As a budding entrepreneur in the age of COVID-19, there’s no better time to launch a business from home. Not only will you protect yourself and your customers, clients, and employees from the coronavirus, but you’ll reduce your carbon footprint and save money on transportation and office space. Some other benefits of remote work include improved work-life balance, reduced stress and anxiety, and the ability to create your dream office space. 

Though working from home is the safest option during the pandemic, you may need to occasionally welcome customers, clients, and other guests into your home office. Check out these tips to learn how to set up a safe yet stylish space you’ll truly love working in. 

Home Office Design

Many entrepreneurs work well over 40 hours a week, so it’s crucial to create a home office space that’s comfortable, functional, well-lit, and inspiring. The space should be private and free of distractions, and some businesses may need a separate guest entrance and waiting area. In these cases, it may be necessary to build an addition, convert an attic or basement into a home office, or even find a new home with an existing office space.

When designing your office space, it’s also important to think about whether you’ll be selling the home in the near future. Certain upgrades can increase the appraisal value of your home, including the addition of fully functional workspaces. Just be sure to take before and after photos of your home and keep track of each update you make. 

Safety Considerations for In-Home Visits

If you’ll be welcoming clients, customers, or other guests into your home, there are some safety considerations you’ll need to keep in mind to protect yourself and your visitors against the coronavirus. For instance, the office should be located in a space with at least one window that can be opened to increase indoor air circulation during visits.

Here are some additional recommendations to prevent the spread of COVID-19:

• Wear a face mask and require your guests to do the same.
• Have guests sanitize their hands before entering and leaving your home.
• Install a whole-house air filtration system that uses ultraviolet light. 
• Position chairs at least six feet apart from one another.
• Sanitize and disinfect surfaces before and after each visit. 

Moreover, it’s important to keep disposable face masks on hand in the event that your visitors arrive without one. You could also have your guests answer several COVID-19 screening questions before entering your home. As an example, use the Standardized Employee Screening Questionnaire provided by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. 

You can also minimize the number of in-office meetings you take for safety purposes. For example, if you need to go over paperwork with a client, customer, or investor, rather than meeting in person, you can send them a digital file and set up a Zoom meeting. Instead of dealing with an overflow of different documents, use a merge PDF tool to combine files and arrange them in the order you see fit.  

Staging and Lighting for Virtual Meetings

Virtual meetings are safest amidst COVID-19, but there are a few things you’ll need to do when setting up your home office for video visits with clients and customers. For starters, you’ll want to invest in a good ring light, as these affordable gadgets will improve your office lighting for video conferences. Alternatively, you could place your desk in front of a window or replace your office light bulbs with daylight LED bulbs. In addition to setting up your lighting, you’ll want to stage your video conference backdrop. 

Contactless Technologies Prevent COVID-19

Whether you’re running your business virtually or out of your home, contactless technologies can be used to safely invoice clients, collect payments, and pay employees and freelancers during the pandemic. Apple Pay, Google Pay, Venmo, and PayPal are a few options to consider, or you can check out QuickBooks, Scoro, or Zoho Books for hassle-free invoicing.

In Conclusion

Remote work has been around for a while, but running a home-based business during a pandemic is something many of us are still getting used to. However, these tips can help us to stand out as an entrepreneur in the best possible way — while protecting ourselves and our clients or customers from COVID-19.

Article courtesy of: Curtis Fisher, www.tradesbright.org