10 Easy Steps To An Organised Home Office Using Online Flatpacks
Without the structure of an office outside of our homes, it is easy to end up with work-related clutter throughout the house – so we have created 10 easy steps to an organised home office using online flatpacks.
We still need to complete our work in a timely and efficient manner. After all, the less time we spend working, the more time we have with our family. A functional home office will make for a faster and more pleasant workday. Here are 10 easy steps to an organised home office using online flatpacks to get you and your home office operating smoothly.
1) Do you have a home office?
You don’t necessarily need an entire room, but you should have a well-defined, dedicated space to contain all your office essentials and files. A desk in your bedroom that will hold your files, paper, pens, calculator and of course computer will do fine, especially in the beginning.
If your “office” consists of the dining room table, some of the drawers in your kitchen, a filing cabinet in the garage and the computer in the bedroom or on the coffee table, you may want to think about organising everything in one spot.
Are you spending a lot of time searching for a particular document, running from room to room to find it? Consider moving all your files and papers to one central location, preferably close to the computer if that’s where you are doing the bulk of your work.
2) Keep your personal files and papers separate from your business things.
You will eventually have enough paperwork to deal with without having your personal bills, magazines and the kids’ after-school schedule thrown into the mix. Create a separate spot for those somewhere outside of your home office space.
3) Create a filing system that works for you.
Remember, you may be working for someone else, but when it comes to your home office, you are your own boss.
Think about how you look for a particular file or piece of paper. What will be the easiest way for you to find it? Then create a system that works for you. Don’t worry, if you don’t get it right the first time, you can always make adjustments as you go or try something new. Sooner or later you will come up with a system that is “just right” for you.
You can build your filing systems into streamlined cabinetry, or customise your office shelving around your filing cabinets and create a more seamless look.
4) Take a good look at your work area.
Do you have piles of papers, files, mail, post-it notes and USB sticks lying around? Do you notice anything else piling up? Set aside a few hours and put everything away. Use your new filing system and find “homes” for anything else.
If you are struggling to find these homes, create some! Build an organised home office with online flatpacks, and make sure you account for all the little things that need a place to call their own.
5) Now that you have your office organized, set aside a few minutes at the end of your work day to keep it that way.
Try to “leave work” for the day with a clean, empty desk. You will appreciate it the next morning. This will also prevent you from ever coming across a huge pile of papers again. Having an office system installed means you can also keep items behind closed doors, or dedicated drawers, ensuring that your space looks uncluttered at all times.
6) Add a personal touch to your office.
Bring in some pictures of the kids; add some pretty plants, inspirational quotes, or anything else you can think of that will make your office a pleasant and inviting space to work in. When you are designing your office space using online flatpacks, allow for open shelving to display these personal touches.
In addition to helping put you in a good mood whenever you step into your office, you are more likely to keep it clean and organized if it is a place you treasure. So splurge a little on some special office décor.
7) Let’s talk about the files on your computer.
You can waste just as much time searching for an online document as for a piece of paper. If your computer is used for work as well as for personal use, create a work folder and use subfolders for particular employers, projects etc.
Again, come up with a system that works for you and keep your work files separate from your personal files. This is particularly important if other family members access the computer as well.
8) In addition to your regular files, you also want to keep your emails organised.
Let’s be honest, we have all wasted time searching for a particular email that contained some vital information we needed quickly. Setting up folders for different clients and projects has worked well for me, but again find a system that works for you and stick with it. Sort the email as soon as you read it. It only takes a second or two to drop it in the appropriate folder, but will save you a lot of time if you have to find it later.
9) Now that you have a good filing system (both physical and digital) in place, set aside a little time every few months (or weeks if appropriate) to purge your files.
We can quickly accumulate a lot of documents both in our filing cabinet and on our computer that we no longer need. At the very least, try to purge your files twice a year.
10) Build an office system that supports you.
No matter what size your office is, or the nature of your business, it makes good sense to use your space as wisely as possible. That often means investing in office furniture or systems that maximise your work zone. Designing a room and installing online flatpacks is a simple process if you have the right team working for you.
With these 10 easy steps to an organised home office with online flatpacks, you can really get your business sorted!
Contact Online Flatpacks today, or check out our website for more information.