At bytherules, we are set up so our Franchisees can work from home if they wish, to gain the flexibility and balance they are looking for.

A workspace that is cluttered and disorganised can produce feelings of anxiousness and in turn, a ‘cluttered’ foggy feeling in your head.  On the other hand, a clean, organised workspace can improve your focus and productivity.

We want to make working from home a pleasant yet productive experience for all. Working from home, you’ll want everything where you need it, when you need it.   So we’ve put together our top 5 tips to ensure you can work efficiently, effectively, and enjoy it.

Tip 1: Prioritise

At times you’ll have many jobs you are working on at once.   Whether it’s hard copy or computer files, it’s important that you work on one job at a time, for example, only have ‘open’ customers and new prospects at hand.  Make sure that once you’ve completed a job and your customer is happy, their file is put away.  A filing cabinet (physical and on your computer) is very useful here.  You’ll need to organise these files in some manner that makes sense to you.  Take some time on deciding this as once you fall into a certain way of doing things, it can be difficult to change.

Tip 2: Acceptable accessories

Apart from your computer, phone and some note paper, a pen holder, folder holder and stacked drawer or basket set are often all you need on top of your desk.  If you have a stack of papers and files sitting on top of your desk, you’re most likely having to rummage through them a few (or more) times a day to find what you’re looking for.  This is a big no-no if you’re wanting to streamline your work practices.   Choose desk and office accessories that are simple, functional and suit your personal style.  You can find a large range in nice colour schemes at your nearest Officeworks (or online).

Tip 3: Ditch the dead

Okay, it’s not what you think… we’re talking about those dead pens, broken pencils, outdated scribbly notes and that old rusty stapler you’ve been meaning to fix.  How many  times do you go to your pen collection to find you’ve always picked one out that’s dried up?  Truly, they’re just junk so we say bin them!   Getting these out of your office will help you feel a lot more clear-headed.

Tip 4: Put it on the wall

A pinboard on the wall is a lifesaver for the messy desk.  Anything you need to have in front of you like your planner or calendar, inspirational quotes, sticky note reminders or a photo of your dog, put it on the pinboard.  This lightens the load on your desk and frees your mind… try it!

Tip 5: Shelf space 

No cupboard, no worries… use shelving to house things that you don’t need on a minute by minute basis – things like reference books, tissues, family photos and a posy of flowers perhaps.   Baskets that fit into the shelves are great for storing things like copy paper, spare print cartridges and other office backup needs.

At bytherules, we know that by de-cluttering your office space you’ll feel calmer, think clearer, and be ready to tackle all your work projects with confidence and ease… happy organising.