Improving Your Home Office

Today's home offices are busier than ever. Gone are the days when all we needed was a writing desk, small filing cabinet and a few envelopes and stamps. Many home owners now have separate home offices, outfitted with computers, printers, fax machines, copiers, scanners and more.

How is your home office doing? Do you have a clear desk, comfortable seating, good lighting and a place for everything? Or is it an overwhelming cluttered space, full of papers and unidentified objects? Home offices need not be disorganized, boring and sterile. Even an office situated in a basement with poor natural light can be transformed into a bright and cheerful environment with good lighting and decorative accessories.

Before you get started on improving your home office, it is important to identify all of the activities that take place in there. Are you simply paying a few bills, filing some statements and sorting mail? Or do you also like to use the space for your children to do homework, browsing on the internet, sorting photographs and wrapping gifts? If you are running a home-based business, it's important that you try to keep it separate from your household office, even if it's just in another area of the room.

For your home office to function properly it should be comfortable, with functional and ergonomic furniture. It should also be free of paper clutter. Invest in office organizing products to keep paper clutter at bay, so that you can enjoy your office, instead of fearing it! I have listed a few of the typical activities that take place in today's home offices. If you also run a home business, it is imperative that you have the necessary office supplies and equipment to run your business

- Sorting Mail & Paying Bills: Purchase an organizer with slots, trays or cubbies to divide up bills, mail, envelopes, stamps and address labels. As soon as a bill comes in, place it into the appropriate slot immediately!
Jacquie's Tip: A mail organizer with a small drawer for stamps and small office supplies will keep your desktop neat.