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If you’re a freelancer who works remotely, then you know how important the place where you work can be. If you’re in an uncomfortable or unprofessional setting, you might not be able to organize your time as effectively; crucial deadlines can creep up on you before your work is completed.To be the ultimate freelancer, you need to have the ultimate freelancing working environment. You need an ergonomic, practical, and efficient space with all the tools you need to perform your work. An ideal freelancing remote workspace will be comfortable, space-conscious, and intuitive so that it can be a catalyst to your success as opposed to an obstacle.In this how-to guide, we will discuss the fundamental parts of every freelancer’s home office step-by-step. By the time you finish reading, you’ll have a clear outline of how to build the ideal workspace for your freelancing career.
Step 1: Find the right space
The place where you work needs to be quiet and separate from your place of leisure. An unnecessary distraction like a TV or a screaming child makes it challenging to focus on your work and easier to waste time.Try to find a section of your house or apartment that is separated from all of these things. The ideal workspace is an extra room, but those who work from smaller flats and places with lots of clutter(with little open space) might not have that luxury.For these people, we recommend setting up a divider around your desk or a sectional curtain to create at least some physical separation between your living and work environment. Even something as simple as a desk in the corn can help. With two walls ahead of you, the only way for you to get distracted is if you turn around.The reason your desk should be separated from your place of leisure is purely about focus and productivity. Our brains associate our couch and our beds with relaxation, so any time spent working there won’t be as fast or focused as a desk and a chair. You might even consider a space with a standing desk without a chair taking up extra room.This transition (while it might be as simple as walking across the room) will also help you get into a ready-for-work headspace. While most people hate their commute, it can give you time for shifting from a personal to a professional perspective.
Pro Tip:
If you think there is no safe work area in your house, you can always try a coworking space. Co-working spaces are becoming more popular than ever with the rise of remote work, and they can be very affordable and convenient if they’re near to where you live.You can also try an audio separation. Get a pair of noise-canceling headphones, play your favorite music, or listen to some ambiance/white noise to help move you into a private mental space.
Step 2: Equip your space
The equipment you work with will play a vital role in how you work. While it might seem cost-effective to get the cheapest products you can find, you’ll quickly discover that the mental and physical health impact outweighs the pennies you’ll be saving.If you plan to work as a freelance remote worker for the foreseeable future, then you should emphasize the quality of your equipment. A wrong office chair or desk can put tremendous strain on your spine and back muscles. Over time your posture will suffer, and you can be susceptible to chronic pain.As a freelancer, you’ll need to equip your own office space, so it makes sense to understand a little about ergonomics. Ergonomics is an industry based around creating comfortable office furniture and practices that won’t hurt your health in the long run. A fully ergonomic workspace for freelance will include the necessary hardware: a mouse, keyboard, and a monitor. Having a desk with a keyboard tray can also help.Easy-to-follow rules like keeping the top of your monitor in line with your eyes and your hand positioned above your keyboard will save you from discomfort and make you more satisfied while working.You also have to consider how you mentally view your home office. Since this place is also your home, you’ll be spending almost all of your time there. If you know your workstation is uncomfortable, think about what will happen to your motivation to work. Freelancers are responsible for their motivation. Beyond a deadline, you will be the one who puts your butt in the chair and says, “get to work!” Because of this responsibility, we have to take any advantage we can to maintain our self-motivation.
Pro Tip:
If money is blocking your path to the ideal freelancing home office, then Growrk.com might be able to help. They have an extensive range of equipment, all of which are purchasable through a subscription plan.You shouldn’t let a big price tag prevent you from being comfortable and working efficiently. If you feel you need an extra monitor or a drawing pad, then you shouldn’t wait until you’ve saved enough for it. Instead, sign up with GroWrk, and you will get all your furniture right away and can pay it off over time through your monthly budget.
Step 3: Find your necessary tools
The software you employ as a freelancer will be your connection to your clients, your means to operate, and the source of your organization. It’s essential to find the top companies on the market that can progress your freelancing career and make your life easier.For a communication tool, you’ll need an application that is reliable and can handle all your needs in one place. An application like Microsoft Teams which has email, video calling, instant messaging, and task management capabilities, is excellent for a freelancer who has multiple clients and assignments to keep track of.Whatever software you choose for production should have cloud functionality. Whether you’re a freelance graphic designer or a freelance writer, it pays to have your work easily accessible for the client, so they can quickly approve or collaborate with you. Having to attach projects to an email is an extra step that costs a lot of time and will slow your progress as you wait for a response.We’ll talk more about this in the following step, but make sure you choose a calendar and a task management software that clearly labeled your tasks and is easily understood. It should also have different categories for group and independent work, primarily if your client uses multiple freelancers through the same portal.
Pro Tip:
One software that will help with your freelance business is Ruul.com. They are a one-stop shop for freelancers who want to run their own professional business. With their service, you can invoice your clients, get paid instantly, and secure your work from hackers and bad clients.If Ruul is handling the business side you will also want a solution to handle the equipment side. Nothing is more time-consuming than going through hundreds of products on Amazon trying to find the right desks or laptops for your business. Even worse is trying to figure how to get the tools delivered to your location without insane shipping fees. That is why there are services like GroWrk remote. You can choose from a wide selection of laptops, monitors, and ergonomic furniture delivered to anywhere in the world. Best of all, you can pay in 6-12 month installments!Also, try to focus on learning and downloading software that is the industry standard. Free and cheaper versions of elaborate software like Premier ( Filmora) and Photoshop (Photopea) may seem effective. Still, they will put you at a competitive disadvantage to freelancers already using the industry-standard software.
Wrap Up
The key to setting up the perfect workplace for freelancing is investing the necessary time and money. It can be tempting to set up your space and start working as soon as possible, but the best freelancers ignore that temptation.Once you have a comfortable workspace with everything you need to function, your satisfaction will speak for itself. You will finally be able to focus on your task at hand. You will look forward to starting your day.
