Creating Efficient Space in Your Home Office

So you’ve taken the first step: you’ve decided to earn a living working from home. Sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? You can have food and drinks at your desk, breaks can be spent watching TV or reading books, and you never have to ask permission to run an errand. You set your schedule, and you’re your own boss, which is exactly what you’ve always wanted. So what’s the next step?

Getting organized!

Some people thrive on this area of work, and others put it off until they absolutely have to face it. Whether you’re more like the latter or the former, however, organizing your office space can be an exciting excursion. There is unlimited potential for your home office, and only you control how the final product turns out.

There are several aspects to your home office that must be considered before you embark upon the organization: space, funds, time constraints, necessities, decoration, and functionality. You must determine your needs before you determine the wants.

First and foremost, your space must be functional. You’ll need room for a desk, a filing cabinet, your chair, and possible one or two other office chairs where guests can sit. It should not be cramped, because it should be a place in which you want to work everyday. You will be spending quite a bit of time here, so make sure that you are comfortable. You might want to have room for plants or floorlamps, and an extra cabinet to hold office supplies might be necessary.

You will probably need a computer, a printer, and possibly a fax machine. Your desk will need to be large enough to occupy the monitor and the CPU, as well as a keyboard and a mouse. You might also want to find a desk large enough so that you have space to write as well as type at the computer. Your filing cabinet should be easily accessible from your desk, as you will probably need to go back and forth between the two several times a day, and your fax machine and printer should also be within reach.

I have found that the best file folders are multi-colored. This helps you find things quickly, and gives a more cheerful look. You can find a box of 100 at Office Depot for less than $15.00. If you have the type of file cabinet that accomodates hanging files, you can find a box of 25 at Office Depot for less than $7.00. Each file should be labled neatly and clearly in all capital letters for easy reference.

Your desk should hold your computer, as I’ve said, but should also be where you keep all of your office supplies. I recommend keeping a cup with all of your pens, pencils, and highlighters right next to your computer. Extra utensils can be kept in a drawer. I also recommend buying a multi-tiered desk shelf where you can keep pertinent papers, envelopes, notebook paper, bills, and items requiring your attention. They come in both wire and plastic, and can be found at Office Max for less than $8.00. You can label them so that you always know where things are.

You will also need the typical office supplies: stapler, three-hole punch, scissors, paper clips, notebook paper, and typing paper. Typically, a light 20-pound stock will be fine for most office documents. Make sure that you have a store of ink for your printer so that you don’t have to interupt work to go to the store in the middle of printing, and keep your supplies easily accessible.

If you are super-organized, there are lots of ideas for cubbies and boxes and compartments at The Container Store, which shelves thousands of possible ideas for home office organization. Keep everything labeled and in order so that you can find things in a crunch, and make sure that you have a place for all of these containers.

You can also go to www.thecontainerstore.com, and an associate will help assist you in organizing your home office space. This can be an invaluable tool, and an excellent way to gain ideas for maximizing your efficiency.

Your home office space should also be comfortable. Just because it is where you work does not mean that it can’t be cozy. Create a place where you can’t wait to go at the beginning of every day, and where you do not mind letting others view. Don’t hesitate to add colorful pictures to the wall or cozy armchairs in the corner. You don’t have to be at your desk all day – you can move to an armchair to read a document or edit a report. Keep clipboards so that your work is portable, and don’t worry about a little mess. If you work better when your work is strewn out in front of you, then work that way! Just put it all up when you’re through.

And lastly, your office space should be yours. This is your area to organize however you’d like; let your own personality shine through. If you want a Winnie the Pooh mousepad, then that is what you should have, because you don’t need to worry about co-workers judging your office. There are often difficulties in working from home, from time management to deadlines to family destractions; don’t make the look and feel of your office one of those problems.