The adage “location, location, location” is aptly applied here.
When furnishing a new office, the placement of the desk is the first order of business. There should not be a need to use extension cords to plug in computers and other electronic devices. Your laptop would function best if it had its dedicated power supply, isolated from the effects of switching on and off other appliances. Don’t connect the PC to the same circuit as the AC or heater, at the very least. The phone line connecting to your modem, computer, monitor, and printer should all be plugged into a high-quality surge protector.
Lightness is an additional factor. Don’t put your screen in a window or somewhere that will be illuminated by light (natural or artificial). Your eyes will appreciate this even if it prevents you from putting your desk close to a bright window. It’s preferable to have multiple, easily-adjusted bulbs for artificial lighting rather than a single, mighty chandelier.
Don’t put your computer’s central processing unit (CPU) on the floor under your desk, where you can accidentally step on it and cause damage to the hard drive. You should probably move it somewhere safer. You might experience a little jolt when you initially sit down at your keyboard if the air in your office is arid or if you generate static electricity by walking on your carpet. The bad news is that your keyboard is also being shocked. A rubber anti-static mat can be placed under the keyboard to solve this problem. Static electricity can be safely dissipated by touching this before touching the keyboard.
The desk is the nerve center.
Now that you know where your desk will go, we can get into the nitty-gritty of setting it up. Disorganized desk spaces lead to wasted time and energy at work. The sleek glass-topped tables with nothing on them but a laptop computer and no files anywhere you see in magazines are the worst clutter magnets. These work arrangements are meant to display the furnishings. This is not how a working office should look.
Making good use of the space directly in front of you at your desk is the key to a productive work environment without distractions. You should take full advantage of any available vertical space that does not need you to leave your chair.
L- or U-shaped desks provide the most usable workspace. Even while most contemporary desks lack the classic “return” that can be pulled out on one side, there are ways to make do with a typical rectangular desk: Set up a secondary work surface by placing a small table or even a low filing cabinet to the side of your main desk. Thanks to this, you now have more room to spread out whenever you need it.
Your desk’s overhead is also valuable for real estate. You should have a cabinet or shelves above your desk to store frequently accessed files, reference materials, and office supplies. Since there would be more room on your desk, you may keep your printer there and cut down on travel time.
A phone swivel shelf, which can be attached to your desk and rotated up and down, left and right, is another space-saving device. This way, you won’t have to give up any desk space to store your phone. You must have a headset for your phone. The freedom to move around while maintaining a conversation is a significant productivity booster, relieving strain on the neck and shoulders. A desktop holder for pencils, staplers, paperclips, etc., is necessary if your desk does not have a pencil drawer.
You should consider your chair one of your most valuable corporate assets. You’ll need a wheeled chair that provides adequate support for your lower back and is height-adjustable. Finally, an acrylic chair mat will allow you more freedom of movement in your chair.
=Storage & Filing=
Get a sufficient number of file cabinets to store your documents. One of your file drawers, whether under your desk or to the side, should be within easy reach without getting up from your seat. If you need to maintain many old files for legal or historical reasons, you can save money and avoid clutter by placing the boxes in a closet or using a record storage service.
When stocking up on filing materials, consider investing in hanging folders to keep internal folders standing upright and to facilitate easy sliding in the drawer. If you can help it, don’t use folders that are legal size.
Having a storage area is essential. Open shelves are preferable over a cabinet or credenza, although either will do. You may avoid stress and save time by stocking up on supplies in advance. After all, you can’t afford to be out of laser toner when the proposal deadline is 30 minutes. Papers exposed to moisture while in storage are more likely to curl, causing printing problems. Seal the paper package with tape or use a plastic bag to hide the empty packaging.
One bookcase is required, not just for books but also for magazines, newspapers, and computer guides.
=Telephones and Accessories=
DSL eliminates the requirement for a second phone line specifically for internet use. However, a second line is necessary if you are one of the few people still using dial-up. Callers will hear a busy tone if you don’t answer your phone when you check your email. The same holds if your fax machine is constantly being used.
In addition to a printer, you should get a fax machine and a scanner. Black-and-white printing, copying, faxing, and scanning are all capabilities offered by affordable multi-function printers. A multi-function machine should suffice if most of your office’s copying and scanning is done from loose sheets. However, a flatbed copier is required if you routinely copy from bound materials. If you wish to scan documents or photos from books, you can’t use the scanner on your multifunction printer. Instead, you’ll need a flatbed scanner.
Losing your printer, copier, and scanner because your fax broke is another disadvantage of multi-function machines. Buying these machines separately has its benefits, and now that their prices have dropped so significantly, it’s also relatively cheap. The same goes for printers that use colored ink. They are inexpensive, and their output does not blur like older models. Finally, a paper shredder is an absolute must today due to the prevalence of identity theft.
From 2001 through 2006, Jan Jasper
Since 1988, Jan Jasper has been assisting those with hectic schedules in working more efficiently. She wrote “Take Back Your Time: How to Regain Control of Work, Information, & Technology” (St. Martin’s Press). Thousands of workers have benefited from Jan’s guidance on managing many tasks, dealing with information overload, and making the most of office technology. Goldmine and Microsoft Outlook are just two examples of programs that she can set up and instruct others on how to use. Call (212) 465-7472 for free articles, or go to
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