Home Sweet Home Office

Today I have made great use of my home office. I have paid bills online, shopped for supplies and presents (some for me) and updated my various blogs. It is cold outside so I am glad to be here in my nice warm space. The one thing that I have not taken care of is organizing my desk.

I talk a lot about organization because it is one of the most important tasks that should to be done on a regular basis. I like to say, “once you are organized most of your work will never need repeating”. Eighty percent of everything that we file or put away will not be touched again. That seems extreme but it is true. So you can see that if we are only dealing with twenty percent of the stuff in the office it should not take much time to sort through it.

This year I have been so busy that some of my normal procedures have not been kept up to date. For example, I like to scan my papers and then once everything is backed up I shred the paper. That is my biggest hang up to date. How have I dealt with the situation?

I file the paperwork in an alphabetized sorting file (desktop file sorter). If I need to put my hands on anything in particular – it is right there. All is safe and organized until the day that I have several extra hours to catch up. If I squeeze in some scanning I drop those papers into a box and save them until I have time to roll out my industrial size shredder.

I am writing this both to make myself feel better about the state of my home office and to show you that there is a way to hold the line on total chaos. After all doing paperwork very seldom earns us a dime. The fastest most efficient way to get through it is the way to go.

Come back and read how I am dealing with my behind status. I would love to hear how you keep up with tasks in your home office.

Hectic times require short cut measures. During busy social times such as the holidays or vacations the office work tends to fall behind. This is the most important time to keep everything organized. Even if you fall behind catch up will be easy when bills and paperwork is all at your fingertips.

Haphazardly tossing papers on the desktop or on a shelf is the best way to bury the most important pieces. We start out with good intentions – you know – those little stacks that are meant to keep what you need handy. After just a day or two those stacks grow and it is no longer first in first out.

I would suggest that if you do not have the time to stay organized over a short period of time to put three small boxes or trays on top of your desk or shelf – whichever is the best for you. As a temporary measure label one as sort, one as file and the most important one would be urgent. Even in the busiest of time some tasks have to be managed.

Once things settle down schedule your priority task – empty the temporary boxes.

The holiday season is fun for most people. Although they are stressful times we all get caught up in the excitement and anticipation of all that will transpire over the next month or so.

As an employer this is a stressful time for added reasons. Like I said, we all get distracted. However, distractions get expensive when productivity is affected.

I find that I have to relax and go with the flow to a certain extent. If I see that non-work activities are getting out of hand I gently guide everyone back to the tasks at hand. In fact, I join into the chitchat now and then.

We all decorated for Christmas today and it was a lot of fun. It added to the fun of the holidays and showed the employees that it is OK to mix fun and work as long as the time allows. So far all is going well but if we get carried away at anytime I’m sure that the customers will bring us back to reality.

The idea is to get the customers to feel the happiness and tranquility of our business. If we can find that balance we all win.

It is Thanksgiving and I have simply sat around most of the day. A day off in the middle of the week is not what I am used to and I have had a hard time deciding what to do next.

It would be an understatement if I said that I have a lot do. It is too bad that I am not taking advantage of having the time to do it. Tomorrow I will look back and think – I am so mad at myself, I should have gotten some of this work caught up while I had the chance”.

My Thanksgiving Day meal happened two weeks ago. You see my family can’t celebrate a holiday on a holiday. We have to jump the gun because there is always something to be done on the actual day. Unfortunately the timing is always off for me.

As a self-employed person with employees my life tends to navigate around the schedules of my customers. To celebrate early causes me to make special arrangements and then when everyone else is celebrating I am sitting here stressing over what I should be doing.

Anyway, I need to quit complaining and get down to business. I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving Day. Talk to you again on the other side.

How can an employee of a small business get ahead? I used to wonder about this myself. Now that I am on the other side of the question I know what I did right and what I did wrong while working for several small businesses.

In the beginning of my working career I wanted to be indispensable. It did not take me long to realize that this was not what I wanted after all. There are several reasons for this.

· The pressure is all on you to get the work done
· An occasional day off is out of the question
· A promotion is hard to come by if there is no one to take your place

That last one is a real kicker. Not only is it difficult to move up – sometimes you may actually be passed over. As an employer it is easier to find someone for a new position than it is to train someone and then have to train his or her replacement.

My suggestion is to be cross-trained so that you can fill in and give a helping hand to others. You will be valued as an all around employee that can handle multiple positions. When the boss is away you will most likely be placed in charge. Other employees will learn to come to you instead of the boss and that will be seen as leadership.

Employers are nervous to leave their business in the hands of employees. If there is one employee that they can trust while being away it will be you. As an employer I can guarantee that a well-rounded employee is a valued employee. When a position opens up that calls for your all around skills you will get the job.

What type of business can someone start that does not require a large investment in time, money and space?

That is a question asked by anyone that needs to earn income from a place that provides freedom of a time clock.

