In all the other guides we’ve found, having a backup listed as important, but is also always the last thing mentioned. To make it even harder to forget, we’ve put it first.

Although having an office at home is incredibly convenient, it also means you don’t have the luxury of being able to rely on an IT department to safely back up your work for you. The buck stops with you as far as the safety of your data is concerned.

There are two ways to establish a back-up regime. We would recommend you do both. You can go out and buy a decent sized external hard drive which is at least as big as the hard drive on your computer. Alternatively, you can sign up for an online backup service. Whichever you choose set it up so that all of your work files, emails and important documents are backed up at the end of each day. This is especially important if you have a laptop, as these can be dropped, stolen or lost easily.

As gizmotechs, we see far too many people lose important files simply because they didn’t have a backup. If you need help making sure this is working properly, a gizmo Back Me Up service will get it set up properly from the get-go.

Good foundations

If you’re serious about getting a home office set up properly, make sure the room you want to use has enough power-points. Depending on the size of your room and whether you have an existing network at home, you probably also want to have network cables run through your walls. This avoids the clutter of cables snaking round the room and you’ll be glad you did it later. Make sure you have network and power sockets coming out of the wall where you will set up your computer (and any future desks you intend to install as your business grows).

When it comes to power points, more is always better. You will most likely need sockets for:

A computer
A printer, scanner and fax machine
Your telephone (if you’re going to use a cordless handset)
Your mobile phone
A computer monitor
Your wireless router
Anything else you need to plug in

Networking

A good network is essential. gizmotechs always recommend a high-speed broadband connection for your office. ADSL 2+ or Cable Internet are the two best options, but if you can only get ADSL 1, make sure you get a 1500kbps or faster connection. When it comes to download limits, sign up for a plan which has double the capacity you think you’ll need. Windows updates, streaming video and radio all add-up really quickly and going over your download quota for the month will either cost you money or slow your business to a snail’s pace. If you intend to use an online backup service, make sure you either sign up for a plan where uploads don’t count towards your usage, or factor this into your quota. If you intend to share your internet connection with others in the house, that’s fine, just make sure that you keep an eye on how much they are downloading so you can allow for it. It is painful to use a capped internet connection when you’re under pressure to meet deadlines.

Even though we’ve recommended you use a wired network if possible, if you’re buying a router anyway its worth getting one with wireless built into it. Having it there means that if you buy a phone with WiFi built-in (like an iPhone) or if someone else comes to work in your office with a laptop, they will be able to get on the net quickly, efficiently and without needing to string cables everywhere.

For a top 10 of wireless routers, check out http://www.cnet.com.au/wireless/0,239029920,210000020c-1r-10s,00.htm. Alternatively, give gizmo a call and book a gizmo Network Me service and we can sell you the right hardware on the day.

The Computer

When you’re buying a computer for use in a home office, it is important you consider you will be using it a lot of the time. As such, it’s worth spending a little bit more to get the fastest computer you can afford. A gizmo Shop with Me service can get you the advice you need to make the right choice, but you also need to consider whether you need a laptop or a desktop.

Desktops are great if you don’t ever need to travel for business, but if travel is essential then a laptop is often a good way to go. One set up that works really well is using a laptop with an external monitor, keyboard, mouse and a docking station (alternatively a PCMCIA USB Hub can do the same thing and usually costs much less). Having this set up, it’s really easy to hook your laptop up to a larger external screen and keyboard and mouse when you’re in the office. If you choose to go down this route, buy a relatively large screen as more desktop real-estate is always a good thing. If you’re investing in a desktop research has shown that dual-monitors are a great way of significantly improving your productivity on the computer.

If you decide to get a laptop, a second power adapter is always a good idea if you travel frequently. That way you can leave one plugged in at your desk and the other in your bag. Getting on your hands and knees under the desk isn’t that fun if you have to do it every day and a second adapter is usually quite inexpensive.

Software

Lots of people don’t factor the cost of software into their home office set up but without it you won’t be able to do very much. The most important piece of software you’ll need to buy is Microsoft Office. Depending on which individual programs you need (e.g. Word, Power Point and Outlook), you might be able to get away with purchasing the less expensive Small Business Edition. To see what is included with each version visit http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/products/FX101635841033.aspx. Remember, if you still have your disks and product keys from an earlier version of Office, you might be able to get away with purchasing the Upgrade version.

We’d definitely recommend doing the upgrade to the 2007 version of Office, as its features (see our article on its Picture Styles and Smart Art capabilities) make it a breeze to create professional looking documents.

Peripherals

Most people will find they need at least a printer for their home office. Fortunately, the frustrating days of the fax machine are almost over, however, if you find you still need a fax machine, consider investing in an all-in-one unit that lets you print, scan and fax. For business purposes, I would suggest a unit that uses a laser printer as opposed to an inkjet printer. Laser printers are more economical for volume printing even though they tend to cost more to buy. Also, try and get a scanner which has an ADF or Automatic document feeder as they let you scan or photocopy a stack of papers at a time. Scanners also make a convenient way of scanning bills, tax records and everything else you don’t want to keep stashed away in filing cabinets. Many scanners give you the option to scan to PDF which means that instead of faxing documents, you can scan and email them. No more blurry faxes for you.

If you will have more than one person working in your office, or if you would like to share your printer with others, consider purchasing a printer which can be connected to your network instead of your computer. Networked printers let any computer print to it even when your computer isn’t turned on. This is especially useful if you have a laptop and are likely to disconnect your computer often.

Putting it all together

Getting all this wondrous gadgetry hooked up and working together properly can be a fair bit of work for even the most confident DIYer. Fortunately, if you need a hand, gizmo can help. We offer a range of services to help you get your home office set up and read to work. For more information about our services, visit our website at www.gizmo.com.au or give us a call for an obligation free quote on 1300 275 449.

September, 2008

Setting up a home office

Backup