Organize your Work at Home Office

© Kay King

Set up whatever space is available to use as a real office.  This may be anything from the dining  room table to an entire room (a room, or at least a corner of a room is preferable, of course).

Always have the basic office necessities available:  notepaper, sticky notes, pens, printer paper, extra printer ink cartridge, floppies or zip disks or cd's if you use them.  A small bookcase or just a simple shelf or two on the wall will give you a place to keep folders with ebooks you have printed,  ustomer or mailing list backup copies, follow-up letter series, etc.  No matter how much computer hard drive you have available, you will always have some items that will work best for you in a plain notebook.

Have at least one file drawer or file box with hanging files.  Don't over-organize your files ... just alphabatize them or group them according to content.

Print out and file every receipt for every purchase made for your business and do it immediately!   There are tremendous tax breaks for home businesses and for home office space but you must be able to document your expenses to safely claim those business write-offs.

Don't forget organization of your emails.  There is little so frustrating as searching (and searching) for an email you received last week...or last month... that has critical info in it.  Create folders in your email program.  As you read emails, add those you want to keep to the folders right away.

If you are away from home a large part of each day (remember that job you plan to leave when your work at home business is successful?), it is helpful to have a "travelling office".  This may be a 3 ring notebook or a file or ? with "think things" in it. 

Print out the notepad draft or outline of an article you are writing; add "how to" manuals or info about software that you've been planning to read; add items to your folder that need further thought.  Also have a spiral notebook or at least some writing paper and pen. 

When you go to your "day job"....or to the doctor or dentist...changing the oil in your car, etc., take those few minutes of wasted time and put them to use reading or making notes in your "travel office".  You might be surprised to find that time spent "waiting" can be very productive for your work at home business.

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Author Kay King works from her home on the Gulf Coast.  For more articles and information about her home business please visit Kay's sites:
http://earn-extra-income-at-home.com
http://www.extra-income-work-at-home-jobs.com