Whether your home office is a dedicated space or a desk in the corner of the kitchen, kitting it out correctly is vital. These are our recommendations for five key areas where the right technology makes all the difference.
Home office picture from Shutterstock
All of our recommendations for general office use apply here too; we’ve concentrated on gear that is particularly useful in a home office environment.
Home Server/NAS
We’d absolutely recommend backing up your work automatically to the cloud; check out our favourite cloud storage providers and our guide to automating backup. However, no backup solution should rely on a single point of failure. If you set up a home server, you’ll have an additional layer of backup, and an ideal location to store larger files you don’t access often. Check out our detailed guide to setting up a home server for more details.
Printer
We don’t live in a paperless world yet, and there will still be times when you require printed documents for presentations, airline check-ins, or financial records. For maximum flexibility, get an all-in-one unit that also includes a scanner; that way, you can scan and dispose of lots of documents, cutting down on the need for home filing.
Shredder
There are two reasons you need a shredder. Firstly, once you’ve scanned all those documents like bank statements, you need to make sure they can’t be used for identity theft. Secondly, shredding paper is strangely therapeutic. Don’t skimp on a manual version; you want the satisfying sound of paper grinding. Shredder picture from Shutterstock
Standing Desk
We’re enormous enthusiasts for standing desks, and in a home environment you don’t have the hassle of persuading your boss to purchase one. You don’t have to spend a fortune either; a quick visit to IKEA will sort you out. It takes time to adjust to a standing desk, but it changes your whole approach to work.
Coffee Machine
Yes, sometimes taking a break and heading out to grab a coffee is good for your productivity. But if you’re not near a cafe or you tend to get distracted while out, adding a coffee machine will make your work environment more pleasant. Budget-minded? Think ALDI. Don’t want cleaning hassle? Think Nespresso. Coffee snob? Buy some expensive gear and take a barista course. If nothing else, that will give you a second source of income.
Stay tuned this week for more must-have tech recommendations. Tomorrow: tech for travel.