I need a real office space where I feel empowered and professional in order to run my business effectively.  For years I’ve struggled to find the place in my home where was going to create this perfect office set-up.

Freelancing with Family

Over the years I’ve tried any number of set-ups to make this writing career work with my growing family. I started in a shared office with my husband. When my first son was born we moved the two computers into another bedroom. Then my second son was born and we got kicked out of that room, too. We then had two home businesses running out of our bedroom. Naturally we were on different schedules and his music drove me absolutely nuts when I did pretend to sleep with two toddlers in the house.

When we moved, we swore up and down that we would need two distinct working spaces along with the three bedrooms. Naturally, when we arrived in the new house there was a master bedroom, a bedroom for each boy and a small office for my husband who was, at the time, working exclusively at home. Mom, ever the flexible one, got to set up a folding table in the bedroom and pretend it was an office – again.

Settling In

I’ve now been in my house for three years and I’ve had offices in four spots. I worked next to the bed in the master bedroom. I worked in the corner of the master bedroom when we bought new furniture. I worked in the corner of the dining room for a time and briefly, as I was laying hardwood in this room, I worked in the middle of the foyer. But now, the end is very close indeed. I’m going to have the perfect office just as soon as I finish building it.

After staring at a dining room that went almost completely unused, I sold the nicest piece of furniture in my house and cleared out the forsaken dining space. I moved my folding table in and called it my library.

I’m now in the perfect mom spot. I’m literally in the center of the house – I can hear my kids playing above me. I can keep an ear on anything in the oven, and I can stop by and check in on my computer any time I walk through the room.

Making the Perfect Freelancing Office

At this point, it’s just a matter of creating the perfect library setting in my 144 square feet of dining room space. I started with the wood flooring. For about a year I had an old folding table on a new hardwood floor.

Then I moved in an antique secretary I grabbed on Craigslist to dress up the corner. I added some valences to the tall windows along the wall and picked up an excellent chair from Pier One for Christmas thanks to my husband.

My grandmother’s antique marble coffee table makes an excellent end table and the round pedestal table and antique chairs I scored off Craigslist have been refinished and are a great spot for the boys to work on book reports and color (or play Legos) while Mom does a bit of work. In a pinch they can also be used for family meals.

After two years of planning and adding bits and pieces to the dream office, I’m finally on the last big project. I’m creating a wall of built-ins including my desk. The bookshelves have been in place since December. They span a twelve foot wall with space at one end to give headroom over the desk, or rather where the desk will go. My tired, old folding table is sitting there now, holding the spot where I’ll be installing the base cabinets and then the countertop that will serve as the top of the desk.

I am, as I write this, admiring the perfect set-up that is almost complete. I have about three hundred books at my finger tips. I have soft throw pillows and blankets waiting on my chair behind me for the chances I’ll have to read one of those books. My walls are a rich merlot and my floor is oak.

It might have taken me six years, but the home library set-up I’ve dreamed of is finally within reach. It’s a heady experience. The toughest part will probably be letting go of this old table – we’ve been through a lot together after all, and these are our final months together.

It will be a bittersweet moment when the project is complete.

Are you in your ideal working environment?

As a mom who works at home part of the time, I need to have my office in the middle of the madness. This means I can hear everything when I need to hear it – especially at night when little boys have bad dreams while mom’s working. I like to be on the ground floor of our two-story house so that I can monitor the dogs, the kitchen and the doors. This preference rules out any rooms upstairs including a spare room that is being used as my husband’s office for now and soon a guest room when he moves into the “man cave” to be closer to his aquarium.

I only have a few spots to pick from downstairs that can handle my two monitors, my laptop stand and my writer sprawl and be appropriate. I picked what seemed like the best – the dining room. After all, we never actually ate in here. I sold the dining room furniture, which was in mint condition since it was never used, and set up a cheap six foot folding table to hold the computer, monitors and laptop until I could come up with a better solution.

That moment is finally upon me. Only, I’m having second thoughts about what I want to do.

