Organizing your home office can be a challenge, but we should all have one if we work from home. Pick an area of your home you would like to use. It does not have to be an individual room. Pick a corner ,if a room is unavailable. Try and be sure the are is close to your phone line. You do not want to have wires running through your house. It is also more comforting if you have the area close to a window. Being able to look outside gives you a more comforting feeling. You should also keep this space as defined as you possibly can. Some homes this is very hard to do, but do your best.
Now that we have your perfect are, you need a desk. If you have a small area you should pick a desk, that is both nice and functional. Think about what you will be doing at the desk. Do you need extra drawers, or storage? Be sure the desk suites your needs. You should also have a chair that you will be comfortable sitting in for the hours you will be working.
Every home office needs things and they will vary depending on your needs. The basics are; filing cabinet,file folders, small shelf, a place to organize your office supplies, a good light, a phone, and fax. You do not have to spend a fortune on these items. You can get items that will work for your basic needs, then build up to the better items in the future.
When you start putting things in there place think about how often you will be using them. If it is an item you will not use often put it in a designated place that you will not be accessing all the time. Keep the closer storage, and top of your desk, for items that you will be using more often. Sometimes this will come with trial and error.
You should have at least one file for your business, and one for your home files. File everything immediately. This will keep you from stacking your papers on your desk. If you do not, you should do it at least once a day. You do not want to have your work space cluttered. You can also have one file for things that need to be sorted through. Then file them the next opportunity you have.
I would recommend for everyone to treat this area as an office. Place a small plant in the area, pictures of the kids on the wall, a calender and a writing pad on the desk. Be sure to let your kids know this is your job, and is very important to you. Make this area yours. If it is the location you will be working the majority of the time, you want it to be comfortable, and easy to manage.
