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| Workable Work Spaces |
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| By Ramona Creel |
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| You don't have to be Fortune 500 CEO to need a functional office.
Any kind of work -- including the running of a household -- involves
a great deal of paperwork. Paying bills, filing paper, staying on
top of phone calls, and tracking expenses -- these activities all
require an orderly workspace. And don't forget your personal papers
-- investments, insurance, school records, birth certificates. Do
you clip articles out of magazines? Collect travel brochures? No
matter what kind of paper you accumulate, you need a dedicated space
for storing and managing it. |
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CHOOSING A HOME OFFICE SPACE
Where is your "home office?" A corner of the kitchen?
The spare bedroom? Perhaps you work out of a cubbyhole -- or you
might be fortunate enough to have an entire room set aside for paperwork.
In choosing your home office space, first ask how you plan to use
it -- for managing personal paperwork, occasionally bringing business
home with you, or working full-time out of the house. Will you need
a separate phone line, connection for your modem, or room for other
equipment? Do you plan to bring clients or other colleagues to your
home office? Whatever space you adopt, make sure to avoid any TERRITORIAL
DISPUTES with other household activities. Your kids don't need to
play monopoly on your desk -- and you shouldn't have to move your
work off the kitchen table to serve dinner. |
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YOUR WORKSTATION
A workstation doesn't have to be an elaborate affair -- many people
get by with no more than a desk and a telephone. How you design
your office depends on what you plan to do there. What keeps you
busy -- writing letters? Balancing your books? Phone calls? Computer
work? Keep these activities in mind as you plan your space. If you
need room to spread out while you work, make sure to include a large
flat surface. Do you have a lot of machinery -- scanner, fax, postage
meter? You might want to bring in a printer stand or a bookshelf
for your equipment. But don't think that you have to spend a lot
of money on expensive office furniture. You may have some discards
that would do the job just fine. I have seen everything -- from
card tables to steamer trunks to old doors -- used as office furniture.
Be creative! |
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STORING SUPPLIES
Now I must ask you a personal question -- do you hoard supplies?
Is there really any logical reason for keeping 65 pads of post-it
notes in your desk drawer? I know, I know -- you say you don't'
have anyplace else to put them! Well, let's see what we can do about
that. Take a good look around your office. Where can we create some
storage? Could we put in some bracket shelves above your desk or
credenza? How about using drawer dividers to organize paper clips,
thumb tacks, extra staples, and tape? And any letter or legal size
items -- letterhead, sheet protectors, index dividers, manila folders
-- can always be stored more efficiently in stacking trays. Remember,
your storage center does not have to be conventional -- it simply
has to be functional. |
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ERGONOMICS IN ACTION
Does your office give you a pain in the neck -- literally? It has
been proven time and time again that you work more efficiently --
that productivity increases when your office space is designed to
be ergonomically correct. The first step is to make sure that all
of your vital equipment and supplies -- the ones that you use daily
-- are within arm's reach. You should be able to get at everything
you need without bending, squatting, or stretching. Now take a look
at your computer -- the monitor should be at eye level and your
wrists should be flat when you are typing or using the mouse. If
not, you can raise up your monitor or attach a keyboard tray to
your desk. Finally, have a seat. Are your thighs parallel to the
floor, your calves perpendicular, and your feet planted flat on
the ground? If not, you might want to consider adjusting your chair
or bringing in a raised footrest. As you sit at your desk, pay attention
to what your body is telling you. If it causes you discomfort, fix
it! |
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| Ramona Creel is a Professional Organizer and the founder of OnlineOrganizing.com
-- "A world of organizing solutions!" Visit www.onlineorganizing.com
for organizing products, free tips -- and even get a referral for
a Professional Organizer near you. And be sure to pick up a copy
of "Ten Easy Ways To Organize Your Home" for more information
on cleaning out the clutter. If you would like to reprint this article,
please send in an e-mail request to mailto:articleGO02014@onlineorganizing.com.
And if you would like to receive more of these kinds of articles
each month, sign up for a free subscription to the monthly "Get
Organized" online newsletter at http://www.onlineorganizing.com/Client_Newsletter.htm.
(Copyright 2000-2001, Ramona Creel) |
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