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There are many steps you can take to organize your office, but first on the list should be finding the right desk and storage setup. When purchasing a desk, don't underestimate the size of your computer and monitor. Many photos in catalogs and online show only a monitor and keyboard on the desk, and there is no sign of the processor unit. But processors are very large and won't always fit easily under your desk or on a shelf. If you want the desk to hold a printer, measure carefully and make sure there is room for the unit when there is paper sticking out of a full paper tray. And measure your monitor to make sure the keyboard will fit in front of it on the tabletop or that you can attach a pull-out keyboard tray below.
Email and Internet
You obviously need Internet access these days. For your business, you may want to check with potential Internet Service Providers (ISPs) about a few special options. Do they offer server space? This might be useful if you need to share files with others, send files that are too large to email or set up a Web site. Some ISPs offer 10MB or 20MB with basic service; just make sure you will have enough for your needs. Can you set up more than one email address? This is useful if you want to separate your personal and business email, or if you have other family members who want email. Many services allow you up to five addresses.
Telephone and Voicemail
Your phone is your main connection with your clients and employers, so you need a professional setup. You don't want a potential new client to get a busy signal when he calls to discuss the contract.
Voicemail can be important if you want your clients to hear a professional message when they call. On the one hand, you can use the old-fashioned message machine with a cassette tape in it for all messages you receive at the house, whether for family members or your business. If your clients know you work from home and you think they are comfortable with this, then that could be the easy solution. But if you want an office voicemail that is separate from your family's, you will have to invest in either a second phone line for your business, voicemail offered by your telephone company, multiline phones or a separate PBX (Private Branch Exchange) that you can manage yourself.
Most phone companies' voicemail systems offer multiple extensions that hang from an introductory message that callers hear at the outset. You decide who gets each extension, and each user has an individual password for checking messages. If you are talking on the phone when another call comes in, that call is immediately routed to voicemail. If you also opt for call waiting, you can choose to answer the second incoming call, or you can let it go to voicemail. This option is cheap, around $10 a month from most phone companies. A second phone line will cost you more, upwards of $30 a month, but it will totally separate your work and personal calls.
A PBX machine allows you to have two or more incoming lines, plus a number of separate extensions, each with its own voicemail. This may be more convenient for a large family or a busy house where other people may need the phone while you're working. They can answer their own lines and use the phone at the same time you are talking on the phone. With phone company voicemail, only one person can talk at a time. While PBX systems can cost $500 or more, voicemail and call waiting from the phone company usually start at $10 a month, which adds up over time. And heck, many PBX systems let you set up music for callers to hear when they are on hold. Wouldn't you love to let your teenagers choose the tunes?