My original plan was to put in two stock kitchen cabinets and two shorter bathroom stack-of-drawers as the base for a built-in desk and bookshelf system. My desk would be on the lower section, flanked by three drawers on either side. Against the wall on either side of those would be big three foot cabinets that would become the base for very large bookshelves (that I’ll build next summer) to hold my massive teacher book collection and all my supplies and files.

I have no doubt that I could do this well enough to be nicely presentable, but my concern now is that a large built in office in the dining room might be something I regret later since I can’t take it with me and the next owners (in twenty years) might want a grand dining room rather than a library/dining room combo unit. I have to decide soon because the cabinets need to be installed before the flooring goes in.

Writers at home, especially those with young children who need to be all ears all the time, where do you work? Am I crazy for building an awesome library and office in my dining room? Help!

As much as cardio workouts and strength training are important to your overall health, so is flexibility. Personally, I’ve found that yoga workouts are the best way for me to stretch out muscles (and relax and clear my head at the same time).

Rather than try to describe yoga poses you can do at your desk, I’m going to include a few videos below from Homemakers Magazine. Each one is a three-minute desk yoga routine with a different focus. Enjoy!

Wrists, Hands, and Shoulders

Neck and Shoulder Stretch

Twist and Lower Back Stretch

Feet and Legs

As freelance writers, we probably spend far too much time sitting on our arses in front of a computer, whether that be in our home office, in our favorite cafe, or even under a tree at the park. It comes with the territory. So why not do some, or all, of our work standing? It burns more calories. It keeps us from slouching at a desk (which for me at least can lead to lower back pain). So why not?

That’s what I’m going to try this week. I’m assembling an incredibly simple makeshift standing desk. I won’t be trying to go all day with it at first, but just an hour or so to see how it affects my work. I figure either I’ll love it and want to do it more often, or I’ll hate it so I’ll work more productively just to finish so I can sit down. (Hey, it’s a thought.)

This isn’t meant to be something used while you’re doing other workouts like an exercise bike or walk on the treadmill. (We’ll talk about those ideas in a later post when I figure out how to build one that will work with my bike so I can use it as an example.) This is just a very small one, big enough for a laptop. Here’s what I did:

I didn’t feel like “building” anything, so I went to Target. I bought a cheap microwave cart ($40) and hit the stationary department. There I found the scrapbooking supplies. They had a variety of modular storage units. I found one that gave me the height I wanted. It has a narrow shelf for papers or supplies, and a small drawer where I can keep my latest book research or whatever else I might need — I can also pull the drawer out a few inches to prop up my note cards as I type since there’s no room to spread things out. I just put the cart together and put the scrapbooking storage unit on top. That’s it! Very simple, and it’s surprisingly stable. I went with the scrapbooking unit because they’re square unlike most similar desk storage units. So it fit the cart top much better. Here’s a picture of my simple standing desk. Keep in mind that I’m about 6 feet tall, so the 36″ cart wasn’t tall enough on its own for me. But if you’re shorter, a simple cart might be high enough by itself, so you wouldn’t need the white box in the image below.

I love that this is on casters so I can roll it to any location where I feel like working. And if I decide a standing desk really isn’t for me, it still works as basic storage elsewhere (kitchen, closet, or whatever). So no harm done.

I spent about $55-60 total. You can certainly do it for less. You might already have things at home you could use even. Or just get two large file cabinets or modular storage units and put a piece of coated plywood on top like a desktop if you want something that resembles a more typical desk (with much more room). You could also save money by just using a wire shelving unit (in your Wal-Mart, Target, etc’s home improvement section or your favorite hardware store), and laying something over the top for a solid working surface.

Do you use a standing desk? What kind do you use? Did you make it or buy it? How do you like it?

I’m a grazer. I like to eat a little bit a lot throughout the day instead of eating much larger but less frequent meals. I like to have things around that don’t involve cooking (especially now that the weather’s heating up here). I like to be able to go to the other room, grab something, and get back to work. I’m sure I’m not the only freelance writer who likes to have little things on-hand. So in light of that I thought we’d kick off this half of the series by listing some of our favorite reasonably healthy snacks that can be kept on-hand for when you’re working from home.

