple. The choice is totally up to you. I personally use a Windows compatible PC laptop for my computer and all of my mobile devices are Apple products. That is the set up I am most comfortable with and when it comes to working from home, or anywhere for that matter, you should always be the most comfortable as possible so that you can work more efficiently.
The computer I use for creating all of my website content is a Sony Vaio Windows 7 laptop PC. I also have an HP OJ7610 Wireless Color Printer All-In-One and a Linksys Wireless-G Broadband Router hooked up to a High Speed Cable Internet Modem. This set up is all that I need to be productive in running my business from anywhere in my home.
I am also fortunate to live in an area of the United States where my Cable TV & Internet Provider, Optimum, has over 400,000 public outdoor Wi-Fi hotspots scattered throughout the Northern New Jersey and New York City area. Being a paying customer of Optimum for my cable and internet, I can use my wireless devices at any of these hotspots totally free of charge. If your internet provider offers a service like mine does, I highly recommend that you make use of it.
Using mobile devices for your home business.
Though many people now have mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets, I still recommend using a computer for most of your creative work, mainly because of the bigger screen. However your smartphone which is actually a handheld PC 
with a camera and a phone added to it, can be used for quick editing, emails, and various other non-creative means. A tablet PC such as an iPad would be better for the creation process than a smaller smartphone PC.
HERE IS A TECHIE FACT: Yes your tablet and smartphone is a PC and can be used as a PC. Matter of fact a smartphone has more computing power and memory than an average satellite. In addition smartphones have GPS, Motion Sensors, Multiple Accelerometers, Radio Receivers + more and because of this NASA uses them as the brains of most of their satellites. I bet you didn’t know that! So it only makes good sense for you to use your smartphones and tablets as part of your home business.
I personally own and use an Apple iPhone and iPad as part of my home office computer equipment. The three things that I use them exclusively is for taking pictures that I will use on my websites, as a note taking and audio reminder for times when I am out and get an idea I do not want to forget about, and also to type up content when at the park sitting under a tree or at a picnic table within range of a Wi-Fi hotspot.
My equipment recommendations for your home business.
Everyone is going to have their own favorites when it comes to various brands of equipment they will want to use. How to start a work from home business in whatever you choose that business to be can also determine the equipment you may decide to use. But the following is just a basic list of what you need to get up and running. The absolute least you need are the first two below.
THE BASIC EQUIPMENT NEEDED TO GET STARTED
• A Computer
• An Internet Connection
THE BASIC ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT FOR BETTER PRODUCTIVITY
• A Printer All-In-One
• A Wi-Fi Router
ADDITIONAL USEFUL MOBILITY EQUIPMENT
• A Smartphone and/or a Tablet
Nowadays you really do not need a lot of equipment to efficiently run your online home business. Sure you can spend more money and have more technical gadgets and equipment but they are not necessary nor will they make you more efficient. Simplicity in your approach to building the home office will go a long way in helping you to work more productively.
The only other thing I would suggest that you should have is an area of your home where you can concentrate while doing your work. Preferably a room with a door that you can close and maybe even lock. This can help you to concentrate by keeping out unwanted noises and distractions.
Working from home is a great blessing for me because my commute is only 30 seconds instead of 30 minutes and I do not have to pay for gas or transportation to get to my job. I am also more productive because I can work from my home office, my bedroom, my comfortable sectional couch in my living room, at the park down the street, or on the other side of town. Plus I can work when I want to as long as I get my work done within the time it needs to be done.
So set up your home office with the basic equipment and start enjoying your work like many others that work from home. If you have any comments or questions regarding home office equipment to use, please leave them below and I will be happy to send you a reply. If you would like a listing of 10 jobs you can do from home, check out my blog post Real Work From Home Jobs.
You should consider laptop table if you like to work from bed 😉
I do have one but tend to use my iPad more so now.
I like using my tablet hehe..can sit or even lay anywhere you want with a internet connection 😀
Great post, Robert!
I agree Julian. I love taking my iPad to the park and sit at a picnic table or lay under a tree and work on my website, especially since in my town the area ISP has outdoor public WiFi hotspots all over the place so I can be constantly connected where ever I go. 🙂
Brilliantly explained just how little one needs to run a successful business these days… I am old enough to not completely take this for granted.
The age of the Internet has made setting up a Home Office quite simple and cost effective. A computer and an internet connection, which most people already have, is all that you really need to get started. And now with “Cloud Storage” and the use of USB Flash Drives, there is no real need for filing cabinets any more either. – Thanks for your comment Steve.
I still like using a desktop more because it’s more comfortable for me but i agree with the use of laptop in terms of portability. Great advice on home business tips Robert! It’s true doing home business is the way to go
Everyone has their preferences Riaz and when it comes down to it all that matters is that you are comfortable with the set up that you have, as long as it works and you have an internet connection.
This has me thinking about adding an iPad to my repertoire in the near future. I have a great smartphone, so I have always thought that might be a little redundant. As business builds it may be a great feature to have. Thanks for the perspective.
A smartphone is still a miniature PC and it definitely helps in the mobility aspect of a work from home business. However an iPad would be a great investment mainly because of the bigger screen and more computing memory than the phone. I would highly recommend one, I LOVE my iPad! – Thanks for your comment Shell.
I have a router and like you work from a laptop. But I have been thinking about getting a tablet because it is more portable for when I’m out and about. Like you, I also write a lot in bed. It seems like that is when I get a lot of good ideas. Another nice post Robert!
You are welcome Wendy! Yes I can totally recommend that you get a tablet. I absolutely love my iPad! Though my iPhone is just as much a PC as my iPad, the iPad (as well as other tablets) have a bigger screen for better viewing and the keyboard area is bigger too. Personally I can’t stand when things are too small which is why I rarely text and surf the internet on my iPhone. So I say a big YES, get a tablet! They are really great for portability!
Great page. Lots of good info. I work with computers and this is all true. I didn’t know about the satellites though. Keep up the good work.
Thank you Jim. It really doesn’t take that much in the way of home office equipment nowadays with the use of Wi-Fi and Mobile Devices to have an efficient home office set up. – Yes, NASA uses smartphone technology as the brains for many of their satellites.
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