Offices are different depending on what task the office is there to perform. You wouldn’t set up a recording studio the same way you would set up a call center. Different kinds of work require different kinds of workspaces. Some work needs to be done in an open space while other work can be done in a closet.
Even if you are doing the same kind of work as someone else, that doesn’t mean your office needs are the same. Because you are unique, you will have unique requirements. An office for a person with perfect eyesight will be very different from one set up with the needs of a low-vision user in mind. Add a wheelchair to the mix and you introduce an entirely different set of needs.
Doing a finance-related job carries a set of special requirements you need to take into account when working from home. Some of the requirements are subtly different from the typical office cubicle. Other differences are more pronounced. In the same way, some requirements cost very little to secure while others represent a larger investment. Here are a few things you will need to keep in mind when setting up your office at home if you happen to be in a financial-related business. Whether you are starting from scratch or simply making a few changes, there are many creative ways to bring new life into your apartment while staying within budget. With careful planning and consideration, you can create an inviting and comfortable living space that reflects your personal style (check out apartments for rent in tacoma).
The Right Desk
Do you know how tall your desk should be? The industry standard desk height is 29”. But you are not an industry standard person. One size might fit all. But you’re not all. You are an individual with your own needs.
The key factor for desk height starts with your chair. You need a chair that is the right height for your frame. Once you have that, your desk needs to provide good clearance for your legs and be at a comfortable height for your arms to address the keyboard without strain. Don’t worry about whether the motor is at eye level. You can always put your monitor on a stand so you can stay in a healthy posture for long stretches.
Speaking of stretches, you are not going to take many breaks when dealing with fast-breaking financial data. So an optimal desk would be one that can adjust to your standing position. When your desk is adjustable, you never have to worry about it being the wrong height. It can adjust to your needs throughout the workday. For a fixed desk, start with the chair and work your way up. Otherwise, a standing desk is the best of all possible worlds.
Sound Isolation
If you have decided to renovate rather than move, be sure that one of the improvements you make is to your office, in particular, the sound isolation. In most houses and apartments, the walls are quite thin. What you say can be heard by other people in the house even when they are not trying to listen. But when you are dealing with sensitive client data, you need a room that does not blast that sensitive information to everyone else.
Paper Management
In the financial business, you will be dealing with a lot of paper. You need a place other than your desk where all of that paper will live. You will need a lockable filing cabinet as if it were still 1959. That is the nature of the financial world. In some ways, paper records are safer than digital records because they cannot be hacked by someone on the internet. A good filing cabinet is crucial to the financial business.
Multiple Monitors
Your laptop is not going to cut it no matter how large it is. You will be dealing with either spreadsheets or financial market data. Either way, you are going to need at least two, and possibly four monitors running all the time. What you need is a multi-monitor stand that you can mount on your desk. You don’t have to worry about desk space because all the monitors will be up and out of the way. In the financial business, information density is the name of the game.
When it comes to setting up your home office, consider the specific needs of your industry. For a financial business, get a desk that can adjust with you. While you’re at it, add sound isolation, paper management, and a multi-monitor setup.
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