Keep Your Home Based Business Organized

            If you have a home based business like I do, you know you need to be organized with your time and space. You want to make sure you devote enough time to your business and be able to balance it with enough family time. I’m guessing the reason why you have a home based business and are working so hard is to have more family time and be able to do the things you love. Here are a few ideas to help make your business time more productive:

 

·                    Designate a space to be used for business only, even if it’s just a corner of a room.

·                    Arrange your desk so that you can reach your telephone, keyboard, printer and wastebasket without getting up.

·                    Clear your desktop and put back only what you use daily. Put the rest away in files in drawers, on shelves or in a supply closet.

·                    Use a desktop file for your business to hold current projects. Things you use daily need to be at your finger tips.

·                    Toss out outdated files, old versions of computer software, supplies for things you no longer own, old business cards, etc. You’d be surprised how much space this can free up.

·                    Schedule your Work time and inform your family of your work schedule. You can even make a “business hours” sign to have up when working.

·                    Have a clock on the wall or set a timer so you don’t lose track of time. You don’t want to get into something and be late picking the kids up from school.

·                    If you carry inventory for your business, store like items together and label everything for easy reference.

·                    Keep your phone numbers on a rolodex for easy access. Write reference notes on the back to help you remember things about that person or company.

·                    If you look up a number in the phonebook, highlight it, if you look up the same number again add it to your rolodex.

·                    Keep your business files separate from your personal files.

·                    Write business appointments on the family calendar in a different colored pen to avoid double booking. It’s hard to car pool the kids and be with a client at the same time.

·                    Write the phone number next to the business appointment so you can call to confirm or make a change.

·                    Keep a calendar on your desk to note any last minute changes.

·                    When you’re done with business for the day take ten minutes to clear your desk, wrap up any last minute things, make a note to yourself on where to start tomorrow and switch yourself to family time.  

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