Home Office Essentials Part Two

Welcome to Part Two of our series of articles on home office essentials. The last article discussed ergonomics and office furniture and your working environment. This next article will
take that a step further and also look at the computer aspect of your home office.
Decorate It
Some people design their home offices to be like a real world office. They take it that step too far though and strip their
home office of all character and warmth. There's no need for your home office to be sterile and boring. In fact it should be
just the opposite.
Seriously consider adding plants. They're a healthy decoration in so many ways. The colour green has a positive affect on our
thought patterns. This combined with the fact that plants filter toxins from the air around us is another great reason for having a "green" office.
Hate those motivational posters you saw in work? Do you know why? They never "spoke" to you as a person. They were just corporate spindoctoring that meant nothing to you. Choose one single motivational poster that speaks to you and put it somewhere you can always see it. Even if it only makes you smile once during a working day because it's cheesy that's a positive influence on you.
Last but not least consider having your mission statement printed out, framed and on your desk in front of you. You don't have a mission statement? Get one! Write it now!Your mission statement is the reason you started your home business - make sure you are reminded of this every single day. It will push you forward when you need encouragement the most.
Your Computer
Stop. This is the point where you need to be really, really honest with yourself. Computers are expensive and tempting. The question you need to ask yourself is "What do I need in my computer?" and not "What kind of computer do I want?"

Your home office does not *need* the latest superfast, supercool computer, printer, scanner, digital camera and external storage.

You want this stuff. You don't necessarily need it. Your business needs functionality. You business needs cost effectiveness. Buy what you need for your business. Do not buy
what you want for yourself.

Tips for buying your home office computer.

* Mid-range processor power
Ignore the super poweful, super expensive next generation processors.They won't help you type that document any faster.
* 512MB of RAM
This is a minimum. If you can afford 1GB get it. If you can afford more get it. More RAM is always better.
* 40GB hard disk
What are you going to put on a 200GB hard disk? MP3s, movies and games. In other words 200GB of distractions. 40GB - 80GB is more than adequate for home office use.
* 3D Graphic Accelerator
Next generation 3D chipsets are not essential business equipment. Most modern computers will have a 3D chipset by default. Simply don't go upgrading this because you're only doing it to play the latest games. Don't buy a distraction.
CDRW or DVDRW drive
If you value your business you'll value your data. A CD or DVD writer/burner gives you the ability to safely and quickly backup your data. Do not buy a PC without one.
LCD/Flat screens
MTV Cribs has sold more flat screen tvs than any marketing campaign could hope to. Will a 21" LCD screen make you work faster or better? Nope. CRT monitors are cheaper and do the same job. If its supplied as standard with the system then that's fine. Don't go spending money on an LCD upgrade.

Extended warranties
Sales people make large commissions from these. Do you really need a 5 year warranty on your computer? Will you still own the
same computer in even 3 years? Never take these warranties at face value.

Generic Brand Computers
Just because it isn't Dell, IBM, HP or Compaq doesn't mean it's cheap. Generic brands use the same components as and are
therefore equally as reliable as the big name brands like HP and Dell. Buy smart.
Refurbished systems
If the budget is tight and the spec is right then these are well worth considering. Be certain of what your warranty cover on such a system is though. Many refurbished systems only have a 90-day warranty.

Phone-A-Friend
Check with friends who have purchased computers recently. What problems did they encounter when buying their PC? Who did they buy from? What was the aftersales service like?
Printer
Does your business really need a top-of-the-range color laserjet that prints 7,000 pages per minute? Nope? Didn't think so.

Here's a brief list of questions you should ask yourself when buying your printer:

* Do you need color printing capabilities?
* How many pages per minute do you actually need to print?
* What is the cost per page for color and black printing?
* How much does replacement ink/toner cost?
* How many pages of black text can you get from each cartridge?
* How much desktop space will the printer require?
* Are updated drivers and tech support for this model readily available?

Hopefully this set of articles has proven useful to you. Again a few thousand words can't possibly encompass everything you need to know about designing and operating a home office. www.home-office-advisor.com is there for that purpose.

About the Author

Home Office Advisor has lots of information for anybody who has, does or will run their own home office. The site contains detailed information on office chairs, desks, computers, ergonomics and other related topics. (C)Copyright 2005 www.home-office-advisor.com

What hope for the first time home buyer?

First time home buyers across the globe are feeling the pinch as property prices continue to rise. From America to Australia and Spain to China the total value of residential property in the developed economies has risen by over £15 trillion in the last 6 years. Fabulous for anyone who already owns their own home as they are now happily sitting on a little goldmine, but for those who were too young, too cautious or who simply did not have the required deposit the picture does not look so rosy.

Buying a home for a first time home buyer is now out of reach for all but those on the highest salaries. Unable to buy, the would be home owner’s only alternatives are to stay in the parental home, or move into a rental property. Many choose the home rental route, but of course this only goes to fuel the buy-to-let market encouraging those looking to buy investment property. The more homes that are bought as investment property, the fewer are available for sale to first time home buyers and through the wonders of demand and supply theory, property prices are pushed higher again and further out of reach.

For years some first time buyers have held back waiting for the property ‘bubble’ to burst. This being the favourite phrase of the post-millennium property expert. In the UK they were convinced it would burst in 2003, they were so sure it would pop in 2004, and if it didn’t explode in 2005 they would eat their hats! Well, many had to eat their own words as well as their headgear in 2006 as they had to admit that maybe they had got this whole bubble thing wrong all along as new theories emerged as to the way people buying homes bought, and the market reacted. No crash in the foreseeable future now say those same experts, just the possibility of a slight slowdown in the relentless tide of rises.

