Use these tips to get your organising off to a flying start!
Firstly - simply having a room or designating a space for your home office is critical in getting organised - whether you work from home full time, occasionally, or simply want a space to run your home more smoothly. Look for a quiet place that won't be too disturbed by children, pets and other distractions such as the TV! It could be that you need to utilise a bedroom, or a corner of the guest bedroom - or possibly you may want to think about converting part of a garage (this works really well as they can then often be separate from the rest of the house). Whatever you have you will be able to find a little space - and once you have this space, you need to get it organised so that you can get your hands on any peice of paper/form/bill/report etc.. at the drop of a hat.
Think of a home office as somewhere to not only work, but also to house all your filing, home paperwork, personal and business information etc.... - that way it will all be in one place when you need it.
"Treat running your home like running a business as well - that way you will feel more in control at all times - whether you work from home or not, it is really important to have a working home office - however small!"
Think about all the various functions of the space before you even start to sort everything out. Having a goal in mind before you start will help to keep you motivated to get there as well!
Functions of the space could be any one or multiple of the following :- FILING / WRITING LETTERS / COMPUTER WORK / WORKING FROM HOME / RUNNING A HOME BASED BUSINESS / PAYING BILLS / CHILDRENS HOMEWORK / HOBBIES / WRAPPING PRESENTS AND WRITING CARDS / STORAGE FOR HOUSEHOLD PAPERWORK and the list could go on
It is worth looking at the space you have available and working out whether it is possible to zone areas so that everything required for one task is in that area, and to hand so that time and effort is saved every time to do anything with it (for example - a work zone may required space at a desk for a computer, desk space for writing, files, stationary, printer and paper, telephone, lamp etc...., a FILING zone will need filing cabinet, spare files, labeller, pens and paper, a shredder and bin also nearby for regular maintenance of the files etc...)
Once you have designated a space for your office, and decided on what will take place in that space, you now need to declutter and sort out all the items you believe should go in that space. You will be surprised at how much you have (paperwork is the main item of clutter in most peoples homes, and if you are running your home through your home office, it should all be housed in there somewhere). have a shredder and a bin to hand to make the getting rid of things stage that much easier. Get rid of anything that is out of date, already done, or junk mail. This applies equally to running a business or a home office. Now you should be able to see what you actually need to keep!
Create filing systems that work for you, and for the amount of filing you have (ensure that there is enough space to grow a little, but not too much, as you should be able to also get rid of things year by year).
Only purchase storage items once you know how you are using the office, what you have to store, and how much space you have in the space you want to keep it (measure if necessary before shopping as it will save you time and hassles in the long run)
Think about putting systems in place that will help you with day to day life and make it run more easily - you may already have some great systems that work, and some that don't - it is in recognising what needs work that you will be able to achieve a more organised life.
Always try and leave both your inboxes (mail and email) and your desk tidy and ready for the next day. You will become very overwhelmed and stop using the space very quickly if it is full of things you should be doing as soon as you walk into the room. The trick of an organised office space is to have a list of tasks to hand where each task reminds you to do something - then that something doesn't have to be in a pile on your desk - it can be neatly filed away ready for you to get when needed)
Open a file for every new project that comes through the door - whether this is a new client, or you are planning a home extension - therefore you can add in any notes as you get them, and then when you have allocated time to deal with that project, it will all be to hand.
When filing anything - always ensure that the file is labelled with enough information to make it easy to retrieve when needed - NEVER have a file called MISCELLANEOUS or GENERAL INFORMATION - they are too vague - and its too easy to just put everything in them - then you are no better off.
If you have a home office, ensure that your diary is the same one for business and leisure - then you will never double book again. Also make sure it ties in with the homes calendar - that way everyone should know whats going on on a given day easily. If you work part time or shift hours then this is all the more crucial.
With incoming paperwork, try and ensure that you deal with each piece there and then - filing them as necessary
I use a system that works like this -
TO ACTION - anything that requires me to do something with it i.e. pay a bill, call someone, write a letter etc....
IN PROGRESS - anything that doesn't require an action, but requires me to keep that item for a time - an invitation, a voucher etc.....
TO FILE - anything that really requires keeping - be careful that you don't file away too much - ask yourself whether its really needed. I file once a week or once a month then its quicker to do it all in one go.
OUTGOING - I look at this whenever I leave the house - have any post that needs posting, items to give back to people, charity shop stuff etc... in this - it is easy to see what has to be done - Again I try and do all errands once a week if possible to keep hassle to a minimum. If you are running a business then this may well have to be daily - do what is right and what works for you.
Have a time each week to do items that always need doing (just as you would always hoover say twice a week, this is a habit - so too should office admin jobs - such as filing, record keeping, chasing leads, marketing, sales, telephone calls, post, emails, website work etc..... the list will be individual to you, but writing it down will help to you see how much you do each week just to keep the business running - and therefore how much free time you have to actually make money. It is a great exercise in realising the value of your time and focussing your mind.
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