Home Office – Making Space to Make Money

Posted: 18 Nov 2010 04:15 AM PST

Today, thanks to the wonders of modern technology, setting up a home office is easier than ever. For many people all that's needed is a laptop, a printer and a decent broadband connection.

: Home Office

Most homeworkers, of course, will also need a desk and somewhere to keep stationery and other office basics, not to mention a space conducive to productivity. So, when creating your study, it's worth creating the right environment from the start, rather than shoehorning your new workstation into an existing part of your home.

De-clutter

Once you've decided exactly where your home office is going to go, a bit of decluttering may be in order. This could involve some tough decisions about throwing – or giving – some things away. For your more valued belongings, however, there is the option of storage. If you need to store clothes and bedding, place a suitable wardrobe in your storage area. This will allow you to hang shape-sensitive garments while stacking linen and shoes at the bottom. Leather handbags and purses should be stuffed with bubble wrap and placed in breathable containers such as purpose-designed plastic boxes or cotton pillowcases. Avoid folding the straps or packing items tightly together as this could leave creases or impressions from buckles.

Books, collectively, become very heavy. For this reason, pack books in small boxes. Keeping them horizontal will protect the spines over the long term. It's worth making notes on the visible side of each box in case you need to find any particular book while it's in storage.

Keep wooden furniture safe by giving it a waxing or a coat of wood varnish. This will protect it from any moisture in your storage area. Dismantle any item that flat packs to maximize the available space – but don't forget to leave the fixings in a small bag, taped to the piece. Once in place, remove the risk of scratches and other damage from contact by placing thick cloth between touching components.

As your business grows, so may your business storage needs. You may, for example, need space to keep promotional literature, stock and archived files such as tax returns. You can make this process a lot easier by storing papers and documents securely offsite. Records are important and have to be maintained, but storing them requires a lot of space and self storage allows you to keep your files organized in one location making them easy to sort through when needed. After you’ve done this, any paperwork that can be found on a website or email should be recycled.

These tips are provided by Big Yellow Self Storage, specialists in business storage.

Dollar Matters: How Productive Are You?

Posted: 17 Nov 2010 09:00 AM PST

Many of us struggle with time management and productivity. I know that I do sometimes. Productivity is important at work, and when it comes to your finances. The good news is that there are plenty of people out there with some solid insights into increasing productivity:

How to Streamline Your Time Management System

Work Awesome presents a helpful look at you how you can streamline your personal time management system.

A Quick Productivity Mind Hack!

The P2H.com Blog offers some thoughts on productivity, and how you can hack into your own mind to make it possible.

Productivity Hack: Using the Web to Minimize Internet Distractions

Get Rich Slowly provides a great look at web based ways to increase productivity. The Internet doesn’t have to be a series of distractions.

Productivity: Could Working Less Really Help You Get More Done?

At Personal Dividends, I offer an interesting solution to the productivity problem: Work less.

Making It All Work – Getting Perspective at Ten Thousand Feet

The Simple Dollar offers a look at how you can manage your time and priorities by following advice from the book Making It All Work.

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