Organized Office or Cluttered Mess?
The way you set up your business in the beginning makes all the difference between having
and organized office or a cluttered mess.
Easy clutter is when papers and "stuff" pile up easily. This happens when you don't set up
your office right in the beginning. Start by setting up a place for everything you know where
to put. Then make sure to leave spaces for the unknown things that may pop up.
If you fill every nook and cranny of your office in the beginning, you won't have room for
things that come up later. So go over areas of your office as you place your furniture. Make
sure if you're right handed you leave room on the right side of the desk for you to write and
be able to lay out papers and such. If you're left handed do the same on the left side.
~Have a tiered file holder for immediate needs and things you're working on. Make sure to
label them well so they're easy to grab.
~Keep your planner on the desk to write down messages and conversation details you need to keep
track of. Set up a schedule that includes putting your planner on your desk at the beginning of
each day.
~For jotting down quick notes, keep a lined note pad next to the phone and do your best to
transfer that information into your planner as soon as possible.
~Neatly plan your closet or cabinet space with your extra files, software, records, etc...
~Have an office supplies cabinet or drawer so that you only have to go to one place when you
need to refill something.
If you are already in the midst of clutter and a disorganized office, think of starting new.
Set aside one or two days during your least busy time to dig in and redo your office. If you
haven't touched something for one year or more, and you don't have a place to file it, or pack
it away, dump it. There are some things you don't necessarily need for a long time but need to
keep on file for record keeping or in our case to keep record of past sale flyers, catalogs,
etc... Make up a file-box for those. Keep it handy, inside the closet, out of site.
If your business requires you to have inventory of any kind, that's a whole other issue.
The clutter can really be hard to keep up on if you don't have a good system. Watch for my
upcoming article on purging and keeping your shipping and inventory area de-cluttered.
Copyright © 2003 Susie Glennan - The Busy Woman, Inc.
Susie Glennan has been happily married since 1982, is mom to 3 teenagers,
and is a Home Maker, Nurturer, Teacher, Author, Professional Speaker,
Toastmaster, President of The Busy Woman, Inc., DBA - The Busy Woman's Daily
Planner®. She teaches time management seminars, offers FREE consultations
with your order, and will help you set up a schedule that's right for you.
800-848-7715 www.thebusywoman.com
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