Here are my favorites:

• Yogurt (which I add milled flaxseed to)
• Individually-sized packages of cottage cheese
• Fresh mozzarella cheese
• Pistachios, macadamias, pecans, walnuts, and other nuts (either lightly salted or raw)
• Natural fruit rolls / fruit leathers (for when I really want a sugar kick)
• Mini dill pickles
• Berries and grapes (although you could keep almost any fruit around)
• 100 calorie serving sizes of lite fruit cocktail
• Mini whole grain bagels (and a light cream cheese or no sugar added fruit preserves)
• Whole grain tortilla chips and salsa for when I need a saltier snack and want to avoid things like potato chips

Do you have favorite simple snack ideas that you think other freelancers might be interested in? Share your ideas for some reasonably healthy snacks that writers could turn to when they’ve got the mid-morning munchies. :)

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:

1. I wanted to build a desk that would fit into the corner of a room (in an ‘L’ shape) and was 60 inches in length in both directions and 25 inches in depth all the way round. These plans show how to build a desk that size, but they are also easy to change should you need a longer, shorter or deeper desk – just remember to look at ALL measurements if you change one!

2. It was a basic desk, but it served its purpose. If you decide to build it, it will look relatively plain at first, but there are a lot of additions that can be made to ensure that it is a fully functioning and aesthetically pleasing office desk for regular daily use.

Materials Needed:

• One piece of ‘L’ shaped plywood that is 60 inches long on both straights and 25 inches deep all around and 3 inches thick (approximately – this was personal preference)

OR

• One piece of 60 x 25 inch plywood and one piece of 35 x 25 inch plywood (both approximately 3 inches thick)

AND

• One piece of timber that is 25 inches long, 3 inches wide and 1 inch thick
• Two pieces of timber, one that is 60 inches long, 2 inches wide and 1 inch deep and one that is 59 inches long, 2 inches wide and 1 inch deep.
• Four metal support poles, around 27 inches tall, with fixing brackets
• Eight plywood off cuts, around four inches square

Equipment Needed:

• Wood glue
• Raul plugs
• Twelve two inch screws
• Electric drill and drill bits
• Two clamps
• Spirit level
• Pencil
• Chalk
• Tape measure

1. If you couldn’t get one piece of ‘L’ shaped plywood, lay the two individual pieces next to each other upside down on a table or workbench.

2. Place a strip of wood glue down each side of the join and press the piece of timber that is 25 inches long all across the joint, holding firmly for a few seconds. Attach clamps at both ends and leave to dry for at least an hour.

3. In the space where the desk is to go, measure up the wall 27 inches from the floor and mark with a pencil. Do this in three or four times along the wall and then join the dots together with one straight line (using the spirit level) to form a 60 inch line from the corner. Complete the same process for the adjoining wall.

NB: I chose 27 inches as when sat at a desk, your arms should be in an ‘L’ shape with the keyboard and with a desk that is 27 inches tall, it ensures that my arms are at the correct level.

4. On the line that you have drawn, mark five dots – two 2 inches from either end of the line and then three at the 15, 30 and 45 inch points. Complete the same for the adjoining wall.

5. Drill holes where you have just marked and push a Raul plug into each hole, ensuring that it is as flush as possible with the wall.

6. On the two pieces of remaining timber, mark with a pencil the same dots that were on the wall (2 inches from either end and then at 15, 30 and 45 inch intervals).

7. Attach the pieces of timber to the wall with the screws. Start with the longest piece that is going to be right in the corner and then add the second piece after. Remember to only put each screw in place a little and then tighten them all up once the timber is being held freely.

8. On the floor, use the chalk to draw the outline of the desk and then at the front of the desk at either end, mark a four inch square about an inch and a half in from the front. Do the same at the corner of the ‘L’ shape, but make two markings either side of the corner.

