In the age of COVID-19, running a home-based business is advantageous in more ways than one. There’s a lesser chance of contracting or spreading the virus, and it provides you and your employees with the flexibility to work from the comfort of home. Home-based businesses are also cheaper to run, as remote offices can mean lower overhead and commuting costs, in addition to home office tax deductions.
That said, today’s home-based business is slightly different from the pre-pandemic home office space. The post-pandemic home office should be suitable for virtual meetings with clients, and also for having safe in-home interactions with visitors. Realty With Rich offers the following tips and considerations to help you create a safe and attractive home office space for your remote business in the age of COVID-19.
1. Design a COVID-Safe Home Office Space
Not every home-based business owner needs to meet face-to-face with their clients, customers, suppliers, or patients, but many do. And if you’re one of them, you’ll need to design a COVID-safe home office space that increases ventilation and reduces the risk of virus transmission. Here are a few ways to go about doing this:
- Setting up the office space in a room with one or more windows that can be opened during in-person visits.
- Install a ceiling fan to improve the room’s airflow.
- Installing ultraviolet lights inside your home’s heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system.
- Purchasing an air purifier for your home office space.
- Spacing chairs and couches at least six feet away from one another.
If you don’t have a suitable space for a home office, you might choose to buy a new house or build an office addition. Backyard office sheds are also becoming more popular among home-based business owners.
2. Take Preventative Measures Prior to Client Visits
In addition to designing a COVID-safe home office, there are several preventative measures you should take before welcoming visitors into your home. Start by having hand sanitizer and disposable masks readily available for your visitors, and open up all office windows to improve the room’s air circulation. If you have a ceiling fan and air purifier, be sure to turn those on as well.
Before and after the visit, it’s also a good idea to wipe down hard surfaces and other high-touch areas like doorknobs and light switches. Insider shares six of the best disinfectants for hard surfaces, fabrics, bathrooms, and more.
3. Style Your Home Office for Virtual Meetings
When you’re not welcoming guests into your home, you’ll likely be meeting with them virtually. This means you’ll need to design a video-friendly workspace that’s quiet, well-lit, and staged professionally for meetings with clients, employees, and other business partners. Brian Cooley of CNET shares some tips for angling for your webcam, improving your sound quality, and choosing a great background for business meetings.
As a rule, your video backgrounds should be clean, decluttered, and simple. Try adding a piece of wall art and/or a few houseplants to let your personality shine through without being too distracting.
4. Use Contactless Technologies Whenever Possible
Whether you’re gathering with clients in person or remotely, several technologies can help to minimize contact and make meetings as efficient as possible. Video conferencing services, for instance, can be used for holding virtual meetings, conferences, and presentations — while electronic signature apps may be used to electronically sign documents and gather signatures from clients and business partners.
Other technologies are available to automate your invoicing process and accept contactless payments from clients. You can choose from a wide selection of professional designs to find the best invoice template for your business, and all you’ll need to do is customize the invoice to include your company’s name, contact information, logo, colors, and fonts.
In Conclusion
There are many benefits of operating a home-based business, but designing a COVID-safe home office space isn’t as simple as setting up a desk and computer. These tips will help you to create an office space that protects you and your visitors from germs and viruses while maintaining professionalism during virtual meetings with business partners. Are you preparing to buy or sell a house? Contact Realty With Rich to simplify the process and conduct a smoother real estate transaction! 833-442-SELL (toll-free); 760-991-9500 (direct); sell@realtywithrich.com.