5 Simple Ways to Setup a Killer Home Office!

They say that a home office is meant to be a place in the house where you can relax and get work done without the stresses and strains of an everyday office environment. If your stress level is low, it could easily rise the minute a key document goes missing. Have you ever had difficulty locating a document because your home office has too much in it? Clutter can be a big deterrent in your life, the difference between a home office that looks great and one that looks like a tornado went through it.

A cluttered office detracts from productivity because you have trouble finding key documents when needed. This is especially true if you are handling several projects at the same time. You don’t want to refer to one document needed for another project and possibly risk your contractor finding out about another competitive project you are working on.

Here are several ways to make sure your office has less clutter and more organization:

1. Workspace

Your home office needs to have all the key ingredients in different parts of the room. Instead of your  computer, scanner, printer and other related tools all on one desk, spread them throughout the room. It will make you walk from the computer keyboard to the printer, but it reduces clutter in the office because your desk isn’t loaded with electronic plugs, wires and other equipment. A few extra steps will  prevent fatigue from continuous seating.

2. Clutter Removal 

Clutter also takes the form of papers strewn all over the place. The best way to take care of this is to get  an organizer, either a portable one that can sit atop the desk or a series of dividers that go inside a desk drawer to form a filing cabinet. The more papers you can store away, the better your desk will look.

3. Computer Know-How Goes a Long Way 

If your files are all on screen in a computer, then separate your files into folders dealing with freelance projects. Separating files and folders so you can just click a couple times with a mouse to find something beats clicking repeatedly on files wondering where the heck you put a key piece of information on a project while the boss of that project is on the phone. Fences is one really helpful tool for windows to manage files and folders efficiently on desktop screen.

You can even setup virtual desktop screens on single monitor to better manage multiple projects at a time on single PC.

4. Big Tasks=Big Desk

Is your desk too small? Buy a bigger desk. Some manufacturers sell L-shaped desks that enable you to store items in one area and swing around to another to get something else. The line from the movie Jaws said “You’re gonna need a bigger boat” Substitute the word desk for boat and you get the idea. A large freelance clientele means more space is needed for your projects.

5. Waste Management 

Finally, there is the trash bin, both on your computer and at your desk. All scratch paper notes that aren’t needed anymore should be pitched. Anything for projects no longer needed should  be disposed. If it is something you won’t ever need again, get rid of it. Taking out the trash will help you reduce office trash and create more space.

If your home office is getting too big, maybe this is a job best left to the pros. Hiring a Contract Manager to help organize your freelance work might be the best way to go. Forms, contracts and documents are something a contract manager handles every day, and the manager can quickly get your office in order.

Garbage out, productivity in. Those four words will help setup killer home office and maintain order in the home and in the office.