Editing Small office/home office

{{Short description|Category of business or cottage industry that involves from 1 to 10 workers}}
{{redirect|Home-office|the United Kingdom government department responsible for internal affairs|Home Office|the room|Study (room)}}
{{more footnotes|date=May 2012}}
[[Image:Home office small office.JPG|thumb|right|Home office]]
'''Small office/home office''' (or '''single office/home office'''; sometimes short '''SOHO''') refers to the category of [[business]] or [[cottage industry]] that involves from 1 to 1000 workers. 
In [[New Zealand]], the [[Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment]] (MBIE) defines a small office as 6–19 employees and a micro office as 1–5.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.mbie.govt.nz/info-services/business/business-growth-agenda/pdf-and-image-library/2014/The%20Small%20Business%20Sector%20Report%202014%20-PDF%208.8%20MB-1.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2017-08-14 |archive-date=2017-03-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170312071614/http://www.mbie.govt.nz/info-services/business/business-growth-agenda/pdf-and-image-library/2014/The%20Small%20Business%20Sector%20Report%202014%20-PDF%208.8%20MB-1.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==History==
Before the 19th century, and the spread of the [[Industrial Revolution]] around the globe, nearly all offices were small offices and/or home offices, with only a few exceptions. Most businesses were small, and the paperwork that accompanied them was limited. The industrial revolution aggregated workers in factories, to mass-produce goods. In most circumstances, the [[white-collar worker|white collar]] counterpart—office work—was aggregated as well in large buildings, usually in cities or densely populated suburban areas.

Beginning in the mid-1980s, the advent of the [[personal computer]] and [[fax machine]], plus breakthroughs in [[telecommunications]], created opportunities for office workers to decentralize. Decentralization was also perceived as benefiting employers in terms of lower overheads and potentially greater productivity.

==Professions==
Many [[consultant]]s and the members of such [[profession]]s like [[lawyer]]s, real estate agents, and [[surveyor (surveying)|surveyors]] in small and medium-sized towns operate from home offices.

Several ranges of products, such as the [[armoire desk]], [[all-in-one printer]], [[virtual assistant]]s, [[home server]]s and [[network-attached storage]] are designed specifically for the SOHO market. A number of books and [[Family Computing|magazines]] have been published and marketed specifically at this type of office. These range from general advice texts to specific guidebooks on such challenges as setting up a small [[Private branch exchange|PBX]] for the office [[telephone]]s.

Technology has also created a demand for [[homesourcing|larger businesses to employ individuals who work from home]]. Sometimes these people remain as independent businesspersons, and sometimes they become employees of a larger company.

The small office home office has undergone a transformation since its advent as the [[Internet]] has enabled anyone working from a home office to compete globally. Technology has made this possible through [[email]], the [[World Wide Web|World-Wide Web]], [[e-commerce]], [[videoconferencing]], [[remote desktop software]], [[Virtual private network|VPN]], [[VLAN]], [[webinar]] systems, and telephone connections by [[VOIP]]. Due to the increase in small and home offices, web services and standard business software have been created to directly assist smaller businesses in standard business practice <ref>{{cite news |last=DeBaise|first=Colleen|title=Accounting 101: How to Keep Financial Records|url=https://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052748703399204574505840252287928 |publisher=Wall Street Journal|access-date=10 December 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.siliconrepublic.com/start-ups/item/24877-billfaster-raises-330k-to |title=Billfaster raises €330k to scale up online accounting globally |date=12 July 2011 |newspaper=Ireland's Technology News Service |first=Carmel |last=Doyle |access-date=2 February 2014}}</ref>

In many countries, a home office can be claimed as a tax deduction only if office space and supplies are not provided by a corporate office.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Steuertipp Nr. 28|url=https://www.bdo.ch/de-ch/publikationen/fachartikel/nl/steuertipp-nr-28-homeoffice-und-steuern|access-date=2021-04-14|website=www.bdo.ch|language=de}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=tagesschau.de|title=Steuererleichterung: Bis zu 600 Euro fürs Homeoffice|url=https://www.tagesschau.de/wirtschaft/steuer-homeoffice-pauschale-101.html|access-date=2021-04-14|website=tagesschau.de|language=de}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Steuererklärung: Das gilt fürs by:Anathi Sokhetye Homeoffice|url=https://www.ey.com/de_de/tax/steuererklaerung-das-gilt-fuers-homeoffice|access-date=2021-04-14|website=www.ey.com|language=de-DE}}</ref>

==See also==
{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
* [[Home business]]
* [[Hot desking]]
* [[Hoteling]]
* [[Nomad worker]]
* [[Outsourcing]]
* [[Remote work]]
* [[Study (room)]]
* [[Telecentre]]
* [[Telecottage]]
* [[Virtual assistant (occupation)|Virtual assistant]]
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book | first=Brian | last=Basset | year=1997 | title=Bless This Home Office ...With tax credits: An Adam Compilation | publisher=Andrews McMeel Publishing | location=Kansas City }} [a comical view]
* {{cite book | editor=Johnson, Karen K.| year=1998 | title=Ortho's All About Home Offices | publisher=Ortho Publishing Group | location=DesMoines, Iowa }} [mostly the home handyman's view]
* {{cite book | first=Candace Ord | last=Manroe | year=1997 | title=The Home Office: Setting Up, Furnishing and Decorating Your Own Work Space | publisher=Michael Friedman Publishing Group Inc. }} [mostly a decorating view of things]
* {{cite book | first=Neal | last=Zimmerman | year=2002 | title=Home Workspace Idea Book | url=https://archive.org/details/tauntonshomework0000zimm | url-access=registration | publisher=Taunton Press | isbn=9781561586264 }} [small office and home office design of all types and sizes]

==External links==

{{wikiquote}}

{{Office types}}
{{Room}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Small Office Home Office}}
[[Category:Decentralization]]
[[Category:Office work]]
[[Category:Rooms]]
[[Category:Telecommuting]]