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Do You Run Your Office The Way You Run Your Home? - Part Two

Written by Jay Shapiro for Gaebler Ventures

A messy desk is a sing of genius, or so they say. Actually it might just be a sign of a messy person. Disorder in the home often means there's disorder in the workplace. Not good! Part two of a two part article.

There are exceptions to it but as a rule business owners tend to run their companies the way they run their households. That can work well for those with an organized attitude to life in general, but if your home is chaotic, it might just be that your business is too.

De-Clutter Your Home and Your Head and Your Office!

There's a lot of information published online and in print about de-cluttering and how beneficial it can be. And it's not just about the elimination of mess or creating a more pleasant environment to function in. Doing so can also provide great psychological relief. Get your house into shape and you'll soon find you actually want to change the way your office functions.

You're in Business to Earn Money, So Stop Throwing it Away!

There's a lot of stress attached to not being able to find things, and trying to locate them is a big time eater. Time is money, as they say, so if you're operating your business in a chaotic environment and often lose important things then you are basically throwing money away. That rather defeats the object of being in business in the first place, doesn't it.

It's Time To Get Things in Order

So you've admitted you need to neaten up your act a bit. Here is a basic guideline:

• Paperwork: Deal with paperwork immediately as it arrives. This doesn't mean you have to answer it or pay that bill straight away, but it does mean you need to open the mail. Don't tuck it under pile of books or put it in the bottom of your bag. Open it. And discard the envelope in the recycling box straight away. Do not put the letter back in the envelope. A lot of people do this as a means to signal to themselves that aren't ready to deal with something yet. It also means you can't see at a glance what the letter is about. Have one place that you keep mail that has yet to be dealt with. One place. Not several. And make that one place a logical and obvious one like an in tray on your desk.
• Workspace: Keep your workspaces clear of personal artifacts. While that old jokey desk sign, 'A messy desk is the sign of genius' might well have some truth to it, a disorganized desk doesn't make for easy operation. Get rid of plants and books you've yet to read, photographs. If you can't function without some reference to your personal life or things that reflect your character, allocate one space or shelf for these objects. That way they are still around but they are not in your way.
• Computerize it: Surprisingly, not everyone keeps up with the times and may businesses are still using old administrative methods and that can mean an awful lot of paper. Getting your business set up to be computer operated can eliminate the problems associated with this. As far as being a time saver, using an online method for processing orders is a big one.

Start small when you are reorganizing your home and your workplace. That way you'll be sure to do a thorough job. One well organized drawer is more valuable in the long term than a quick surface fix where mess just gets shoved out of sight.

Jay Shapiro is a freelance writer based in the UK. Jay has a particular interest in the emotive aspects of the entrepreneur's character. "Alongside the nuts and bolts of business, the character of the person is often the ingredient responsible for success."

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