SPRING CLEANING: ORGANIZE YOUR OFFICE!!!

With the unseasonable warm weather we’re experiencing in New York today, you can’t help but start thinking of Spring.  With those thoughts come the need to do spring cleaning.  This is a great time to clear out the clutter that has accumulated in your office or work-space during the winter season.  Having a clean and well organized space to work is a great way to be inspired to do new and innovative things. 

So here are a few simple projects that, with little effort, will help freshen up your office.  These tips should go a long way towards making you feel more organized, energized and ready to forge ahead with new business ideas.

Back Up Your Files:  Whether you have an external hard drive, or use an online tool like ICloud or Dropbox, there’s something quite satisfying about knowing your files are safe. This is a task that we often think about, but somehow never get to.  Some of us learn the importance of backing up files the hard way. For those of you who have not backed up your files before check out best online synching services. Also for designers take a look at Layervault, a back up filing program described as ‘Dropbox for designers’, it’s a tool that allows you to manage different versions of your design files. One more to look at is crashplan.com.

Review and Organize Paper Files:  While most of us exclusively use on-line files, there are still those pesky paper files that take up space in your office.  This would be a good time to go through these files  and figure out which ones can be scanned and incorporated with your on-line file system including saving them to discs that are easier to store.  Paper files that you don’t use but are hesitant to toss out can be stored away in a separate area so that they do not take up valuable office space. 

Clean and Organize Office Supplies:  This might seem easy and not really necessary, but it is important to inventory what you have and figure out what you need to order.  It also gives you the opportunity to figure out what items you use (and need) and what was wasteful.  It is also a good time to figure out how to take care of supplies and machinery in your office.  Completing this simple item could actually save you money in the long-term.

Have A Major De-clutter:   If the words ‘bomb site’ or ‘pigsty’ come to mind when you glance at your workspace, don’t panic, and do not slowly back away. Arm yourself with cleaning products, garbage bags and boxes for the thrift store.  Storage solutions don’t need to be expensive.

Desktop Facelift:  Put a new screensaver and wall paper on your desktop and other devices.   There’s no end to the beautiful designs availableonline. Smashing Magazine offers a series of monthly desktop calendars and they also invite artists to submit their own. If you fancy a little exposure on the Smashing Magazine blog, check out their desktop wallpaper submission guidelines.

Reorganizing Your Space:  Sometimes just moving around the furniture in your office can give you a boost.  The desk that you moved away from the window during the cold winter can be moved back so that you can feel the sunshine.  Changing your screensaver on your computer to a more seasonal look can also change your attitude.  Hang some new inspirational photos or paintings around your office.  Throw out broken decorative objects that clutter things up and bring down your spirit.  Make sure your workspace reflects your goals and the direction you want your business to take in the coming months

Sort Out Your Tunes:  Good music is essential to relaxation and motivation.  Sometimes we just want to work to the sound of the wind rustling thru the trees.  On other occasions we want some soft (or loud) music.  There are some great sites like Spotify, Rdio and MOG that allow you to stream music on demand and create playlists. Last FM allows you to stream radio stations tailored to your own music taste. Then there’s always the other end of the technological spectrum – equipping your workspace with a decent radio to listen to the latest news.

Review Your Email Policy:   Many of us bemoan the sheer volume of email we have to deal with on a daily basis. If email is distracting you from other things this is a good time to consider setting some boundaries. Sites like the Single Sentence Email Project and five.sentenc.es encourage us to form new habits by pledging to shorten the length of emails. Not only will you be doing yourself a favor and increasing the time you have for other projects, you’ll be putting less pressure on the inboxes of others too. There’s also a lot to be said for checking your email at set times during the day.

Review Your Business Plan:  If you began the year by setting new goals and ojectives for 2012, now’s a great time to revisit them. Two months into 2012 is by no means too late to give them an extra push. If you didn’t get a chance to update your business plan for 2012 and January and February passed by in a blur, begin by writing a list of goals you’d like to achieve this year then email the hotline at BizBuilding to help you put together a plan of action! (mailto:ellen@bizbuildingstrategy.com)

---