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Every plan needs preparation. To make money from home you need the right ingredients or the ideal set up. Here's what you need to know about setting up a home office.

When you make the transition between working for the corporation and working for yourself in your own home based business, one of the most important factors you need to consider is how to set up your home office or work space. In order to make money from home, you need to make sure your working space includes certain basic features. These include space, equipment, dedicated time, and the right mental attitude.

Space

If you want to make money from home, you should have a space that is dedicated to your work. It doesn't have to be a large space, just one that is set aside for working equipment and tools. It is best if the space is a room where your work tools can be arranged for easy access, but even a corner of the living room is preferable to working from the couch from a box of equipment and paper shoved under the coffee table. It is important to feel that you are physically going to your work space just as you previously did by heading for your automobile and driving to work. You may not be able to physically go to a separate room and shut the rest of the world out, but mentally you can learn to do so.

Equipment

In order to make money from home, you will need some basic equipment. This will vary to some extent, based upon the type of work you are doing. The first item you will require is a computer with Internet connection and a printer. If you plan to use the family computer for your work, then you will need to set up some guidelines about access and privacy. You will need a good computer desk as well as adequate space for your papers, reference materials and office supplies.

Look for a good chair since you will spend much of your time there. You will need to provide Internet access. If you already have dial-up and it's working well for you, you can always upgrade later. If you are starting your home office from scratch, consider a faster connection, especially if you will be doing a lot of uploads and downloads from the Internet.

Finally, a dedicated telephone for your business is important even if it's a prepaid cell phone to begin with.

Dedicated time

Often the person who is preparing to make money from home is not prepared to set aside time to do it right. You should plan to have working hours just as you would in the corporate world. The advantage of a home office is that these hours can be any time of the day or night that works for you. If you plan to be a freelance writer, you can work spend two three-hour blocks of time working while your school age children are off at school. If you have preschoolers at home, you can work while they nap or after they have been tucked into bed at night.

Mental attitude

A decision to make money from home is exciting and scary at the same time, but holding onto that excitement when the income dips occasionally--as it will--will get your through the dry periods.