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The Importance of Office Setup
Office setup is an important consideration for all consultants and something that most take for granted.  How you design and set up your office can have a significant impact on your productivity, however. 

Make a quick sketch of the layout options in your work space.  There are some basic considerations regarding furniture, equipment, and productivity that should not be ignored when setting up your office whether home-based or in an executive suite.

Layout and Productivity
Since you will likely be spending many hours each day in your office, its layout is extremely important to your productivity.  Here are some ideas to make your home office environment more conducive to production.

View, Natural Lighting, and Decorations:  Locate your desk in a space near a window if at all possible. Avoid placing your desk in such a way that you simply stare at a wall.  Add photos of nature to make your home office a more pleasurable place.  Real plants in your office are always beneficial and will actually add fresh oxygen in your workspace.

Office Color
Blues (and pale greens) tend to be great colors for a home office. Why? Because it has a relaxing effect on people and studies have shown that employees (you in this case) are far more productive in blue rooms.
More information on color here. (Color In Your Home Office)

Furniture & Equipment
Its easy to get caught up in buying all the newest electronic gadgets for your office which may, in some instances, add some semblance of success to your consultancy when viewed by prospects and visitors. Keep your budget in mind, however.

At the very least, you will need the following furniture and equipment for your office.

•  Desk:  If you will be setting appointments and speaking with prospective clients at your office, you will be projecting an image with the type of furniture you choose.  It is fine to go the used route but make certain the desk is in tip-top shape.  A large desk will help to alleviate that "cramped" feeling and also tend to minimize clutter.  A great place to find used furniture of high quality very cheap is Craig's List or at an FDIC Auction.  With banks still dropping like flies, you can purchase high quality furniture, equipment, and pictures from FDIC auctions if nearby.

•  Chair:  You will be spending countless hours in your chair.  Make certain it is comfortable with arm and back support.  Plush desk chairs also add the possibility for taking "power naps" during a hectic day.

•  Computers:  Desktop generally preferred for the office but a laptop may be necessary if you are going to be active in giving workshops and presentations requiring PowerPoint to groups such as S.C.O.R.E, etc.  Most successful consultants will end up with both computer types.  Make sure your computer screen is within 2-3 feet from your eyes.

•  Printer:  An absolute necessity but can be relatively cheap if you choose carefully.  Pay particular attention to the cost of replacement ink cartridges.  Many printers that seem like bargains when being purchased can bankrupt you when buying ink. Also, look into the combination units that provide fax / scanner / copier capabilities. 

•  Phone System:  You will need a dual line phone system as well as a cell phone...all with call forwarding capabilities. 

•  Fax:  You will absolutely need a fax machine.  Again, consider the 4 in 1 styles for home offices with space limitations.

•  Filing Space:  You will need much more than you think.  Lateral files offer expansive table top possibilities for more work room.

Motivational pictures are a welcome addition to most offices.  Many top sales professionals choose to have pictures of their "goals" that can be easily seen while they are on the phone.  If a red Ferrari convertible is what you dream of, why not hang a picture of one directly in front of your desk.  Or maybe a picture of the Greek Islands for those that want their first commission checks to go to a "travel fund". 

Some of the best sales people throughout industry find that rewarding themselves with a "mini-trip" at the end of each production month gives them a "motivational surge" and something to look forward to.  Min-trips that simply involve a long weekend are a stress-relieving reward for the hard work needed to earn them.  Surround yourself with reminders of an upcoming trip to keep your focus on productivity.