The Z Gallerie Stefan desk.

Years ago when working naked was something you kept private, there weren’t many home office desks available. The only options were cheap, badly designed computer workstations and desks that fell apart after one or two moves. Now that working naked is more celebrated than shunned, furniture manufacturers—even from the commercial side—have created functional, stylish and even affordable home office furniture.

Some of my favorite places to shop for reasonably-priced home office furniture are Crate & Barrel, Pottery Barn, West Elm, Z Gallerie and commercial furniture dealers—they sell to individuals too. Sometimes you can find home office furniture by well known and respected manufacturers at Costco and Sam’s Club.

Before you buy anything, check for quality. You may think you’re getting a bargain but don’t be surprised if you have to replace that same item after a few months. I’m still surprised when I walk into an office supply superstore and see a chipped or dented desk. If it doesn’t hold up in a store, is it really going to last in my home office?

With more decent furniture choices out there, your home office doesn’t have to reflect the corporate office you just left (or feared being trapped inside for at least eight hours a day). Instead, your home office can and should be a reflection of your interests, taste and design sense.

• Make a trade. Swap goods and services on Barterquest.com, a site that brings together similarly thrifty people with different haves and wants.

• Test products. Get kickbacks for your feedback by enrolling as a product tester on sites like Product-Testing.com and Vindale.com. Complete an online survey on new items—electronics, baking sheets, toiletries—and you often get to keep what you try. Some companies sign up testers on their own sites, letting you score an HP printer, Microsoft videogames or a case of Utz potato chips.

• Lose the price tag. Get free stuff at Shop4Freebies.com, which lists Web sites offering giveaways and samples of everything from cereal to body wash. Sign up for the newsletter to be sure you get in on the next free sandwich at Arby’s.

When I told a client that my twitter following was growing, she admitted that she had no idea what I was talking about. I explained that Twitter is a microblog that allows you to update friends and clients in 140 characters or less. That made it clear, right? Not so much. When I saw the confused look on her face, I realized I needed to find a better explanation.

If you don’t have a clear understanding of twitter or just want to watch another YouTube video, gather around, grab some popcorn and check out “Twitter in Plain English.”

When you’ve learned how to tweet and why, you may be inspired to sign up (it’s free). Then after you’ve joined the Twitter community, you’ll discover ways to spread your business message, be able to keep your clients and friends in the loop and maybe even improve your status with your kids (although mine still think I’m too uncool to tweet). I’ll take two out of three anytime.

“My virtual assistant handles all my website design and maintenance. I’ve gone from four published books to eight. She has also saved my neck during a couple of major e-mail crises, performed troubleshooting of all sorts of stuff, and researched the best option for me on various technologies and platforms. She lives about 5000 miles away from me in Alaska and we’ve never met.

—Shel Horowitz, ethical marketing expert

”My virtual assistant has always been based in Copenhagen. I have used my virtual personal assistant for over a year and find that it is the only way to maintain efficiency and excellent service levels than any other method. She schedules all of my global meetings, does all of our invoicing and travel arrangements- getting me to and from clients in the US to Europe.

—Jennifer Hicks, founder of ink Communications and co-founder of bGrand

My virtual assistant does many of the things I am not qualified to do: She created a web site for me and maintains it by adding new materials, links, resources etc. She does this also for an existing site I have. My virtual assistant pushes me and encourages me. We’re a team that just happens to sit in two different states.

—Jane Cranston, ExecutiveCoachNY

Over the years, my virtual assistant has done a variety of tasks for me including formatting/updating documents, creation of Powerpoint presentations, flyer development, database management, email marketing, and website design/update. Over the years she has also helped me to automate as much as possible so I’ve actually used her less as time has gone on.

—Jackie Nagel, President of Synnovatia

Schedule workouts the way you would an appointment.

When you’re working naked and handling everything yourself, squeezing in a workout can be nearly impossible. In another blog post, folks working naked and working out shared their exercise tips. Before you completely dump the idea of fitting a workout into your day, consider more tips from other folks who are working naked.

