Category Archives: Working From Home

Is Working From Home Really Cheaper?

By on June 8th, 2010

Being a freelance writer and working from home are great. There are some obvious cost savings. For example, you won’t have to pay the cost of commuting to and from work, so you’ll save money on gas. Your clothing expenses might also go down since you don’t have to buy the more expensive business casual or professional clothes for to wear to work. As you consider the move to becoming a full-time freelance writer you should also think about how your other expenses will increase. Your utility bills will probably go up. You’ll be at home more hours during the …

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Posted in Finance, Working From Home |

How To Build A Home Office – The Coffee Table

By on May 1st, 2010

Every office needs a coffee table.  Whether it’s to hold meetings with clients around, spread out potential magazines for querying on or to simply have somewhere to rest your feet during your mid-morning break, a coffee table has a variety of uses. Unlike my previous two posts (how to build a desk and a bookcase), I haven’t actually made this coffee table myself.  I drew up some basic plans a few years back but ended up being donated a table that was too much of a stunning antique to pass upon. Just like the desk and bookcase, this table isn’t …

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Posted in Freelance Writing Business, Working From Home |

How To Build A Home Office – The Bookcase

By on April 1st, 2010

In last month’s post, I explained how to build an L-shaped desk based on a project I carried out several years ago. The reason I built my own desk, apart from the fact that I needed a separate writing space was that I was in the same boat as a lot of new freelancers and money wasn’t as flush as it could have been. Not long after I built the desk, I decided that I needed to tidy up what was fast becoming my dedicated office. I had books and papers everywhere, both for business and pleasure. With money still …

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Posted in Freelance Writing Business, Working From Home |

How To Build A Home Office – The Desk

By on March 1st, 2010

When I first started freelancing, I realised that my productivity decreased if I were working from my laptop in a room where there were distractions of some sort. Whether it was the TV, radio, girlfriend or cats, I found that I was producing more work on a quicker basis when I was alone. So, mixing my passion for DIY with my need for a separate writing space, I decided to create my own office, starting with the desk. There are two things to note about this post: I wanted to build a desk that would fit into the corner of …

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Posted in Freelance Writing Business, Working From Home |

DIY Office Basics for Freelance Writers: How to Hang Shelves

By on December 1st, 2009

If you’re anything like me, your office is a tiny cell of a room where there’s barely enough room for your bed and your fainting couch, and opening the filing cabinet can turn into an acrobatic feat. When saddled with limited office space, its time to think vertical and utilize your wall space. This month’s freelancer DIY project is how to hang shelves. Even if you’re already shelf savvy, there’s something in here for you, too. Skip ahead for a pro-tip from a Master Carpenter on efficient shelf painting! How to Hang Shelves You Will Need: Shelf Shelf brackets (2 …

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Posted in Freelance Writing Business, Working From Home |

Organize Your Office on the Cheap with These DIY Cork Board Projects

By on November 1st, 2009

Before I was a freelance writer, I was a branch manager at a corporation. Whenever I needed something for the office, I found it in a catalog, placed an order, and welcomed the FedEx guy a few days later. Now that I’m in charge of my own office, though, those catalog prices begin to look exorbitantly expensive. Why pay over $100 for a large white board at Office Depot when I can head next door to that other famous Depot and buy the components for under $20? This monthly series on do-it-yourself projects for freelance writers will serve a dual …

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Posted in Freelance Writing Business, Working From Home |

It’s a Jungle in Here – My Home Office

By on March 23rd, 2009

I realized as I was straightening up my office area (which amounts to about 1/3 of my bedroom) that I’ve accumulated a lot of plants lately. I keep four smaller ones on my main desk, and have four larger ones spread out behind my working area (on my cubbies and spare desk where I sometimes sit to deal with hand-written projects). It was hard to find plants I could put on the desk itself, because it’s already relatively cluttered. Yet I had to have them – something about live plants around just perks me up and keeps me going throughout …

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Posted in Working From Home |