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Declutter and Organize Your Home Office For Success
By Tammy Embrich

 

Is your work at home office space organized? Is your desk neat and tidy? Can you find specific business documents on your computer with ease?

Or...Are you completely distracted by the mess in front of you as you work? Are you overwhelmed with that home desk clutter?

If you answered "no" to the first three questions and "yes" to the last two...you need a work at home office space overhaul. For some people, it is normal to have three or four stacks of paperwork scattered on top their desk.

While for others, those stacks of papers are a real eyesore! A messy, unorganized work area often makes you distracted and unfocused. It is a well-known fact that an organized home office always results in a more productive home business. That same organized work area also saves time and money.

For Example:

If you're wasting time constantly searching your computer for lost documents, doesn't this cost you time and money? The same goes for searching for that one piece of paper among the endless disorderly accumulation displayed in front of you.

So, wouldn't you much rather have a nice, organized home office with everything in it's place? Of course you would!

Unless...stacks of paper, lost documents on your desktop, and mounds of notes cluttering your desk is your cup of tea.

Below are just a few organization tips for your home business office:

1. If you don't own a file cabinet, it's best to invest in one. Obtain a good filing system. Keep a drawer for your household items and a drawer for your home business items. Always keep household and business separate.

2. Keep a business-to-do list on your desk at all times. Follow that list each and everyday, checking off tasks as they are completed. Make a list and stick to it.

3. Keep your files and documents in order on your desk top with their appropriate labels for ease of searching.

4. Set specific business hours. Set aside this time for your home business. Also set a specific time to do your household work. Sure, there will always be things that will come up...you have to run to the store and get milk, or you have to run to the vet. Always get right back on your schedule after these home chores are completed. No exceptions!

5. Look around your office. Is there anything on your desk, in your drawers, or up on a shelf that you don't have any use for anymore? If so, throw it out. Pitch anything you don't need or use. Why keep your work area cluttered with useless items?

6. Throw away junk mail immediately. Always keep a trash can by your desk.

7. You will always have a need for office supplies. But these items take up a lot of space. Invest in some drawer dividers for various different sized items. You can purchase drawer organizers at any office supply store. The idea is to declutter. And again, always throw out things you don't need.

8. If you're confined to a very small work area, you might consider purchasing a laptop. Laptops are getting cheaper by the dozen and they often come with good deals with rebates. Shop around, you may be surprised at what you can find.

Clutter doesn't have to completely destroy your day or your business. Take action and get organized. Don't put it off any longer, do it today! With some effort and a little creativity, you can have a more efficient work space.

Article written By: Tammy Embrich

Tammy owns and operates two work at home websites, a work at home forum, a recipe site and three blogs.

She offers free work at home job leads for the job seeker, business work at home articles, tips, and more. You can visit Tammy at Work At Home Jobs and Real Work At Home Jobs

 
Top 5 Tips For Organizing a Home Office PDF Print E-mail
Written by Administrator   
Wednesday, 12 May 2004

Top 5 Tips For Organizing a Home Office
By Jill Borash Platinum Quality Author

1. Separate business from personal

If you use your home office for business purposes and for personal purposes, try to separate the two as much as possible. Definitely make sure that you separate business receipts from personal receipts. If you don't, be prepared for an accounting nightmare at the end of the year when you try to get your taxes in order. When organizing a home office, try to keep all of your business items in one area and all of your personal items in another area.

2. Create a home office file organization system

As with just about anything related to home organization, you will need to create a plan for organizing your home office files. A good way to start is by making a list of all of the files that you currently have. Then take a look at that list and see what are natural groupings. A little home office file organization tip: Do not have a miscellaneous file. Too many things end up in there simply because you don't want to have to think about where they really belong.

3. Use some sort of scheduler

Whether you prefer your computer or paper to keep your schedule, make sure that you have one to keep your home office organized. All important dates should go on this schedule. For home office organization purposes, this means things like when certain bills need to be paid and when you will balance the checkbook (this should be at least weekly).

4. Schedule a time for home office organizing

At least once every week you should clean out and organize computer files (including email) and paper files. Schedule this into your week just like you would a regular appointment. Part of home office organization is making sure that you keep on top of all of your filing. And the computer files should be part of this too. Don't forget to delete those files on your computer that you no longer use or need access to.

5. Easy access to things you use most frequently

Make a list of everything in your home office that you use on a daily basis. All of those items should be organized in the same area. You want to make sure that how you organize your home office works for how you are going to use it. If you're getting up from your chair in order to constantly go get a certain item, move that item to within easy reach of your chair.

Getting your home office organized just takes a little time and planning. Take small steps and before you know it, you will know how to organize your home office with ease. For more free tips on organizing a home office, go to http://www.YourHomeIsOrganized.com/HomeOfficeOrganization.htm

 

Last Updated ( Tuesday, 29 July 2008 )
 
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