3 minute read

Are you comfortably?sitting

When running your business from home, creating an ergonomic workspace is more important than ever. This guide will walk you through the practical steps to achieve a specific goal: working from home comfortably and efficiently without compromising your physical well-being. Let’s dive into how to design a space that enhances your productivity!

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Step 1: Assess your needs

The first step in creating an ergonomic workspace is understanding your requirements. Consider factors like:

● The nature of your work: Are you primarily on the computer, doing manual tasks, or making calls?

● Space constraints: How much space do you have available for your workspace?

● Budget: What resources are you willing to invest in creating an ergonomic workspace?

● Childcare responsibilities: Are you the primary or shared caregiver for your children while working from home?

● Answering these questions will enable you to identify your specific needs and constraints, allowing you to create a customised ergonomic solution.

Step 2: Choose the right furniture

Investing in ergonomic furniture is an essential step in creating a healthy workspace. Here is a list of furniture items to consider:

1. Adjustable chair: An ergonomic chair with adjustable height and lumbar support will help maintain proper posture and mitigate back pain.

2. Standing desk: A height-adjustable desk encourages movement throughout the day, promoting better circulation and preventing muscle stiffness.

3. Monitor riser: Placing your screen at the correct height will prevent neck and eye strain.

4. Footrest: A footrest helps to maintain proper alignment and increase overall comfort while sitting.

Step 3: Pay attention to lighting

A well-lit workspace reduces eye strain and improves your overall mood. Ensure your workspace has:

● Adequate natural light to reduce the reliance on artificial lighting.

● Task lighting in strategic locations to focus light where it’s needed most.

● Avoid direct sunlight exposure to prevent glare and overheating.

Step 4: Organise your space efficiently

A clutter-free workspace helps maintain focus and productivity. Some tips for organising your home office:

● Use vertical storage solutions like shelves or filing cabinets.

● Use drawers and trays to store smaller items.

● Create designated areas for different tasks and keep all materials for those tasks nearby.

Step 5: Incorporate breaks and exercise

Taking regular breaks throughout the day can help reduce stress and improve focus. Implement a simple routine that includes:

● Short breaks (5-10 minutes) every hour to stretch, walk around, or grab a healthy snack.

● Longer breaks (30 minutes) for lunch or outdoor activities.

● Simple exercises, like desk stretches or yoga poses, to promote physical wellbeing.

Step 6: Offer family support

Including your family in your ergonomic journey helps them understand the importance of a healthy workspace. Be sure to:

● Educate them on proper ergonomic principles and considerations.

● Invest in ergonomic furniture for your children’s study area as well.

● Set boundaries and expectations for when you’re working and when you’re available to engage with your family.

By following these practical steps, you’ll be on your way to creating the perfect ergonomic workspace at home. Balancing work and physical well-being for parent business owners can be challenging, but an ergonomic workspace will ease the transition and improve your overall quality of life.■

Perhaps the whole concept of finance fills you with fear rather than confidence?

However, by leaving finance unexplored, you are missing out on an incredibly powerful resource for your business.

Running a business is incredibly rewarding, but it can also be hard. There are a huge amount of tasks to manage on a daily basis, and of course, finance obligations are an integral part of these. However, your numbers should also unequivocally act as your invisible right hand person and trusted advisor. Read on to discover why harnessing your finance superpower will help you get ahead!

When you need to know how your business is performing or what steps to take next, the numbers can (and should be) there to advise you. Finance does not begin or end with just tax and payroll, it touches everything, and as your business grows, it is a participant that will never leave your side.

There is a reason why big companies spend time and money building finance teams and developing methods, to not just look after their accounting and compliance but to manage their risks, funding, management reporting and strategy. Without people and resources in these areas, they would be completely lost.

Many of these tools and resources can be broken down into valuable key elements for the small business environment. I am incredibly passionate about sharing these ways of working with small business owners because they can provide real business benefits.

By gaining clarity on how to approach your day-to-day finances and tapping into your numbers (beyond just compliance), you can gain extraordinary insight into both your business’ performance and its capabilities. It’s like shining a powerful light, brightening the picture and seeing the way forwards to survive and grow.

With a well-considered finance set up and an opportunity to brighten the picture, any apprehension or uncertainty you feel towards the subject of finance reduces considerably. With knowledge and insight, confidence follows.

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