Organize Your Office!

Taking some time to organize your office make seem like a bit of a time-waster but in the long run you are much better off spending that time now than to waste it later on.  You will no doubt increase your productivity by clearing out the office clutter.

Organizing The Home Office

Organizing your home office can be a task that is a little more difficult than other rooms because it not only should be free of clutter but also be a functional place to get your work done.  Of course it easier to get things accomplished and find what you need if the area where you work is tidy and things are put in their proper place. 

You'll need lots of space for storing your supplies and paperwork, drawers and filing cabinets do very well here.  If you don't have enough space for these type of things, then they end up on your desk in a pile or scattered all around your office making a mess.  That's no way to run your business.  There are many types of desk organizers and tools you can purchase to help you get your desk mess under control. 

Under your desk can be a big problem as well if you don't get the cables under control.  Bread ties work great in organizing cables, here's what you do:  Fold the cords leaving a little slack and fasten it with a bread tie.  This will prevent the cords from tangling together.  Make sure you leave enough slack though or you will end up pulling things off the desk when you trip up in the cable. 

No office is complete without at least a two drawer filing cabinet and a bookshelf unit.  There is no substitute for how much more productive you can feel when everything is in it's rightful place.  Important papers can be filled away and any books and other materials you have can be put onto the bookshelf.  Decorative boxes are great for keeping things organized but looking neat, and out of sight.  You could also use a dresser in your office if it has drawers that you can use to easily organize your items. 

Do you have post-it notes all over your office?  A great way to reduce this and the amount of paper floating around your desk is to use a whiteboard to write down any notes you need to make.  Label all your office supplies with the item and also the words 'Home Office' so that whenever someone borrows something from you it will be returned and get put back in it's place. 

A collapsible hanging folder is a great space-saver and can be stored in a closet or on the back of your office door.  Later on they can collapse down to fit into a box where they can be stored.  This is great during tax time to have this type of folder because everything is in one place and you can label the folders for everything you will need during tax time.