Other first timers have been waiting for their salaries to improve before buying, but they too have been disappointed as property prices have risen far faster than wages, and instead of being closer to their dream home, years on they find themselves still first time home buyers in waiting as many are now worse off than they were before.

It is important to note that this is not a problem limited to a few unfortunates who did not jump onto the property ladder when they could or should have. This has reached political and social issue status in the UK. The statistical average number of first time home buyers here is around 40% of the total home buying public. It is therefore rather worrying to see that in each of the last three years this has fallen into the high 20%’s equating to around 100,000 less first time home buyers each year than there should have been. Numbers that bring a tear of joy to the eye of any rental property owners, but for the first time home buyer things have not looked too good.

It’s not all bad news though there is a glimmer of hope for the beleaguered masses. In the 2006 budget, the UK Government promised £970m to help key workers into their first homes, a number of organisations are launching schemes to offer private shared ownership where they fund a percentage of the property for a rental income, and of course there is the blossoming co-buyer market, something we know quite a bit about as we launched the co-buyer network 10 months ago. Co-buying offers the thousands of potential first time home buyers an opportunity to join forces to help one another onto the property ladder. Through doing this they multiply their buying power, divide all their costs and can afford to own what they want, where they want to live years sooner than they could possibly have done so on their own. There are many innovative options that are launching to help the first time home buyer, and we are hoping to bring as many as possible to you.

About the Author

Richard Cohn is the Founding Director of SharedSpaces.co.uk, the UK's co-buyer network website. "I have always had a passion for property, from my education as a Surveyor to my employment as a property consultant and the launch of SharedSpaces.co.uk to help anyone who could benefit from joining forces with someone else to realise their property dreams." Why not join the thousands already registered looking for someone to co-buy, co-invest or co-rent with.

How to buy the perfect engagement ring and save $1000s

Buying a diamond engagement ring can be a risky business! For most of us an engagement ring is the third most expensive purchase we are likely to make, after our home and car. However I can guarantee you know much more about buying a home, or a car than you do about buying a diamond ring! This lack of knowledge opens up the opportunity for dishonest people to take advantage of you.

This generally takes the form of selling you a poor quality diamond ring for a higly inflated price.

How can you avoid the pitfalls?
There are some basic precautions you can take, which will significantly reduce the risk. Some of these include:

Get Educated - Research the subject of buying diamonds, in exactly the same way you would if you were buying a car. There is no substituted for this, and if you are willing to make the effort you can have more knowledge of the subject in 2 hours, than 95% of your fellow consumers.

Buy from a reputable source - Whether you decide to make your purchase online or at a Jewelry store, make sure you have some background on the store. Visit the store and ask the salesman questions to gauge his level of knowledge. I would suggest you avoid the Jewelry districts, simply because the competition is so fierce that it breeds questionable practices and half truths amongst the occupants.

Never buy a diamond without a certificate - Without a certificate you could quite easily buy a piece of glass set into an engagement ring setting and be non the wiser, but up to $5000 poorer. However a certificate alone does not guarantee a better deal, you need to be proficient in understanding exactly what it is telling you, and how each factor that is covered affects the price and quality of the ring.

Understand the 4 C's of diamonds - Most people know something about the 4 C's of diamond buying including, Cut, Clarity, Carat and Color. However very few people know how to each of the 4 factors interact to determine the price and quality of a diamond.

If you follow this advice you significantly reduce your chance of being fleeced by a dishonest salesman. Treat your purchase as a significant financial purchase. Set your budget up-front and do not go too much above or below the price you've set yourself. Try not to get to emotionally involved in the purchase and the outcome should be favorable.

Peter Vine

About the Author

Peter Vine is a consumer researcher for a large magazine, and has spent the past year researching the diamond and Jewelry industry. The book Diamond Ring Secrets is a summary of his findings, and can be purchased at: http://www.diamond-ring-secrets.com

Tips for Getting Your Home Loan Approved

Home Loan Tip #1 Pay Your Bills
It is very important that you always pay your bills on time and never miss a payment. When you have this type of history paying bills your mortgage lender will believe you will be just as responsible with your home loan. If you want to be approved for a home loan, be sure you are current on all your payments and have been making them regularly for some time before you apply for a home loan.

Home Loan Tip #2 Employment History
In general, when an individual has been employed in the same job for at least two years, or at least the same type of job for that amount of time, a home loan approval is more likely. So, if you have been in your same job for a year and a half and are considering quitting or changing jobs, but are also looking at buying a house, wait until your home loan is approved before you make any changes. Once you have your home loan, you can make any changes.

Home Loan Tip #3 Pay Debt Down
Your debt to income ratio is considered when you apply for a home loan. If you really want to be approved for a home loan then you need to make sure you pay off as many debts as possible in order to look favorable to the home loan lenders. A home loan is approved for individuals who have a low debt to income ratio.

Home Loan Tip #4 Savings
Before applying for a home loan, make sure you have saved at least 20% of the down payment and also have enough money to cover several months of your home loan payment. When you have enough money in savings to cover you if you experience financial difficulty one month or even two or three then the lender will be more likely to approve your home loan.

About the Author

Jay Moncliff is the founder of http://www.fast-loansonline.coma website specialized on Home Loan, resources and articles. This site provides updated information on Home Loan. For more info on Home Loan visit: http://www.fast-loansonline.com