More than ever, many people are now working from home. This is not surprising given that the world is becoming even more globalized, and everyone is connected to every other person via the internet. If you’re thinking of working from home and require a home office or already have one that is cluttered, thus making it almost impossible to get anything done, then our home office organization hacks should help you get the most out of your home office space. So, let’s get right to it.
Get the Right Furniture
The first step to effectively organizing your workspace at home is to get the appropriate furniture. It is not just enough to go to IKEA and get a big official looking desk that will fill up the small space and leave you with room for little else. Instead, you want a furniture set that does an excellent job of maximizing your small space and providing you with enough room to move around in and install other important things. Some of the things you should consider while getting your furniture include space for your PC and accessories like printers and scanners, file cabinet space, and guests’ chairs.
Arrange All Hardware Accordingly
If you’ll be using hardware like the PC, then you need to clearly determine its location such that it doesn’t interfere with other elements in the office. For instance, if the PC is your primary work tool, it should be in the center of the table, right in front of you. However, if your job entails going through files, preparing documents and the frequent or occasional use of the PC, you might need to move the PC to your right-hand side and leave the center free for your work.
Also make sure to establish your activity centers. These are the Work Center which will include everything that you use very frequently. You’ll also need the Reference Center, which will be where you’ll have your study materials, machine or equipment manuals and so on. The third component is the Supply Center, which is where your office supplies will be.
As a rule, always position the most important or frequently used equipment closest to you. This is useful for easier access and smooth use. If you use the printer or the scanner every day, they should be pretty close to your seat.
Clear the Cords
This is extremely crucial. Many people tend to underestimate the damage that the cords can cause, particularly when they are in the way. As much as possible, avoid having cords crisscrossing across the floor. Pack them away from centralized areas and arrange them neatly behind the gadgets. This has both aesthetic and work value.
Clearing out the cables makes the office look roomier, cleaner and well organized. As much as possible, employ all necessary precautionary measures to prevent an electrical spark that could lead to fires.
Get a Recycling or Waste Basket
Documents can be so innocuous that you do not consider how scattered and cluttered they can make your office look. If you’ll working with reams of paper, make sure that there’s a recycling or waste basket where you can throw your waste papers, old pens, old magazines and newspapers, outdated documents, bent paper clips, and refreshment wrappers. Always have your office cleaned and tidied up after a hard day’s work.
Lastly, make sure there’s adequate lighting, whether natural or artificial. Ensure that the workplace is always cool –no one gets anything done in the heat- and excellent for work and productivity. Moreover, if you would not mind, you might want to make the home office sound-proof. That will do wonders for your productivity.
About the Author :
Oscar King is a professional writer for a small publisher, and knows the woes of trying to keep his office organized amidst thousands of documents. To save time and money on transmitting documents, he doesn’t bother with a physical fax machine – he instead makes use of an online fax service. To find one that works for you, he highly recommends checking out FindAFax.com for online comparisons. You can learn more about Oscar by visiting him on Google+.