“For the greatest energy and focus, take a break from your desk every 90-120 minutes. Use the time to take a brisk 10-minute walk, do a few crunches and push-ups, or stretching exercises. You will return refreshed and rejuvenated.”
— Ellen G. Goldman, M.Ed., Cert. Wellness Coach

“Work out first thing in the morning. It motivates me to get up and get moving. Doing so sets me up for a better mood throughout the day and it’s already done and out of the way. One thing immediately knocked off the daily to do list!”
—Melinda Massie, Melinda Massie Events and Consulting

“My problem has always been finding the time to work out as the days seem to fly by. My solution has been to buy a 1-hour kitchen timer. I set it for the amount of time I need for the task at hand and then when it rings, it’s enough to interrupt me from what I was concentrating on. I then set it for 10 minutes and do a short stretch or weight workout.”
—Jeffrey Strain, SavingAdvice.com

“Hulu.com has just added Exercise TV’s ‘Bikini Body Makeover’. There are 4 seasons of workout routines ranging from 10 – 30 minutes. It’s perfect if you work at home. If you’re staring at the computer, need an energy boost, and have a few minutes to spare, just click and work out! I love it!”
— Shari Alexander, Presenting Matters, LLC

“Be realistic about the amount of time you have to devote to training and schedule realistic workouts that take only that amount of time. Avoid setting yourself up for failure with grandiose plans of multiple hour workout sessions, 7 day a week training and other plans that don’t fit your workload or schedule.”
—Charla McMillian, Fitness Expert

Craig Wolfe, owner of CelebriDucks.

Wolfe still remembers negotiating his dual license with Coca-Cola and the NBA, totally naked with a face full of shaving cream. Woot! Three cheers for a guy who’s literally working naked. In part one of my interview with Craig, he shared what it took to start his business. In part two he shares his tips for running a business.

Working Naked: What have you learned from your business that you can share with others?

Craig: It’s not a matter of how much money you make…it’s how much you keep. People spend all kinds of money on fancy offices, equipment, staffing, etc. and expand right and left and then one day they are bankrupt. But they were bringing in millions and selling everywhere. Again, perception is not reality. Keeping your overhead in check is key.

Working Naked: What have you learned from any mistakes you’ve made?

Craig: I’ve learned a few things:

• Get a big enough deposit when working with a new client. In an economy like this, be really, really careful who you extend credit to and never have too much owed by one account.

• Be really careful whom you get into bed with. You really have to have a good, trustworthy group of people you can rely on from manufacturing, to artists, to accounting, etc. A great way to start is to pick people who are more talented than you—people who can counter your liabilities. And I would add…people you like!

• Retail customers can put you under so don’t become vested in one retailer or vendor. They can make you or break you. Know when to walk away because it may not be a good deal.

Craig has no shortage of new business ideas. He owns 100% of his company so he doesn’t have to answer to anyone and can grow at his own pace. “What is so unique about all this,” says Craig, “is that I do it all from a very nice home in Marin County that I love.”

Working naked at its best!

• Bathe daily and try to change your shirt and underwear at least every other day.

• Clean up your office once a week (even if it’s just removing coffee mugs and food wrappers).

• Limit your work hours. You need to sleep.

• If you have a deadline and you need to stay focused, turn off your e-mail alert.

• If your home office is a mess, meet with clients somewhere else. They say they don’t mind your mess but they do and they may be trying to figure out how to fire you.

• If possible, don’t let your kids use your computer. If you get a virus, you can’t work. If they get a virus they can’t play computer games. Do the math.

• Make sure every phone you own has Caller ID. It’s the best invention since chocolate.

• Make sure your mute or hold button works. Sometimes they don’t, which means you may have some explaining to do.

• Don’t answer your business phone if your kids are screaming or your dogs are barking. That’s why you have Caller ID and a hold or mute button.

• Set ground rules with your friends and family and let them know that even though you work from home, you’re not available to wait for the cable guy or plumber.

• Don’t use a chair from your dining room or kitchen as your desk chair. Pony up the money. It won’t cost you much for a descent, ergonomically correct chair.

• Teach your kids to leave your office supplies alone. In fact, buy them their own set.

• If you’re (literally) working naked, please wear underwear. ‘Nuff said.