Whether you are thinking of switching careers as a full time work from home employee or want to start freelancing as a VA, one of the things you need to consider is your equipment. But before I continue, I don’t want you to be disheartened if you feel you don’t have the latest and fastest computer in the market. In fact, you don’t have to spend a lot of money to start.
Your equipment is your investment but don’t be scared to start small, or to start with what you already have.
Internet Connection
First you will need to have a steady internet connection service. This allows you to perform your tasks at home, or anywhere you want to work. If you are confident with your internet connection, then your client would not have to worry. This is one of the main requirements of working from home and clients will often ask how reliable and fast your internet speed is.
If it’s a basic admin task job, you will need a minimum of 5mbps to work efficiently. If it’s more on making calls and other heavy internet usage, you want to have at least 25mbs and a reliable 10mbps connection at all times. If you live in a home where lots of people share the internet, you want to upgrade to a higher plan just to make sure you will not have connectivity issues while you work.
Computer and System
Again, depending on the type of work you want to get into, you want to have a computer that is running the latest operating system, and can support web apps. Clients normally give their VAs a software that they will manage to work with the business remotely. So you want your computer to keep up with these demands.
Usually, the following specs will work for low to medium usage such as data entry, making calls, managing software that relies on the internet, and other web apps:
- Intel i3 or i5 processor or Mac equivalent
- 8gb RAM
- Mouse
Your computer brand does not matter, so long as it can perform well and has these basic specs.
Workspace
If you have a laptop, you can easily set up your workspace anywhere you want in your home. A basic set up would have:
- A desk, or table with a comfortable height
- A chair you are comfortable sitting in
- The right light to help your eyes work long hours
If you are using a desktop, this makes your workspace more permanent. So you want to look for a quiet spot in your home where you can work uninterruptedly for hours.
Anyone Can Start
If you have always wanted to start working from home but feel like you can’t because you don’t have the latest computer, or you don’t have a workspace. Don’t worry about making it perfect for now. Once you get clients and start working from home, you will be able to save up and slowly upgrade your computer, your workspace, and your lifestyle.
The most important thing is if you already have the basic equipment to work from home, use that to your advantage and start earning from the comforts of your home!
Photo by Vlada Karpovich
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