Although it dates back to the 1970s, working from home has been a growing trend over the last decade. It’s not for everyone, but it has its advantages. There’s no commute, you can eat lunch at home every day and set your own schedule. In order to work from home in any field, technology is required. Here are some of the tools and equipment available to help you.
High-speed Internet
In order to send and receive data while working from home in your virtual office, you obviously need an internet connection. You will want a fast connection, especially if you have virtual meetings with video and sound. Cable, DSL, and fiber are three popular choices that can be affordable and supply a very fast connection. Depending on what is available in your area, you may be able to choose from two or more of these. Choose the one that best suits your needs.
Computer
A computer is another necessity. You may need it for data entry or creating documents or spreadsheets. A computer is also how you will communicate in a virtual meeting. A desktop gives a nice office feel, but today’s laptops are every bit as fast and efficient and allow you to work anywhere in your home. Just be sure the processor, RAM and storage are up to your needs. An ergonomic keyboard and mouse are nice to have, especially if you work long hours.
Multi-purpose Printer
If you sometimes need hard copies, you will want a quality printer. You can get a good one for a reasonable price. The best ones are the multi-purpose printers. In addition to printing, they can make copies, scan documents and send faxes. This can be useful for the home office.
Camera, Mic and Speakers
If you do take part in virtual meetings, you want to be seen and heard as well as see and hear the others. You’ll need a quality webcam. There are small ones that mount unobtrusively on top of your monitor that do the job nicely. Some come with a built-in microphone but you can also buy one separately. There are some excellent models that you can mount right on your desktop. A good set of speakers or a headset will bring you clear sound.
More and more people are working from home these days. To do so effectively and with minimal problems, you want to set up your home office with quality technology.
