Having not long ago completed my tax return for another year, I can honestly say that storage is always at a premium when you work from home. The small room I use as an office has been lined with paper and receipts in what looks like haphazard piles, but is actually a highly effective system (or so I like to think). Trying to get it back to the semblance of a normal room will take some time. Luckily, over the years, I’ve taught myself a few tricks to help me make the best use of my space and so I thought I’d share some of them (of course it also means I can put off tidying my office for a little while longer too…):
1. I’m sure we’d all like to go fully digital one day, but for the time being paper is still part of our working lives. As our offices are generally pretty small, it’s important to be careful where paperwork is stored. Using an “in box” folder system can be ineffective – files go in, but they never get resolved and so accumulate, making it harder to sort important documents when you actually need them. A better solution is to have two folders: an “Action This Week” and a “Waiting on Reply” folder and then be militant in adhering to each of them. Every Monday, you can then go through the folders and weed out anything that needs chasing or resolving. If the file doesn’t fit either folder, you can scan, label and store the document so it doesn’t clutter up your workspace.
2. Speaking of scanning, I bought an expensive scanner/photocopier about a year ago, but then the scanner malfunctioned. While I was waiting to get it fixed, I downloaded a scanner app on my Smartphone to use in the interim (I use Scanner Pro, £1.99), and now I actually prefer it. The quality is very good and I can use it on the go and then upload directly to Google Drive or Dropbox. This allows me to reference documents and files I would normally need to be in reaching distance of, allowing me to put more away in storage.
3. Another area for clutter is an email inbox. I use gmail, and one of the things I like most about it is the ability to assign rules to incoming emails. That way, I can apply labels to messages, and even file them into a folder to help me better organise my inbox without having to make one click. I also create blacklists – if someone spams me or sends too many unwanted emails, I create a rule to delete their email the moment it arrives (unread) – or if I’m feeling kinder, to archive it. The search and archiving functions in gmail are excellent, but if you use Outlook there are add-ons you can download such as Taglocity, which will help you add labels to your incoming messages too.
4. When it comes to clearing space, to create a home office for example, storage is often woefully small (my house has no cupboards except one that contains the boiler). It’s easy to stuff things away, but the more organised you are with storage, the better it is. First, use good quality boxes. They’re easier to lift and won’t fall apart. Take a photo of what’s inside (to help you remember what it contains), and then label the outside of the box. Next, think about access – does your storage area have steps? An attic might seem like a good place to keep things, but if it’s a hassle to get to, think again. Finally, and most importantly when you’re storing things at home, consider the possibility of mold. If I had a penny for every time I opened a box to find mildewy books, I’d have, well about ten pence, but that’s still a lot.
5. Consider professional storage. Yes, I’m biased because Big Yellow Self Storage is one of my clients, but self storage is becoming increasingly popular with small businesses and don’t just take my word for it, the BBC say’s its true. Big Yellow also commissioned a recent study revealing that although half of home start-ups (48%) have more business confidence now than this time last year and 76% believe that storing stock at home has a negative impact on their personal lives, 41% are nervous about expanding out of their home. But it doesn’t have to be difficult. Self storage is a flexible, cost effective way of storing furniture, equipment, documents and merchandise. Most people think self storage always has to be a mid-sized room, but that’s no longer the case either. Smaller wardrobe sized lockers can also be rented too.
Drew is a freelance digital marketing consultant and works with Big Yellow Self Storage. For more information on storage for freelancers see their business section or case studies.
For SME, Google apps is the best. You get email and cloud storage. For physical stuff, self storage is your friend 🙂
Very good point. Between Google apps and self-storage companies, we have more than enough resources to help us store our “stuff,” digital and otherwise. 🙂
It’s interesting that so many people believe that storing stock at home has a negative impact on their lives. I can see now why self storage units are so popular. Like you mentioned, there are now small wardrobe-sized lockers that can be rented out, as well as larger areas, so there’s something for everybody. Thanks for the tips.
I agree that going completely digital one day is ideal, but until then paperwork must be organized accordingly. Thank you for these storage tips for home based entrepreneurs. I’ll try using good quality boxes, as well as take pictures of the contents in the box, like you suggested.