Elizabeth Bambara

You have the opportunity to organize your home office and avoid clutter before you start your business. Too many people don’t give much thought to office organization. Not until they are surrounded by clutter. After wasting precious time searching for what they need.

When setting up your office, keep the purpose of your office in mind. What you need. When you need it. Focus on earning money. Not clutter.

What Are Your Options
You don’t necessarily need an entire room, but you should have a defined space to contain all your essentials and files. You can make your space stylish, practicable, and affordable.

Furnishing
Look for furniture and equipment that allows you to work in comfort. Find pieces that can be used for multitasking. Most office furniture can now easily blend into a home, appearing less like an office. Many bookshelves have doors that look like cabinets. Some file cabinets can even be made of wicker. An armoire can easily hide computer clutter and yet contain a writing surface.

Additional Tips

If space allows, L and U shaped work areas offer the most efficient space for you office, giving you plenty of room on all sides.

1 - There are many ways to make room on your desk. Hutches, desk organizers, or even kitchen cabinets add more desk area. Store items such as books, staplers, tape, clips, and even phones by using the height above the desk. Try adding either under desk pullout keyboard trays, or pullout drawers. Make sure you have the proper support for your wrists if you are going to spend time on a computer.

2 - Besides your computer, in box, phone, and maybe your day timer, there should be nothing on one side of your desk. Only what you are working on right now. Do not leave papers scattered all over your desk. Put projects away when you are not working on them. Keep your paper shredder handy.

3 - File cabinets, file drawers, and file carts, should be used to organize papers that just sit on top of the desk and create clutter. Find homes for everything. A clean desk provides a relaxing work place.

4 - Keep your supplies and the equipment you use the most within arms reach. You have a limited number of drawers and desk space that you can easily reach, so it is important to arrange your workspace so that you can maximize your efficiency. You would be surprised at the amount of time you can waste searching for what you need.

5 - Use a variety of lighting. Place task lighting strategically. Reducing overhead lighting will cut down on glare. Instead, opt for tourchiers. Florescent lighting can be hard on your eyes, so you might consider using them in other parts of your home.

6 - Move old files to a storage space away from the office. Use well labeled cardboard file boxes stored in a basement, attic, and closets.

If you need additional work space, add a hinged drop leaf to the end of your desk. Flip it up when you need it. Or use a folding table. They are cheap, portable and easy to store.

I encourage you to start with a few of these ideas to get your office set up organized. You will be surprised by how much more productive you can be when your not wasting time searching for files, papers or the stapler. The pleasure you will receive enjoying your functional and efficient home office is priceless.

Visit www.moms-work-from-home-tips.com for additional tips and ideas.

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