In case you missed the first parts of this series, head over here to read them:
Is It Right For You?
Choosing Your Career Path
Roadblocks are Ok
Support Teams
A Typical Day
One thing people often forget about when they start working from home is a home office. And maybe once you think about it you decide the computer desk will work or maybe even the kitchen table.
I don’t know about you but I like my space and I have to be organized when it comes to work. I need my own little area that no one else will be in or mess around in, a space I can set up just for my working needs.
For me, that need translated into a room in my house being converted into an office. We used to have a spare bedroom…now we just don’t have guests. (We never really did anyway.) Due to some changes I had to make in the 3rd bedroom of the house the office is now not strictly mine but it is still an office and I have specific areas set up for the organization of my home business. Here’s a few ideas you might be interested in when setting up your office:
I have these plastic drawers all over my office. They are great for extra office supplies that are small like index cards, pens, staples, ect. They help minimize the clutter!
This is one of my favorite things in my office…the idea board. It’s just a corkboard that I keep scrap paper and notepads by. When I get a great idea for an article I jot it down and stick it up on the board. Then when I have my moments of writers block or I need an article and I just can’t come up with an idea, I grab one from my Idea Board.
I also have a small shelf (that’s generally messy looking!) where I keep all my shipping supplies and upcoming review items so they don’t get lost before I have a chance to try them out. I keep any papers or info associated with the products on that area also.
To sum up, have your own space…and keep it organized. It will help to keep your sanity about you on those long hard working days!
Do you have a space you can use or already use for a home office? What are some things you do to keep it organized?
I know a separate space is essential for me to fully get in the work “zone.” When I moved from working in an office to working from home, I initially put all my office furniture (most of which I got on a tight budget from Craigslist) in the garage. I’m slowly pulling it out, piece by piece, and adding it to my office: the no-longer-spare bedroom. Keeping it organized is daily work for me. Dealing with paperwork is my biggest organization issue.