(Published on the HP Tech Takes Blog, September 2020)
By now you’ve settled into your work from home setup, which—let’s be honest—you may have thrown together a little haphazardly back in March. Now that you’re looking at working from home for the long haul, you may be considering some upgrades to your space, or if you’re managing a team, you may be looking at some tech upgrades that you’re providing your colleagues for their home workspaces. Here are some things that you personally and your small business can do to improve your remote setups while still staying on a budget.
Bundle your internet
If your company isn’t providing employees with internet credits, it’s up to you to find the best way to get the most broadband at the best price. (Throw in the extra wrench of a partner also working from home and kids on their school Zooms all day!) If you have multiple providers in your area, do your research and balance price packages with good customer service, speed, and reliability. A good way to get honest feedback is to ask your neighbors in Facebook groups about which providers they like. Also look for bundled packages with other electronics in your home, such as your TV setup.
Choose a sharp laser printer at the right price
You and your team brought your workstations and laptops home, but you may still require the occasional printing job that your home printers aren’t quite up for. Fortunately, there’s now a high-quality printing solution that’s the right price for the job. With HP Neverstop Laser Tank, you get a cartridge-free laser tank solution that allows you to print thousands of pages right out of the box with precision HP quality, and low cost reloads. It comes with 5,000 pages of toner included—7x more pages than in-class lasers. Even better, the HP Toner Reload Kit is only $15.99—a fraction of the price of other laser print refills—and comes in an eco-friendly pump that makes refilling the tank a snap.
Save money by saving time
Your time is valuable—make the most of it by adding convenient (and free!) apps and shortcuts that allow you to focus on what’s really important. Take the HP Smart App, which helps you set up your HP Neverstop Laser Tank much faster than other printers. It also includes Smart Tasks that streamline common workflows, such as quickly scanning files with your home camera and uploading them to the cloud for your coworkers.
Look for deals on liquidated office furniture
A high-end office chair can easily set you back a grand—and you probably couldn’t take your sweet chair from the office home with you. This is the time to search your hometown for an office furniture liquidator, where you can often find high end Herman Millers and Steelcase chairs for a fraction of their retail price. They also have deals on desks, filing cabinets, and other pieces essential to your home office.
Find furnishings in unexpected places
If you’d rather go with something new, many office furniture companies such as Poppin and Pivot are starting to focus on the home office market—your company may even be willing to furnish you with a new chair on their tab. Regular home furniture retailers are starting to get into the game as well: It’s easy to find quirky, stylish items at a surprisingly good price point if you do a little hunting and keep an eye on sales.
Choose energy-efficient tech
While it’ an investment up front, picking energy-efficient technology will save on your home electrical bill in the long run. Look for the Energy Star® label on HP products (and browse our top 30 most energy-efficient monitors) and you can feel good about saving the environment, too.
Learn more about HP Neverstop: With the lowest cost per page, it’s more than an affordable laser printer—it’s long-term business investment, too.