It’s time to tidy up! Work-at-home moms will love these tips (from a professional organizer!) that will bring order to their home office.
Whether you're parent council president or you're a mompreneur and small business owner, chances are you have carved out a bit of space in your home for an office. Do you struggle to stay organized or is your home office set up as efficiently as it could be? Professional organizers Peg Bradshaw and Marie Potter with the Professional Organizers of Canada share their tips for helping moms set up functional and fashionable home office spaces.
Snap a picture
Take a picture of your office and study it objectively. Then take a fresh look at your office with new eyes and ask yourself these questions:
- Does it reflect the image you want to project to clients, colleagues and employees?
- Does it stimulate your creativity, motivate you and provide a haven where you can settle in comfortably to do your best work?
Feng Shui your office space
Your work space is the command centre for your work. So take a tip from Feng Shui practice and have your work environment reflect respect for you and your work. Ask yourself:
- Is there a logical flow (think of an assembly line) of work through the office?
- Do you have a place to work comfortably and efficiently on your projects, or are you cramped into a corner of your space?
Organize your office your way
You know your style better than anyone – don't get pushed into an alphabetical supply cupboard if you function best with visual cues. Choose the products, efficiency tips and tip management tools that appeal to you. Kick start your re-organization process by:
- Implementing a few ideas that make sense to you and the way you like to work, you’ll be much more likely to use them if you’re not forcing yourself to use an uncomfortable process.
- Using products to make them accessible while keeping them neat, such as a vertical sorter for files you want handy if you like things visible.
Embrace your brand
It's important to brand your office while you get organized – you never know what clients might be stopping by!
- As you corral your materials in binders, bins or baskets be sure to buy them in your favourite colours.
- Display your media coverage, testimonials and products attractively.
To shred or not to shred?
It's important to understand your document retention obligations and avoid a build-up of obsolete documents because everyone is afraid to throw anything out.
- Start by asking your lawyer and accountant for a list of the documents you are legally obligated to keep.
- Have a clear retention policy so you can shred with confidence.
Find useful home office organization tips by following the Professional Organizers of Canada on Facebook or Twitter, or find a professional organizer in the Kingston region.
