How to Organize the Home Office

How to Organize the Home Office

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Organization isn’t always at the top of the list when you’re starting a work from home business – your mind is generally much more focused on generating some sort of income.  And fair enough!  Many of us use a P & H system - Pile and Hope we can find stuff when we need it.

The main reason that disorganization can occur is because filing or putting things away is often regulated to the 'tomorrow box' = and then when tomorrow arrives, we’re too busy with that day’s stuff to worry about what was yesterday’s.

Tasks are always so much more manageable when they’re broken down into bite sized chunks for us to chew on.  Even if you have a sort of pack rat mentality, you can still learn how to keep a home office organized so that you can be more productive and have a less stressful environment in which to work.

If you have a room that you plan to dedicate specifically to your home business, begin with getting rid of anything in the room that’s going to distract you, or that clutters up the area.  You may wish to turn it into an office rather than use a sitting room to work in.

Comfortable seating is akin to a 'calling card', asking your friends and family members to drop by and chat while you’re trying to work.  A television set featuring your favorite show can quickly capture your attention and cost you a wasted afternoon.  

Keep a home office separate from your family life or you will most likely find yourself dealing with huge frustrations right off the bat - and resentment can creep in, both in you and in your family members.  And yes, I am speaking from experience!

Be frugal with the amount of paper that you allow to accumulate - or better still, create a paperless office.  You will feel much better about it all at the end of the day.  These days, I very rarely print anything off.  And a vast majority of my work supplies are found here, and at the Ultimate Green Store.

Anything you need regarding your office can be stored directly in your computer and printed off when you need a paper copy.  Of course, you’ll want to be diligent about making sure all of your files are up to date and backed up.

If that thought makes you feel a little queasy, then you can use an online document storage site or thumb drive to save your paperwork and those online sites can be accessed from any computer.

When you make the shift to a paperless office, it might take some getting used to - but living without the added and unnecessary burden of mountains of paperwork or having to frantically search for documents on a cluttered desk can be extremely liberating.

As you take in receipts for your business - profits in, bills paid, merchandise purchased, etc., please remember to always scan those receipts into your computer.  Create a master folder labeled ‘taxes’ and the year for those taxes.

Inside the main folder, use a separate folder for what you paid out, what you earned and have another folder with copies of your phone records and home office deductions.  If you have a room solely dedicated to just the business, you can get a tax deduction.  

Then when it’s time to file taxes, you’ll have all of the information you need in one handy location.  Believe me, this is more than worth its weight in gold!