7 Home Office Organization Tips to Keep You From Being Overwhelmed
The first step in having a successful home office is organizing it and setting it up properly. By thinking about the layout of your home office before starting to organize it, you can design it for functionality. By designing a home office for functionality, you can save yourself time from having to reorganize it on a regular basis, and use that time to concentrate on your business.
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Furniture Choices
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Choose furniture that maximizes the use of the space you have available. Choose a desk that has several file drawers in it. This will limit the number of storage units you will have to purchase for your office. It will also keep your documentation close to where you are working. Choose furniture that fits the dimensions of your home office and leaves plenty of space for walkways. Instead of purchasing multiple book cases, purchase one that can hold all of your reference materials. This will save space and keep all of your reference material in a central location.
Design For Function
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Organize your office so your supplies are located close to ones of the similar type. Set one area of your office for working on your computer. Another area where your reference material is kept and a third where your fax machine and printer are positioned. This will create "activity areas" of your office, avoiding having to go from one area to another for doing similar tasks.
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Organize Based on Use
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Avoid placing items that you use regularly in your office in areas that are hard to get to. As an example, if you use your printer regularly during the day, don't block access to it with a bookcase or other piece of equipment. If you only use your digital camera or voice recorder a couple times a month, store them in a drawer instead of taking up valuable desk space for them. If you regularly switch devices plugged into your computer, do not block access to the USB or serial ports when organizing your home office.
Organize Your Wires and Cables
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Creating a home office with power cords and USB cords extended throughout the office is not only dangerous, but a waste of time. These can be injury risks for tripping over. You also could run the risk of pulling the cables out of your computer or damaging the cords. Tangled cords can make it harder to use an item such as a mouse or connect a digital camera to your computer. Tie excess cables and power cords using wire ties or plastic ties.
File Storage
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Keep your files that you use the most often close to your desk. If you have two different file storage cabinets, rotate them regularly. By keeping the files of your current clients either in your desk or a file cabinet immediately next to your desk, it will save time from having to walk across the office to get needed paperwork.
Maximize Your Wall Space
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Make your wall space in your home office functional. Instead of hanging decorative items, use the walls to hold items that can assist you in your office. Examples of these include a calendar, a dry-erase board and a bulletin board. This will allow you to write important notes and to-do lists on these items instead of scattering them around the office on pieces of paper. By having these items hanging on the wall, they will be visible for you when sitting at your desk.
Use a Desk Organizer
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A desk organizer will help you keep your home office organized and save you time. Keep small items such as pens and pencils, scissors, tape, post-it notes and paper in the organizer. This will avoid you having to fumble around if you need to take notes during a phone call. Organize your office bills in a mail organizer on the desk or the wall. This will help you avoid being late on important bills for your home office.
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References
- Photo Credit at home office image by Pix by Marti from Fotolia.com
