The key to running a successful home business lies in how your home office is organized. Sure, you can go to work in your pajamas if you choose to and even take an extra long lunch hour—that is the beauty of working out of your home office. 

Whether you have a large spacious home office or an office that makes your closet look huge, if you are organized you can work efficiently.  If you’re unorganized, your work will suffer.

The first thing you need is a way to neatly store all your paperwork, supplies and computer discs.  A thin tall file cabinet is ideal depending on the size of your business and your needs.  You may even need two cabinets.  Either way you can store everything you are not using in the file cabinet.   

On your desk, you should have just what you need to work with.  A cluttered desk is very distracting.  File bins that sit on your desk will keep all your paperwork neatly in one place.  Label them either IN/OUT or Do/Done whatever works best for you so you know what’s what.  Baskets are also useful for organizing papers.

 You should have a pen and pencil holder with all the basics in it.  Your stapler, tape dispenser, staple remover, etc., should NOT be on your desk unless you use them often. They will fit nicely on top of the file cabinet.  One family photo will do, strolling down memory lane will not get your work done.

 Your phone should be on your desk or near it with a pad of paper and pen; if you have a mail order business then, of course, you would want a pad of order forms as well.

 The most important thing when organizing your home office is to have exactly what you need, where it is easily accessible and limit the amount of clutter in your office.

Keep your office neat, clean, and free of distractions.  Organization equals success! 
For ideas on keeping your home organized, download a free copy of the ebook "The Essential Guide to Organizing Your Home". Download it free here:  Organizing Tips

Lynn Cressy