The right gear for your home business depends on your work style and budget.
By Thomas Myer

If you are on the road all the time, a laptop might be the best investment. You've decided to take the leap and start your very own home-based business. You dream of success and forever being free of corporate serfdom and the 9 to 5 grind.

You really can't run a home-based business until you have the right gear. After all, you can’t spend all your time working from the local Kinko’s. But what do you need, and what can you expect to pay? Here’s a run down of what you’ll need.

Purchase a Good-Quality Chair & Desk
If you're like me, working really means sitting — a chair isn’t something you want to skimp on. You need one that is fully adjustable (height and arms) and has lumbar support — your back will thank you for this feature. If you get a chair with casters, make sure you buy a floor mat — it saves wear and tear on the floor or carpeting of your home office.

Chairs come in a variety of makes and models, with prices ranging from $50.00 to $450.00, with a fully adjustable type around $200.00.

What's a chair without a good desk? These days, desks come in all shapes, sizes, configurations, and materials. Which one is right for you?
It depends on your work style and budget. My desk has ample space for a computer, folders, phone, and working space. It also has a deep drawer for hanging folders and a bookshelf where I keep reference materials. Your needs may differ.

Expect to pay anywhere from $250.00 to $600.00 for a new desk. If you are budget-minded, look to used business furniture or consignment stores in your area. You will probably find better quality (i.e., solid wood versus particle board), and better prices. Other places to look for bargains are auctions held by companies going out of business.

Buying the Right Computer to Make You Money

Every business is different, and every business will have different computing needs. A copywriter may only need enough power to do word processing and layout tasks, but a multimedia artist may need extra CPU horsepower to run 3-D graphics.

Thankfully, you can buy a fairly sophisticated desktop computer at places like Frey’s or Best Buy for under $600, including a low-end flat-screen monitor.
Remember that you are using your computer to make money. You’ll be using it more often than you think. So take human factors as well as budget into account when you make your purchase. This means:

• Get the best quality monitor you can afford. Your eyes will thank you.
• If you do a lot of keyboarding, make sure that the keyboard is ergonomic, and has an adjustable keyboard tray.
• Make sure that your mousing hand and arm get sufficient support. This means a wrist pad and a desk surface that's at the right height.

Another issue to consider is the type of home-based business you are in, and especially, your travel requirements. If you are on the road all the time, a laptop might be a better investment than a desktop.

Don’t forget that you can upgrade a computer you already own to meet your needs and save a ton of money. Adding a nicer monitor and a memory upgrade card can give new life to an older PC.

Investing In Faster Internet Access

Just as you can't easily do business without a computer, it won't be easy to turn a buck without the Internet. Luckily, most locales are jammed with businesses that can help you do just that.

All you need to get on the Internet is a modem, a phone line, and an Internet Service Provider (ISP). ISPs offer access to the Internet and World Wide Web for a monthly fee (in my city, the charges range from $10.00 to $20.00 a month for basic dialup). Basic dialup service with a modem still is cheaper than broadband access (such as a cable modem or DSL router), but it’s slower.

If you have to send and receive large files on a constant basis, you'd better invest in faster ways to get on the Internet. This means DSL, a cable modem, or a satellite dish. Each technology has its pros and cons, and each locale has different vendors. The good news is that most are so competitive now, that you can get first-year deals with most for only slightly higher than dialup.

Other than access to the Web, an ISP gives you access to email and hosting providers. Email offers a lot of benefits: it's free (other than your monthly access fee to the ISP), it's instantaneous, and messages don't interrupt you like phone calls do.

Eventually, you'll want to set up a web site to market your products or services. Setting up a web site is a very good use of your time, as it can sell you to prospects 24-7. Luckily, many web-hosting providers exist for you to choose from. Many offer basic services and a little piece of real estate on a shared server. Others offer access to powerful scripting languages, database support, and dedicated machines for a very small monthly fee.

To find out more, begin by asking your ISP if they offer free hosting with your basic account (most do). This will be the most cost-effective solution, although you won't have a domain name of your own (such as www.yourbizname.com). Later, as your home-based business grows and you can afford it, you can get your own domain and site.

Networking Your Home Office

Finally, as your home office grows, you may want to think about installing a home office network for sharing files and printers. This isn't quite as daunting as it sounds. It usually involves buying a hub and connecting all your computers to the hub with Ethernet cables so they can communicate with each other. Buying wireless cards for your computers and a wireless access point offers an easy way to get started with networking without having to hassle with wiring your home office.

Choosing the Right Software

Most computer systems come preloaded with productivity suites (such as Corel or Microsoft Office). At minimum, you will need the following software:

• Word processor (for correspondence, contracts, and other business documents)
• Spreadsheet (for financials)
• Database (to keep track of customers)
• Financial management (for invoices and bookkeeping)
• Personal information manager (for notes, to-do lists, calendars, and contact lists)
• Web browser and email client

Depending on your home-based business, you might need other software. Web designers might need Macromedia DreamWeaver and Adobe Photoshop. Freelance bookkeepers will need QuickBooks. Freelance copywriters will need Adobe FrameMaker and RoboHelp.

The more specialized the software, the more it will cost. If you don't need the latest tool, try to find a freeware or shareware alternative. The worst thing you can do as a new business owner is sink money into gadgets and software you don’t really need.

Deciding on a Printer, Fax, and Scanner

Although we live in the Internet age, a lot of business is based on paper transactions. A good color printer can save on printing costs, because you can use it to print letterhead, business cards, and flyers. A fax machine can help you quickly send contracts and invoices. And a scanner can digitize photos, blueprints, or articles.

You can save a lot of money (and space!) by purchasing an all-in-one system that prints, faxes, copies, and scans. Hewlett Packard, Lexmark, Brother, and other manufacturers offer all-in-one models from $90.00 to $600.00 or more.

Getting A Business Line or Cell Phone

Back in the old days (the early 1990s), running a business out of your home meant getting a dedicated business line. Nowadays, it may make more sense to get a cell phone — at least initially. It’s most practical if you travel as part of your business dealings.Either way, get a phone number that is for business and nothing else. Print that number on your letterhead, your email signature files, and your business cards. Having a business-related phone number goes a long way toward making you look and feel like you're in business. HBM

Thomas Myer is the founder of Triple Dog Dare Media, which specializes in ecommerce and web development for companies of all sizes. You can contact him at tom@tripledogdaremedia.com

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