Home Office - How to Improve Productivity by Organizing Your Home

Written by KC Kudra

Monday, 31 March 2008 11:24

If you are fed up with your office space, have to hunt for a pen like you are on safari, and spend more time hunting for documents than working on them, this article is for you. As you forage through the "one week ago" pile, and try not to topple the whole thing into an unworkable mess, read this article for tips on how to reverse and improve your home office world.

Every home office deals with excess paper and whether you are running a small or large business, it is still something to contend with, and one that gets worth when there is no organization.

So, how do you clear the clutter and gain control?

Space to Organize Is Essential

One of the largest challenges of staying organized is the ability to set up a system where you have room to grow. Space is essential.

If you clean out a drawer, organize it, and then put all the stuff back into that same drawer, you might feel good to get the dust bunnies out. However, you have not realistically done much. By squeezing all, that stuff back into the drawer simply means it is cleaner. If there is no room for anything new, it won't help with the pile of un-filed papers and the new papers that will be generated in the future.

Be certain to have at least a quarter to a third (more if possible) of growing room when implementing a system. You may need to change over at some point, but having some extra space will encourage you to keep up with the organizing.

Having space to add home office furniture in the form of filing cabinets and storage bins will help considerably with organization. Be sure and have at least one quarter to one third or more growing room when you implement your system. Extra space encourages you to keep up with your organization efforts.

Set aside time to purge unnecessary documents. Not only will this provide more space but it will save you time that would otherwise be wasted looking through worthless paperwork.

Keep It Simple

Filing systems do not need to be hard, confusing, and complicated. In fact, the simpler the better. The easier it is to setup and maintain, the more likely you will be to keep up with it. Some of the most effective systems are as simple as three or four categories like "Expense', 'Correspondence', and 'Projects' or something similar.

When filing large groups of projects, clients, or invoices, try utilizing a single draw for each group of like files. Get a tall filing cabinet that can be divided into either chronological or alphabetical systems.

For things that you use very frequently, consider getting a cork, posting or white board that you can place near your desk. This works for phone number lists, client projects and outlines, 'To-Do' lists and appointment calendars.

After You Set It Up, Maintenance Is Next

A system is only as good as the person using it is. If you do not keep it up, no system is useful. Starting with a smaller, simpler system of files in a cabinet near you is good. You can then take your daily or weekly items and store them in a more permanent place when you are finished.

You will find that this works for current project lists, product pricing, and things of that nature.

Style of Filing

Take a realistic look at how you file and consider the filing system. It might work better if you use labeled boxes or storage boxes if you tend to pile papers. This might be in addition or replace the standard filing cabinet. You need to find something that makes you feel comfortable, something you want to work with so that you continue to maintain it.

All Things Need a Place

Everything MUST be assigned a home. By giving each item a place, you will not loose pens, cell phones, glasses, and so on. Do not crowd the items or you will get frustrated. Recognize that all of your efforts will help you run your business more efficiently and thus productively. Reward yourself for keeping the system working!

About the Author:

Find articles of latest new technology for your home office from people who know. Seasoned writers covering the world of web business, education, technology and more for your demanding life today and tomorrow.

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