Staying organised while working from home can be a difficult task, especially when you have a family to take care of also. If your home and family are neat and organised then your business will be too.
One of the hardest things to accomplish when working or running your own business from home is staying organised. With so much going on around you and having a family to take care of at the same time can make it a difficult challenge. If you do not have a separate office for your home office, it can make it even worse. It can be hard to keep all the other stuff out of your office area. Your office area may spill over into the other areas also if it is not well maintained or organised.
So now the question may be how to maintain an organised work space. There are several solutions to this problem. First of all, if you have your own room as an office space this is excellent. It makes it a lot easier to keep it neat, clean and organised. Keep the floor and/or carpet cleaned regularly to keep the space clean. If you are the only one in there it should stay that way too. Limit the amount of traffic that is allowed in your office.
Having a filing cabinet can make things a lot easier when keeping paper work in order. Labeling each folder for a specific purpose will make it easier to find what you are looking for. A desk organiser can come in handy when separating tasks. Unpaid bills and things that need to get done can go in the desk organiser until complete then they can be moved to the filing cabinet.
Having a desk with drawers can keep your small items in order. Pencils, pens, stapler, paper clips and the like can go in a smaller drawer in the desk so you will always know where to find them. Printer paper, books or manuals can also go in the desk or on a shelf nearby. Knowing where everything is makes a day run smoother and more work can be accomplished.
A desk top date book organiser with a calendar can make a huge difference in keeping your schedule organised. Keep it where you can always see it or refer to it. Keep track of everything that needs to get done in a day and check off the items as they are accomplished. When all these items are checked you know all the important things are done and you can spend the rest of the day with family or take time for yourself.
Another important factor in staying organised may be having rules for the family. Whether you allow them into your office or not. If they are allowed maybe limit what can be touched or played with or have a little area with some toys for when the children want to be in the room with you while you work.
If you have your office area in a main part of the house it may be a little more difficult to keep little hands away from important documents or office equipment. Setting boundaries is important if you want your office area to remain organised and neat. It may take time for the little ones to get used to the idea that they cannot touch your office supplies but in time they will get it.
The main things to remember are to keep the paper work in order, write down everything that needs to be done in a day or week, keep track of bills that need to be paid or payments coming out of accounts or on credit cards, and keep the top of your desk clutter free.
These steps will make your day run a lot smoother therefore you will be more productive and run your business more effectively.