Working at home is an increasingly popular option for many people these days. Thanks to the Internet, home-based workers or business owners are able to send files, interact with colleagues or customers, and even hold meetings in the comfort of their home offices.

Similar to regular offices, a home office should also be neat and organized; the primary enemies being stacks of paper, books, CDs, and blueprints for some. Here are some tips and tricks that you can implement to organize your home office:

Segregate – You can start arranging your papers by separating them into different piles. You can do it by date, by file type, or by relevance, it’s all up to you. After you’ve arranged them you should use quality file bands like those provided by Bundlebands Industries Inc. to keep them together. If you’ve never used a nifty file band before, you can ask for some free samples online, and see how well they can keep your papers together. Books should also be arranged alphabetically, or by topic to make it easier for you.

Store – After you’ve sorted out the files you can start storing them into cabinets or boxes. A good tip to remember is to keep the older files, or those that you won’t need so much at the back, and the more recent ones at front. This way, you won’t have to take everything out just to look for a single file.

Label – One of the best ways to keep your things organized is to label them properly. Colored pens, sticky notes, and colored folders are great partners for this. Use only one particular folder color for each category and then attach a sticky note with a brief description of its contents. File bands also come in a variety of colors, so you should make them match the folders and labels too. If you need blueprint labels, you can purchase products like Clipper Tags online, which make it easy to categorize and store maps, drawings, and building plans.

Duplicate – Important documents like titles, contracts, IDs, receipts, and such should be duplicated and stored in a safe place like a vault. You can also have them scanned and saved in a password protected folder in your laptop, or store the USB or CD in the vault along with the hardcopies.

Paper Bin – Segregate your trash into different bins, so you can easily retrieve papers that you’ve accidentally thrown out. When throwing papers in your trash bin, fold them, instead of crumpling them. Anyway, you can have them shredded after you’re done with a project or transaction.

Keeping your home office organized is a good practice that must always be observed. An orderly workspace makes working more convenient and enjoyable.

Sources:

Quick Tips for Home Office Organization, Hgtv.com

10 Steps to an Organized Home Office, Hgtv.com