9. Place the four plywood cut offs over these markings and use a screw in the centre to the secure them to floor.

10. Attach the metal support poles to these plywood cut offs and then straight into the floorboards using the fixings provided. You may need to pre-drill smaller holes first.

NB: If you do not want to drill into the floor, you could create a direct replica of the actual desk top, place it on the floor, attach it to the wall with brackets and then drill the metal supports to this.

11. Bring the actual desk top to the room and lay it on the frame. If everything fits properly, take it off, place a layer of glue on top of the timber around the wall and lay the desk top back on. Place something heavy around the edge of the desk where the top meets the wall and wipe away any excess glue underneath.

12. Attach the metal supports to a four inch square piece of plywood and then to the bottom of the desk using the fittings, leave everything to set and dry for a few hours and you’ll have yourself a perfectly good office desk!

Comments, questions or suggestions? Let us know!

Home Office Deduction Rules

First, the IRS requires you to use your home office “exclusively and regularly” as the primary place you do business or, if you have another office, you must use your home office to meet with clients to do business.

Exclusive means you only use that space to do business. If your kids also use your home office for recreation, the IRS says it doesn’t meet the exclusivity rule. If you have a space in the room that’s off limits to the kids, you can count that space only if the space is clearly sectioned off from the rest of the room.

Your home office needs to be your “principle place of business.” You can do work from the local coffee shop, but you must do your administrative activities, like billing clients, from your home office. You can’t have another fixed location that you do administrative activities for your business.

The home office deduction is based on the percentage of your home that you use for business. So, if your home office is a 400 square-foot room in a 1000 square-foot house, you can deduct 40% of certain home expenses.

You may not be able to take the home office deduction if your business has a net loss – your business’ gross income is less than business expenses.

What Home Expenses Can You Deduct?

The home office deduction lets you claim certain expenses that you spent either toward maintaining your home or toward maintaining your home office.

• You can deduct any expenses you incurred directly related to the room. For example, any repairs made to the room can be deducted.
• You can also deduct a portion of the expense to maintain your home, as long as they are expenses you can’t deduct anyway. For example, you can deduct mortgage interest, property taxes, and casualty losses if you itemize your taxes, so those don’t qualify as home office deductions.
• You can deduct a percentage of your homeowner’s insurance, home repairs and maintenance expenses, and expenses.
• You can deduct a portion of your mortgage interest and property taxes.
• You can deduct a percentage of your rent or home depreciation.

How to Calculate Your Deduction

If you do your taxes manually, you can calculate your home office deduction using Form 8829, then enter the deduction on Schedule C of Form 1040.

I hate forms so I use Turbo Tax Home & Business Edition ($74.95 for the software, free Federal eFile, + state filing fees) to help figure out my home office deduction. The software prompts you to enter the total square footage of your home and the total square footage of your home office. Then, you enter your annual rent or mortgage expense and other annual house-related expenses like insurance and utilities. The software does the rest of the work.

You can’t take more home office deductions than your gross income from business, but you can carry over a home office deduction until next year’s tax if you max out your deduction amount.

Even though we’re only a few days into 2010, the time off has given me time to think and reflect both on business and life. I’ve learned a few things — or perhaps re-learned a few things, since none of this is really new. I’d like to share.

1. Vacation time is a good thing. While on one hand it’s going to be difficult to get back into my work routine tomorrow morning, the time off was definitely good for me. It meant time away from daily stresses, and time to really refresh myself mentally. I’ve decided that this year I’m going to be taking much more time off.

   I’m already toying with a few trip ideas, but I also plan to take more long weekends, personal days, etc. Not only is it good for my own spirit and health, but it’s good for clients too. The less I dread going into a work day because I’m feeling worn out, the better the work will likely be. When you’re exhausted, you’re really no good to anyone.

   Quite a while ago I planned on going to a four-day work week, leaving Fridays solely for my own work. While I won’t rush into that right now, in the next month or two I think I’m going to give that a try again. After all, I want to finish drafting The Query-Free Freelancer book this year, and having a full day devoted to it each week (in addition to smaller time blocks throughout the rest of the work week) will make it happen that much faster.

