Home Based Business Center

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Your desk is your main space - it’s where your work is done, and your money is made. The desk, however, is often abused. It gets messy, overrun, odd items are placed on it and things get spilled.

How can we keep our desk clean and organized? How to we keep it so that it’s always like that, instead of for a day or a week. Isn’t it impossible?

Well, it can be done! Don’t fret - you don’t need to be afraid of your messy desk, or of organization. It can be your friend!

Clean it Off

Take everything that’s on your desk now is move it. Really! Clean the entire desk off, desk pad and all, and put it on the floor. Now, take wood cleaner, or just a wet rag, and wipe it off. Looks good, huh?

Next, go through everything that was on your desk. Was there a file that needed to be filed? Do it! Have old papers? Toss them! Anything that shouldn’t be on there - play-do the kids left, an ear ring, or a toy car - needs to be moved before you do anything else.

Now, let’s make a plan…

The Most Difficult Step

Planning an attack is the worst for most of us. Evaluate what you do in a day, and what you need. Are you being overrun with papers? Do you have too many print outs without enough filing? Are other-room things magically appearing in your space?

If you find yourself with an overwhelming amount of papers, write it down. Write down everything negative that makes your desk cluttered.

Now, put everything that you need back up on your desk. Put all personal items on another table. Hang pictures up, put plants near a window, and tape cards somewhere else. It’s wonderful to have those things close, as they’re what keep us going, but your desk is the prime work space, and you need to make it that way!

Now, head to the store…

Shopping for Organizational Tools

This can get a little hairy. Don’t let yourself be talked into any organizational item you don’t need, and never buy it unless you’re sure that you’re going to use it. Having excess tools for organization is, in itself, messy.

If you find yourself overrun by papers, buy two to three stacking trays to put in a corner of the desk so that you can throw everything in there. You can sort and file later - but it does no good under your keyboard, or on the floor.

Buy a container for pens, paper clips, tacks, and anything else that you have strewn about. These can go in another corner, but if you feel you use them enough to merit them being on your desk, buy something to put them in. Many office stores have a compact system where the pens are in a small cylinder in the center, and there are various trays around it for placing the exact things you need.

If you find yourself being overrun by trash, buy yourself a bigger trash can, and empty it often. This can help keep things flowing smoothly!

If you don’t own a filing cabinet, but have lots of papers, it would be best if you got one on your trip, along with file folders. A filing cabinet can be a home office owners best friend!

Now, let’s Bring It Home

Make sure to set it up as it’s easiest for you - papers should be away, but easy enough to reach over and grab. Pens should be within arm reach, and the phone should be easy to see and snag when someone calls, but it can be on a table behind your desk.

Regularly use the tools you’ve bought to your advantage, and keep up with them. It’s the only way that you’ll stay organized… but the majority of successful business are completely organized and ready to go. Just remember that!

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