Do you have a home office? If so then you know Organizing Your Office Paperwork is really important to staying on task and getting things done efficiently. We already shared some great home office organization tips, but this week we are really going to tackle how to handle the paperwork that comes with that. Whether it is for your home based business, or simply your home office used for handling your personal finances these tips will help considerably.
Organizing Your Office Paperwork
Color Code Your Inbox
If you struggle to keep on top of due dates and mail that needs to be attended to, color coding your inbox might help. A simple red, yellow and green method works wonders. Whether you use a basket for paperwork, simple folders or another easy to view method arrange your inbox of paperwork in a manner that alerts you to urgency. Items that need to be attended to immediately should go into the green folder. Items that are due soon, but not that week go int the yellow folder. Items that are dated at later month go into the red folder.
Check Folders & Inbox Weekly
This is likely the most important office paperwork organization tip. Don’t let your files and paperwork pile up. Check things week to week for the best paper work organization for your home office.
Utilize Your Filing Cabinets
Those filing cabinets aren’t there just to look pretty. Grab some folders and hanging files and start sorting through your random paperwork. Even if you aren’t sure if you will need it later, it is worth storing. Set up personal, business and family files for things of importance. Give each bill a separate folder in your system. Separate family files by individual for easy grab and go needs.
Input Receipts & File Weekly
This is a biggie for tax purposes. Filing your receipts is one thing, but go a step above and create a simple spreadsheet to log them into each week. One for each category that can be deducted in your business. Gas, utilities, supplies and subscriptions are common receipts you can keep for tax purposes. Take the time to set up a spreadsheet and enter your receipts to this point. Keep up with this on a weekly basis to keep the stress level down throughout the year.
Setting yourself up for success in your organized home office is easy when you stay on top of organizing your office paperwork. Little thing like a simple color coded filing system will go a long way toward keeping you on track. More intense things like setting up your filing cabinet or inputting receipts this week may take extra time, but they will be well worth the time spent. Your home office will be a success this year when you set about organizing your office paperwork with purpose.
{52 Weeks to a More Organized Home/Life}
If you have any of the hoarding tendencies we describe in this post, you may want to work on getting organized for the New Year. Getting organized and staying organized always seem to be on my list of New Year’s Resolutions. Would you like to join me in getting organized for 2015? Each week we will tackle one area of the home to help you get organized, reclaim your sanity, and save money since disorganization can lead to spending more or missing out on discounts.
Are you interested in actually getting organized for 2015? We have worked extensively on a series to help you get organized in 52 weeks. If you would like to receive these emails about how to get your home organized in 52 weeks, you can sign up to receive just ONE email per week. You can sign up at any time during the year without missing a beat.
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