In order to help you feel better in your space, and thus increase your productivity, try personalizing your office.  Here are some tips to help you create a space you will enjoy:

• Add items that remind you of good times or people that make you happy.  Bring in framed photographs or significant items.  You can even create a personalized calendar with fun photos.
• Try keeping these items contained or together, rather than strewn about everywhere.  If they take up too much space, they will begin to feel like clutter.
• Consider lining photographs in a row, which looks and feels more organized.  Here’s an adorable chalkboard frame that can store your memos and remind you of messages.  
• Add some color!  Purchase some flowers or add a pretty painting.
• Remember to reassess your personal mementos quarterly to make sure they haven’t exceeded their boundary within your workspace.

Got some tips of your own for improving a drab cubicle?  Share them with us!  

1. Shelves that are the easiest to reach should have the most-used items.  Items that are only used occasionally can be stored higher or lower.
2. You don’t have to put all of an item in the same place; overflow can be kept separately.  For example, if you buy supplies in bulk, only a few boxes of pens, pencils, notebooks, staples, etc. need to be in the prime real estate.  Anything more than that can be put in an area that’s farther away and then you can restock your supplies weekly from your surplus.
3. Put heavy items closer to the floor and lighter items closer to the ceiling.
4. Categorize supplies that are used together.  For example, if you have a marketing packet that gets mailed out, group all the components of the marketing packet together in the supply room so you can spend less time assembling the packet.
5. Label everything clearly so that everyone can find supplies easily.  It also makes it easier to restock items where they belong.
6. Use appropriately sized containers to maximize the space available.  One of our favorite products for office supplies are the Deflect-O series; they’re perfect for all types of supplies.

If you’re going to be sitting somewhere from 9 to 5 each week, you might as well make it an organized, functional space.  Don’t feel limited by your small space; you can still create an organized work area!  

1. Maximize your use of walls by hanging anything and everything possible, like a coat hook balanced on the rim of the cubicle.  We love these Safco PanelMate Organizers.
   
2. If you have “office toys,” try grouping them together rather than spreading them out all over your cube.  Your collection will look cohesive and contained, instead of sloppy.
3. Use a monitor stand that also has dual functionality as a paper tray or supply organizer.
4. Keep all of your most-used items within an arm’s reach semi-circle from your chair – these are your action items.  The next layer of the circle is for reference items, and then the outside layer is for archive items (if it must stay in your cubicle).
5. Label everything (including outside drawers, if applicable) so that others can find what they are looking for easily without going through all your stuff (for example, if someone is looking for a pencil, you don’t want them looking in your snack drawer).

You’ll love them for:
•  Their versatility and helpful components
•  Customizing and personalizing your cubicle
•  Using your wall space as storage space, allowing you to keep your desktop free
•  Creating a home for everything in your office

Cost: Varies

Available at: details online

Abilities:

• Creates incoming and outgoing paper flow
• Stackable
• Papers lay flat, so they do not distort
• Can add labels
  

Great for: Anyone who needs to create paper flow, a mail center, or inbox system within an existing space but wants it to look nice for a very reasonable price.  Anyone can use these, they’re very versatile!

Available at: our Amazon store

You’ll love it for:

• No longer requiring plastic tabs.
• Its larger tabs (they’re larger than plastic tabs, which is good for people with vision trouble).
• Its 10% recycled content.
• Its availability in either a single position (right) or assorted positions.
• Creating a fairly simple file structure.

Just keep in mind:

• If you ever want to change what the label says, you can’t just take the plastic tab off and reuse the folder.  You’re stuck with what you have labeled it.
• Although it is available in both single position and assorted positions, we like the customizability of standard plastic tab labels.

Available at: Find nearby dealers on Smead.com

Challenge: Get caught up trying to schedule appointments (no one else to answer phone)
Solution: Time trade
Solution: Doodle - Create polls so people can vote when planning times and schedules.

Challenge: Accepting credit card payments
Solution: Square - Accept credit cards from anywhere using your cell phone and a small plug-in device (very portable and easy), for just a small fee (2.75% of total).

Challenge: Too many tasks to keep track of
Solution: project management software (like Evernote, OneNote, Zoho Project, Basecamp, Batchbook, Sugar, Microsoft Project).  If you have a lot of tasks, projects, or “hats,” you need a way to keep track of all your to dos. Common features include task reminders, division by projects, lists and sublists, sharing, calendars, Gantt charts, project lead designation, dashboards, and wikis.  
Solution: CRM (like Zoho)

Abilities:
•  Set up a schedule online with available appointment slots
•  Systems tailored to industry (sales, marketing, customer service, retail, and education)

Cost: starting at $49/year

Challenge:
Our client did not feel like she had enough space at her desk, so she dreaded working from her home office.  The space was not conducive for working and she needed something tailored to her style and personality.

Solution:
With a splash of color on the walls and new shelving units to put clutter out of sight, we were able transform her desk into a tidy surface.

Result:
With a much more inviting space, our client now loves working from her home office!

View more Before and After photos on our Facebook Fan Page!