If you plan to work at home or start your own home-based business, your home office should have some basic equipment to help you project a professional image. The proper tools will also help you stay productive, eliminating emergency trips to the office supply store.

1. First of all, you will need a desk. Your desk should have enough room for your computer and enough surface space for any writing you may need to do. If your computer desk isn't large enough, consider adding a table nearby. You will need pens, pencils, a stapler, paper clips, binders, computer paper, and a hole puncher for your desk. A small notebook for jotting down notes and reminders is also helpful.

2. Make sure that you get a comfortable chair for your desk. You may be spending a lot of time in it! Adjustable office chairs are best. That way you can raise or lower your chair according to the height of your desk.

3. A small 3-drawer file cabinet will help you organize your paperwork. Get file folders and hanging file folders for your cabinet. As your business grows you can add file cabinets to suit your needs.

4. You will most likely need a computer for your work at home endeavors. The amount of memory and the processing speed necessary will depend largely on the type of business or work you plan to do. Some work at home jobs list specific computer requirements. By the way, you may need to purchase a high-speed Internet connection for some jobs. If you need to buy a computer, make sure that you list your requirements and take the list with you when you go shopping. You will know what you are looking for and be in a better position to discuss your computer needs. Your computer may or may not have software installed. At the very least, you need to have good word processing software and virus protection for your computer.

5. A fax machine is also a good investment. You never know when a work at home company or a client will need you to send a hard copy document in a jiffy. Those of you who are interested in telecommuting will learn that you will need to fax tax forms and contractor agreements to companies. You can pay to fax documents through document copy centers, but that can get expensive.

6. A copier is also a nice thing to have. You will have to make copies of contracts or client documents, and running to a copy center can get tedious. In fact, you can get more for your money if you obtain a copier, fax, and scanner in one.

Do you need office equipment? Do you have office equipment that you would like to get rid of to make room for newer furniture or supplies? Check out the Freecycle Network. It unites people who have a need for something they don't have with people who have something they don't need. This is a neat organization that helps break down communication barriers to make use of items that may otherwise end up in a landfill somewhere. Not only can you eliminate clutter, to make room for your new home office, you can get good free, usable (sometimes new or lightly used) items through the Freecycle Network. There are local organizations that you can join throughout the United States and worldwide.

This article, by Claudine Williams, may be reprinted freely, as long as the content is unchanged and the author's name and link is not removed or edited.