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WAHMs

Cluttered Desk to Organized Files

by The Organizer Lady dot com on August 22, 2009

If you work at home, you may find that your desk is a catch-all for everything. You may work outside of the home and still have problems keeping your desk clean. How do you go from cluttered desk to organized files and keep your sanity at the same time? These ideas may be what you need to get your desktop cleaned off once and for all.

Start de-cluttering your desk by getting a box and putting everything from the top of it into the box. Go through each and every item in the box and decide what to do with it. Do you need to file it, throw it away, transfer information to a calendar, move it to another room, or does it requires immediate action? Your goal is to initially put things in one of those categories.

For non-paper items, you want to decide if the items are important to keep on your desk or if they should be stored elsewhere. Remember, keep only those things on your desktop that are necessary.

Get file folders and labels, and set aside some time. Setting up an organized filing system isn’t as hard as it may seem. Simple words you’ll remember are better than words you don’t use when trying to remember where you’ve put things. The goal is to file things as they arrive in a manner that will make them easy to access when you need them next.

Here are a few things to consider when setting up a filing system:

* Are you losing monthly bills and having to pay late fees?
* Do you have all of your receipts ready for tax time?
* What medical information do you need in case of an emergency?
* Do we have a home inventory of our assets?
* Can you locate warranty information when needed?

If at all possible, reduce the amount of paper you have to file before you start organizing it into files. Get rid of as much as you can into the shredder or garbage can. If you can’t toss it, try giving it to someone else to handle if it pertains to them. The idea is to get it off your desk so it won’t clutter it up. Then file what’s left.

Sort your papers into broad categories to begin with - for instance, auto, finances, health, house, insurance, money, and personal. Next break the broad categories into more precise categories: Finances could break down into banking, investments, and retirement; auto could include repairs and warranties; insurance could be broken down into car, health, homeowner’s, and life. You get the idea, but you may have to subdivide each smaller category even further. Banking could include checking and savings; investments would include 401K and stocks. Follow this line of thought until everything is filed.

Remember to use words that you would actually say. Ask yourself where you would look for something if you needed it six months down the road and use those terms for your categories.

Once you have your filing system in place you want to use it - every day. Don’t let papers start piling up on your desk again. If you get something in the mail that lists an important date, add it to your calendar and toss the paper. If the information needs to be kept, file it right away. Finally your cluttered desk will be replaced by organized files and you’ll be able to find what you need when you need it.

Popularity: 2% [?]

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An Organized Office

by The Organizer Lady dot com on August 22, 2009

Instead of using somebody else’s definition of organization, let me ask you: How organized do you want to be? When we talk about getting organized people usually get an impression of a spick and span office with not a paper out of place. But my experience has taught me that a neat office does not necessarily have to be a very organized office. If you throw away every single piece of paper that comes to your office, certainly your office will be neat but not organized. I believe that organizing is a relative term. It is all a matter of convenience.

In an organized office there will be a place for every thing and everything will be in its place. But at the same time you should be able to lay your hands on the object you need the moment you need it. And in this respect a little bit of clutter is ok.

It is not enough that you know where every thing is, somebody else should know it too. In case you are not able to come in person and get something, somebody else should be able to do the job for you. It is here that labels and tags can prove to be very important. Every single file should have a label and every thing should be filed properly. It is not enough that you name things according to your convenience. The names should make sense to others as well..

For every working man or woman, the following are often pitfalls:

Forgetting Appointments
Forgetting Deadlines
Being Unable to meet deadlines
Being late for meetings and Appointments
Forgetting Names
Forgetting Telephone Numbers
Forgetting to take important documents and things along
Misplacing Objects and so on

By organizing your office, you can avoid most, if not all of the above maladies. In the end, both time and money are saved.

Popularity: 2% [?]

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How to go From a Cluttered Desk to Organized Files

by The Organizer Lady dot com on January 2, 2009

For non-paper items, you want to decide if the items are important to keep on your desk or if they should be stored elsewhere. Remember, keep only those things on your desktop that are necessary.

Here are a few things to consider when setting up a filing system:

Remember to use words that you would actually say. Ask yourself where you would look for something if you needed it six months down the road and use those terms for your categories.

Popularity: 38% [?]

The Organize Lady Recommends:

Ultimate Ornament Box - 44 Compartments

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An Organized Home Office is a More Efficient Home Office

by The Organizer Lady dot com on December 28, 2008

More and more people are finding ways to work from home, either to replace a 9-to-5 job or to supplement the family’s income. One of the best things you can do to help improve your chances to succeed is to establish a home office. Not only is it a tax write-off (be sure to check with your accountant as to what you can and cannot deduct), but it is also a way to help stay organized and be more professional.

The type of business you are running will dictate the type of office you need. Will you be having clients meeting you in your office? Will it be your workspace? Will it be a multi-purpose room? For example, if you have a business based mainly on a computer and internet, then you won’t need as much space as you would for a craft production or product distribution business.

First, eliminate anything from the room that isn’t directly connected to your business (unless it is a multi-purpose room, such as a wall that serves as the family library). The fewer distractions you have, the better. It also helps reduce unnecessary clutter. Store things in boxes or move them to another room.

There are many nice filing systems - from the traditional filing cabinets, to hanging folders that can attach to the back of a door. Sort through all the papers in your office. Decide what you need to keep and what can be thrown away. When in doubt, set up another folder or box for things to look at again later. Once you establish a filing system, keep up with it on a daily basis. It is too easy to become overwhelmed if you don’t. Color-coded systems work nicely. One color for tax-deductible related items, another for invoices to clients, another expenses, etc. Then you simply place the papers or receipts in the appropriate color folder.

The workspace is often the most difficult to keep organized, but if you have a handle on the paperwork, it helps reduce one area of clutter. Make sure the workspace is large enough, and comfortable. Whether you have to sit or stand do to the work, make sure the surface is at the correct height. This will help reduce back strain and allow you to work for longer periods of time, thereby increasing your productivity.

There are many nice desk organizers that allow you to keep items close at hand but out of the way. If you only keep the items you need most often on the workspace, it will also reduce clutter. Keep the rest tucked away in storage units in your desk drawer, shelf or box. There are drawer organizers that can be customized to meet your needs.

If you use a computer, make sure you have enough space for the computer itself, the monitor, printer and any other hardware you may need, such as scanners and fax machines. Many companies produce multi-purpose units that combine those features into one machine, which takes up much less desk space.

Don’t forget to organize the computer itself. There are many organizational software programs that can help you track appointments, clients, and your work. By using these programs, you can keep on top of things and waste less time. Set up special folders in your documents folder, so you can file things away for easy retrieval. Databases and spreadsheets are also very helpful tools in tracking your inventory and other business related needs.

Organized For Home-Based Business Success