Setting Up Your Home Office

Organization is key to a successful home business. It not only saves you time, it also helps your business. For example, let's say you are a health care recruiter and a client calls you to get a heads up on the status of his or her job placement (health care recruiters match clients to the the best possible organizations with in the standards and preferences of that individual and retain a finders fee for doing so by participating organizations). Now, if you have hundreds of clients and can not remember the clients status all you need to do is refer to your notes or better yet, your status board. What's this? You can't find your notes nor do you have a status board? You better kiss that client goodbye, because the market is saturated with thousands of other recruiters just waiting to snatch up a new client and you can bet they are ready for them! Here are a few tips I have learned over the years:

1. Keep your desk free of clutter. Clear your desk each night and put everything in it's place just as you would in the corporate world. No matter how busy you think you are, taking the time to clear your desk will actually save you time in the long run. If your desk doubles for something else at night, for example; recreational uses, bill paying, and/ or education purposes make sure you take the time to clear it again before you start each day.

2. Keep all resources that are frequently used at arms length. This includes notebooks, references, daily organizers, ect. I also keep a small paper file on my desk for papers I need handy at a moments notice. I also suggest shelves around or above your workspace to store those resources. Cabinets are great but can become a nuisance for items that you need often.

3. Keep desk supplies out and organized. Make sure that the items you organize on your desk are ones you use often to optimize space. Keep all other desk supplies including refills organized in a supply closet or organized in easily accessed drawers.

4. Take the time to organize your files. If you don't have one, invest in a filing cabinet you won't regret it. If you have tons of paperwork to file take the time to sort and file it all into one filing cabinet. You can use separate drawers to section related items together. Once you have it organized, keep it that way. Once in a while I get a stack of papers that haven't been filed right away and wouldn't you know it, those are the papers I need! This requires me to search through the pile to pull out what I need. I save more time by filing the papers right away.

5. Use an extra bookshelf for references not frequently used and all other miscellaneous books. This will keep the clutter on your desk to a minimum.

6. Decorate your office. Your office space should be relaxing to reduce the stress of working. Maximize the benefits of working from home by adding your personal touches. You can add attractive plants, candles, cherished pictures or anything that would make your office more inviting to enter each morning. Fresh paint can completely change the mood of the room. Believe it or not, your office space has a lot to do with how you feel about work.

Having an a office that is neat, organized, and inviting is the one many factors of a successful home business. In my next posting I will be going over suggestions for operating your business from home.