A service business:
· Administrative assistant
· An online virtual assistant
· Answering service
· Lawn mowing
· Alterations
A crafting business:
· Scrap booking seminars
· Craft shows
· Woodworking
A customer service business:
· Bookkeeper
· Phone tech
A Home party business:
· Tupperware
· Clothing
· Cooking

If you plan to start a small business you need to ask yourself a few questions.
· Am I willing to do work long hours to get this business off the ground. Most small businesses do not last the first five years.
· Do I have family support from my family? Spouses and children have to understand that you will not always be available even though you are the boss.
· Do you have sufficient assets to carry your family through lean financial times? In the beginning most of your profit will probably be turned back into the business.
· Can I handle all of the work – including bookwork – myself or will I need one or a few employees?

This is only meant to give you some things to think about before starting a small business. Of course there are many other things to consider before getting yourself committed. Step back and take inventory of your idea, your finances, your space and your abilities. If you are still excited – go for it.

Unfortunately for me I cannot run my business from my home office. Fortunately for my neighbors I cannot run my business from my home office.

Anyone setting up a business has to take into account his or her need for space. Workspace, storage space and parking spaces are needed for each and every worker. Why do some people think that others need to provide part of their space to accommodate employees of some business?

Some states require a business permit to work from a home office and other states do not. Mine does not and I like it that way. However I believe that if I encroached on my neighbors they should have the right to complain to the city officials and if I did not correct the situation I should be forced to cease operation there.

Often we start a small business with no thought that we would ever hire employees. After all, most small home- based businesses never grow into a large business. If a small home-based business does take off and needs to hire employees arrangements have to be made to accommodate them. If you cannot afford to make the arrangements then you cannot afford to expand the business.

Gifting employees is fun but it is also s chore. You know – that fair thing and all. It is difficult to find one gift that is appropriate for all and at a price you can afford. It is also true that a gift over $25 (from my memory) is taxable income to the employee.

What I like to do is have an employee party and have them trade gifts among themselves. Company parties can be held at a nice restaurant, at the business itself or even at the owner’s home. The most important thing is to make your employees feel special and to show them a good time.

Political issues are less likely to show up at parties held by small business owners. The intense competition for pecking order is missing because the employees tend to be closer and more likely to share work assignments. In other words the employees tend to be cross-trained for multiple duties within the business.

When you are unsure what the employees would enjoy the most you can leave the decision up to them. Give them the choices of two or three options that will work for you and let them vote on which one they want.

A party or celebration is supposed to be fun. Don’t let the stress of planning it ruin the fun.

Owning a small business often requires the use of equipment. That equipment – although a necessity – can cause you a lot of grief. The sad thing is that we put up with that grief longer than we should just to delay the pain of altering our daily routine.

Today was finally the day to correct a situation in my business that has been going on for quite a while. In order to have everything ready for employees each morning I have had to get up extremely early and go to work. It seemed at the time like there was no other choice.

This week it was becoming painfully clear that something had to be done. I finally hit the point of no return and called a repairperson. Fortunately that person was willing to work on a Saturday albeit at an increased rate.

The repair has been made and I learned something in the process that will help me in the future. An equipment malfunction is less likely to happen and I can have a timer installed that will automate it. This will result in my getting an extra hour of sleep each morning.

I am telling you this to hopefully let you know that there are always better ways to conduct your business. You just have to be willing to open your mind (and your wallet) to make the improvements. It is not always convenient but is just the nature of the beast. For example, my husband and I were planning to go out of town this weekend but instead we put in a full day at work. We are happy though because something very positive has taken place.

For most small businesses an employee is a huge asset. Great hope is expended on both sides each time a person applies for a position and then accepts a job offer. Sometimes things work out and sometimes they don’t.

Working for a small business offers benefits that you will not receive from a large company. You will be the big fish in a small pond and you will probably learn the business inside and out. You will have access to the boss and the owner (usually the same person). Your ideas will have a better chance to see the light of day and you will get the credit. I promise you – be a good employee and you will be rewarded.

What makes a good employee? I am glad to say that I have two. They get along with each other, with the customers and with the management (me). They have learned to give great customer service because they care about the customer.

As far as the work goes they paid attention during their training. I do not have to micromanage during the workday because they know what to do and the do it. Of course there are things everyday that I need to correct. Once we discuss what went wrong I rest assured that there will not be a next time. Questions are abundant and we work out the solutions.

There are days that we are not busy and there are days that we are so busy that it is hard to look up. I give the employees the opportunity to work at their own pace and talking is OK. On the busy days they know that we all have to hit it hard and they pick up the pace (without complaint).

Time off is given without having to ask twice. However, time off is only taken when it will not interfere with another employee or the business. In return they can work without supervision while I take a little time off.

Pay is important no matter what the circumstance. It is true that a small business employee seldom gets paid as much as an employee of a large company but as mentioned above other perks help even things out. It is also true that a small business employee is less likely to get a pink slip in their next paycheck.

A small business is always on the lookout for the next great employee. In my case, much like most small business owners, time away from the business is welcomed. Be the employee that makes that possible and you will be appreciated. Be that employee and things will work out.