Whether you're advising a work-at-home client or planning your own space, these tips will help.
Store your documents online:
Scan, upload, digitize, or e-mail your docs to SlideShare, Posterous, Microsoft OneNote or Google Docs. You’ll never have to worry about computer crashes.
Minimize Distractions:
Your office space should be dedicated only to things that help make you money or are for the practice of your profession. Are you using your office to store boxes of holiday decorations? In the interest of being ready to work when you sit down at your desk, taking out those extra personal items will help.
Find Tech That Does Double duty:
Save space with multifunction or ‘all-in-one’ equipment that prints, copies, and scans. The smaller footprint of these machines makes them ideal for most space-challenged home offices, and they’re affordable.
Prevent piles:
A business can generate an enormous amount of paper, so you need to figure out what to keep and where to put it. Label trays and stick to it...everything needs a "Home"
Follow a one-touch system. If you get a piece of mail or a contract, it has only a limited number of options—it can go straight to trash, it can go to storage, I can delegate it, or I can work on it right now. This system prevents random piles from forming.
Maintain your files:
Just because you got organized once doesn’t mean your office will stay that way, it’s an ongoing process. You need to set up a document retention policy. Keep the most timely files closest to your desk.
Set up an area suitable for guests:
If you’re going to be meeting with clients in your home office, set up a space with guest chairs and a table of some sort. If you don’t have space in your office, you can use an adjacent room, like a dining room, for meetings. Just be sure the space is clutter-free and readily available.
Don’t get sidetracked:
When you’re doing work at home, there are so many other things calling for your attention. Set your "office hours" and stick to it. Your may want to break up the day in blocks of 2 hours and remember to schedule breaks.