Top 10 Tips To Keep Your Business Organized
How is it that most employees cannot even spare 10 minutes of their time to clean up their desks? That is a question that baffles managers and CEOs. Such a seemingly simple task, which consumes less time than sending e-mails to relatives and friends, now becomes a Herculean effort for some. As such, it is now up to the bosses to find ways that will channel each employees’ organizing skills – and keep the workplace neat and presentable as a result. Here are some pointers.
1. Maintain a neat and clean office. First impressions, as they say, last. As such, offices frequented by customers have to be cleaned regularly. There should be no clutter because your client’s perception of your office is extremely important. Even companies that rarely have visitors need to follow this guideline because a beautiful and clean office makes employees feel good about themselves.
2. Place supplies in closets. Office supplies and extra equipment should be placed in closets because people have a tendency to throw things into cabinets unless the contents are arranged properly. Each item should be properly labeled to ensure that everything is in place.
3. Keep a box for excess items. There are items that nobody can seem to use and these should be kept in one place. It would be better that each item should have a label instead of stuffing these onto a shelf. Make sure to inform the people the use of the contents of the box which should be placed at the bottom of the closet. The said box should be regularly cleaned and someone should eventually be able to decide what to do with its contents.
4. Use handy desk accessories. Office desks with accessories that have the same type and color would look good so it is advisable to come up with the items that would work for the office. Order office equipment by the bulk so the purchase would be cheaper.
5. Organize your bills. If you have an accountant use an envelope for current bills and file older ones according to the date. Review telephone bills to see if different services are needed based on current calling patterns. For this factor, the voice T1 is often cheaper than standard line service.
6. Choose desks and cubicles that are easy to use and give you maximum storage space. This is an important rule to follow because employees with not enough space tend to put their items in common areas or even the floor. Give employees access to the file cabinet drawer and several other drawers to make sure that the office is really clutter-free. Overhead cabinets are useful for storing books or notebooks.
7. For companies with voluminous files, maintain a room exclusively for storage of these important documents and things. Don’t just opt for storage file cabinets. A temp can be hired to arrange the documents. Provide him or her with a bin where he or she can place for papers which are not useful, but have to be stored somewhere.
8. Coffee or break rooms are important because these keep the clutter of wrappers and cups from the workplace. However, these rooms should be well-kept at all times. Encourage your people to clean up after themselves. Make sure that cabinets are installed to keep things in order and out of sight. Dishwashing soap, sponges and paper towels should be provided so that people will find it easier to keep the place clean.
9. Hire a good cleaning service. It’s not enough that you and your employees keep your areas clean and organized. You need to hire a cleaning service that can report to your office regularly and take care of the garbage, recycle some items, clean the break room, vacuum and clean floors. You can also ask them to clean the windows once in a while.
10. Share the responsibility for cleanliness and organization. Each employee should clean his or her own desk, cubicle area or office. Also inform them that they can request for items such as cabinets or boxes that would help them be organized. Sometimes getting a temp on a monthly basis could help some employees concentrate on their day to day work.