by Charlotte Mielziner

Created on: May 29, 2009

Mona placed her iced tea on a foot high pile of papers and leaned back in her kitchen chair. The article she'd been working on for days was going nowhere. She gazed at the cluttered table and closed her eyes. The phone rang and as she twisted in her chair to reach the wall unit behind her, the nearly full glass tipped over and splashed on her keyboard. The surprised client on the other end of the phone was greeted with an angry string of epithets. Mona needed a home office.

Home based offices are more than a growing trend; they are here to stay as technology connects our world. Today, nearly half of all businesses in the United States are home-based and include professional, retail, maintenance, construction, technical services, and more. Most entrepreneurs start on the kitchen table with an idea and a pad of paper. With hard work and good luck they outgrow it and need a space to call their own.

Giving a space in the home and resources to a home based business can be motivating. It acknowledges the business is viable and productive and means far more than just a space. Many beginning proprietors find new inspiration, dedication, and energy once they've set up a home office.

A ruined laptop is what it took for Mona to finally set up a proper home office for herself. A freelance writer, she was used to researching a project and boiling information to a few key pieces. Mona found the following points covered what she needed to design her space. She calls it "The Five D's."

1. Define your work. Mona is a freelance writer and graphic designer. She ghostwrites non-fiction pieces and blogs for well-known clients. She researches a subject and writes articles according to the editor's guidelines. Her graphic design work includes logos and website layouts. Mona is a one-woman show and does her own bookkeeping, billing, advertising, and communications.

Exactly what you do influences the next four choices. List the main tasks of your job and include the additional responsibilities that you cover, as well.

2. Decide what you need to perform your work. Mona needed a computer, printer with scanner and fax, file cabinet, art table with good lighting, phone line, and more. She realized the piles of paper on her kitchen table needed a solid organizing method. Occasionally, Mona meets with clients in her home, and a comfortable area for them to sit and discuss her services was necessary.

List what you need, what you have, and what you

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