Many companies are starting to realize what a huge savings telecommuting can be and that means more people are going to be starting their own home office. Those people are going to seek out home office organization tips either from the beginning because they want to start right, or they are going to start looking for these tips after they find themselves falling behind in their work because they have to keep stopping to find things or because they just cannot keep track of things that need to be done.
In any office environment, it is estimated that people spend 150 hours per year looking for lost information.
Home office organization is vital because number one, it is still a place of business, where you do your job. You still want to be professional and capable. For many people, the home office may be combined with another room in the home and they would like to keep the mess and clutter to a bare minimum. There is a delicate balance that has to be struck between the home and the office in the home office, no matter how much actual room you have to work with.
The major obstacle to getting and keeping home office organization, as well as for the home itself, is paper. From the time we open our doors to our home office or small business or even just to the home where we live, paper tries to get a foothold, wanting to get in and keep us buried under stacks of paper and clutter.
There are a number of steps you can take for yourself, but if you have already started to lose the paper battle, you might need to call in a professional organizer to get the paper and other clutter under control. The first step is to get rid of the junk mail before it even comes in the door. It is easier to keep control of paper if you minimize it. Eliminate the bulk by getting your name removed from junk mailing lists and be very careful about ordering from catalogs. Before you think that you are perfectly safe because you are ordering online only, consider this: Bulk mailers are culling names from online customers as well. Make sure that you confirm that the company you are ordering from does not sell information. Sign up for the Do Not Mail list here: http://www.directmail.com/directory/mail_preference/
Also as much as possible, you can sign up for digital statements to cut down on the paper entering your home.
Make Home Office Organization Your Top Priority With Paper Tiger Filing System Software
Another tip to consider is Paper Tiger Filing System software for document management, which allows you to organize everything, not just your paper files. Because you do not need to scan anything to use the software system, there is no limitation to what can be indexed into the software’s database, including books and other bulky items. Everything is put into place and then its location is noted by a numbering index system that never changes and never moves. The filing system database works like a search engine for paper files to help you get organized and stay organized. Whether you are using it for home or for a small business, it is easy to use and to learn and virtually impossible to mess up at all.
For example, if you never remember the name of the gas company, simply file it under Gas. If you use the filing system software, you will also be able to add keywords into the database so that any name you think of when you need to find a file, the software will be able to tell you where it is in seconds. So in this case, the Item Name would be “Gas Company”, and in the keywords section, you would input the name of the company, i.e., “Bob’s Natural Gas”, the address, the service person’s name, address, phone number, etc., and you might use “Utilities” in the Category section.
You print out the tabs right from the software system for each ‘Location’ and then use the numbers to correspond to files and locations in which you enter into the software’s database. You can find every item then by accessing the database from any computer or smart phone with internet access, even when you are out and on the go.
Deciding What To Do With Your Paper Files
Take time each day to make a decision on what needs to be done with the paper items or email or any other actionable item that comes through your office. (what to keep and file, what needs action before filing, what can be thrown away, shredded or recycled)
For actionable items, place a note on the paper file for the next action to be taken by what deadline, and any steps that need to be taken before the deadline. This will help you get and stay on track to ensure the deadline is met.
This should be a great start to getting your home office organized. Of course, you can use these simple steps to get organized in your company’s office as well. Get started today with Paper Tiger Filing System software for document management!
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Tags: document management software, document management system, get organized, home office, Productivity, The Paper Tiger 'Finding' Filing System
I am fortunate in that my office is the farthest room from the front door, so it’s unlikely that paper will get there unless it needs to be actioned or filed. We have a recycling container right by the front door and another one in the office. The easier it is to get rid of those unneeded papers, the less likely they are to accumulate!