2. A clutter-free work life is even better. I’m one of those people who’s often surrounded with clutter, but that’s okay (I tell myself) because I always know where everything is. That’s complete BS. Yes, I might know where things are in that mess, but it’s still a mess. It’s a visual nightmare. And even though I might not realize it all the time, that mess hurts my productivity.

   It doesn’t necessarily take me longer to find what I need, but it’s overwhelming in its own right. Its harder to focus when a mess is competing for my attention. It’s harder to get into a creative writing frame of mind when I’m visually overstimulated. I can’t take a moment to relax and re-focus when I’m surrounded with reminders that there’s something else I could be doing.

   So yes, I might know where everything is in my cluttered office space, but there’s no reason I can’t equally know where everything is in a nicely organized space! I’ve re-organized my office and created more storage solutions, and I have to say that so far it’s a much more enjoyable place to look at. I’m even looking forward to spending my first post-vacation work day there.

3. Everything is easier with a to-do list. I’ve always been a big fan of schedules and to-do lists. I used to use them almost obsessively, but towards the end of 2009 I’d almost completely stopped. I would just get up and dive into work. Over break I’ve gone back into more detailed scheduling, and honestly I’ve missed it. I just didn’t realize it before. So much more gets done every day and I still have more time to relax. There’s something almost exciting about completing something and being able to check it off of your list.

   I used one of my big white boards to setup a master weekly task list. It includes everything from housework to blog commenting. Client projects are on another board, but the point of this one is to remind me of the little things that need doing. When I have a slow period during the day or I can’t focus on a project, I can get up and do one little thing from that list. I’ll feel accomplished because something will be done, and I’ll be able to clear my mind and go back to other projects refreshed. It’s a win-win. No more wasted time between projects or sitting there twiddling my thumbs as I try to brainstorm.

I feel ready for a great start to my work week this week, and to the new year business-wise. More money. More time for myself. More time for my own bigger projects. More enjoyment from my work. I’m loving 2010 already. How about you?

Your Own Computer

If you’re sharing a computer with the rest of the family, not only are you going to have territory issues, you’re going to risk losing files and you’ll likely wind up with family members “accidentally” closing out half-finished emails to play their games or sending smiling faces to clients via IM.

If your budget can stretch, find a way to get your own computer and let the rest of the family fight over the other one – taking a business seriously means taking your equipment and work space seriously as well.

iPhone

Personally, I believe in the iPhone, but there are other phones that would work as well to check emails, respond to clients, chat and check various things online while playing parent. You might be forced to sit in the playroom to break up fights over Thomas and the other engines, but you can still check emails and even send basic responses to clients without being tied to your computer. Very useful in drop-off and pick-up lines as well as baseball and soccer practices.

Bulletin Boards and Boxes

I have a few bulletin boards and file boxes that I keep high off the ground – out of the reach of little hands always grasping for paper to draw on. Any important receipts and papers go up high on the board or are tossed into the box to await a day of filing, which is really a night taken off to watch a movie and stick things in folders in my universe. Leaving anything down low is putting it at risk of scribbles and very carefully constructed backwards Ks around here.

Caffeine

Unless you’re lucky enough to get plenty of sleep (and I secretly loathe you for it), you’ll need caffeine in some form or another. Tea, coffee and soft drinks all work wonders when you’re ready to fall on the floor and sleep instead of crawl into the chair and work. Take a five minute coffee break before starting work to remove the fog and clear up that creative vision.

Gum

Life with work and children at home is stressful and I have the waistline to prove it. There can be a powerful temptation to munch while working or to take breaks from long projects and find yourself in the kitchen next to the plate of cookies you baked that evening for the PreK holiday party tomorrow.

When temptation calls, a frequent occurrence at least for this working mom, pop some gum in your mouth. An alternative is brushing your teeth, but I find gum keeps my mouth busy and my mind nicely en pointe for a while, especially when I opt for the bold peppermint flavor.

A Baby Monitor

If your children will still allow you to put a monitor in their rooms, do it. Or if you can’t get away with their rooms, find a spot near the top of the stairs that you can stash a baby monitor. The goal is to not have to keep an ear on your children while you work. If you’re straining to hear every sound at the top of the stairs, you’re not being as productive as possible in the short amount of time you have.

With a monitor buzzing off to your side, you can relax knowing that every cough, sneeze, wheeze, bad dream, deep breath and attempt to sneak out will be known to you the second it occurs. And until it does, you can work with a mind free of distractions.

How to Hang Shelves

You Will Need:

Shelf

Shelf brackets (2 for most shelves, more if you plan to hang a long shelf)

Screws (regular multi-use)

Level

Measuring tape

Drill

Pencil

Wall Stud Finder (Optional)

Paint or Spray Paint (Optional)

1.)    Find the wall studs in the area where you want to hang your shelves. You can use an electronic stud finder, but often you can find studs simply by knocking on the wall. The studs will feel harder and more solid than the rest of the wall, and your knock will sound solid rather than hollow when you’ve found a stud.

2.)    Measure the area where you want to hang your shelves. Then measure again.  You don’t want to get home with shelves that are the wrong size.

3.)    With a pencil, mark the location (on the stud) where you want the bottom edge of the shelf to sit. Use a level to make sure that the shelf will be perfectly straight.

4.)    Buy your shelves, brackets, and screws. This is your chance to decorate, so make sure you buy something that you want to live with for a long time.  Many stores sell pre-painted shelves, but for a cheaper alternative, you can paint your own.  (See below for a Shelf Painting Pro-Tip).

5.)    Line the brackets up with your pencil marks, and then use your pencil to mark the position of the screw holes.  Set the brackets aside.

6.)    Using the drill, make shallow test holes in the wall, but don’t screw in all the way.

7.)    Replace the brackets and, using the drill, screw them in firmly.

8.)    Position your shelf atop the bracket, and then screw the brackets to the bottom of the shelf.

9.)    Get organized!

If you plan to use your shelf for decoration rather than holding weight, you may not need to secure your shelves in your wall studs. Use wall anchors instead.

Shelf Painting Pro-Tip

I was once lucky enough to observe a Master Carpenter as he built a bookcase. Instead of painting his shelves on one side then waiting hours for each coat to dry, he had this trick up his sleeve. Be warned – getting this process just right may take a little practice.

You will need:

1 Screw (multi-use)

Drill

Strong Twine

Shelf

Spray Paint (designed for wood, in the color of your choice)

Clear polyurethane spray

Protective Goggles

A well-ventilated garage or basement that can get a little messy

You will be hanging the shelf lengthwise from a ceiling joist for this project.  Make sure you have a strong ceiling joist available in a well-ventilated area.

1.)    Always wear your protective goggles when dealing with spray paint or power tools.

2.)    Prepare your shelf. If it has flaws or imperfections, use sandpaper or an electric sander to remove them.

3.)    Stand the shelf up lengthwise on its narrow end, and then drill a screw into the opposite narrow end.  (Think as if you are hanging your shelf from the ceiling like a side of beef.)

4.)    Affix a nail or screw into the ceiling joist.

5.)    Affix the twine to the nail or screw in the ceiling joist, then affix the other end of the twine to the screw on the end of your shelf. Your shelf will now be dangling from the ceiling, and should be at least a few feet off the ground. Choose a height that will be comfortable for you, because you are about to spray paint.

6.)    Spread a drop cloth or tarp underneath the shelf.

7.)    Hold your spray paint 12 to 24 inches from the shelf and begin spraying. Start at the top and work your way down in a side to side sweeping motion.

8.)    Let the first coat dry thoroughly, and then apply the spray paint again to form a second coat.

9.)    After that coat dries thoroughly, apply the clear polyurethane spray to the entire shelf.

10.) Enjoy your newly painted shelf!

If you find your shelf moving around on you, stand back a bit farther before aiming your spray paint.

Have a question, idea or shelf-hanging adventure story? Let it all out in the comments!