Devoted to small businesses and those who run them

As I prepare to move from one home (and home office) to another, I am thinking through what needs to go, what can be donated, and what needs to be shredded and recycled or trashed.  Since September brings out a need for re-organizing and preparation for changes to come anyway, it seems appropos that this move comes just weeks before the changes of fall! 

Also appropriate is the article in Working Mother's September issue featuring the winner of their Home Office Makeover contest.  Ikea got in on the game here and sponsored a brand spankin' new home office set-up for one lucky mom, while four runners-up got $500 gift cards to Ikea.  (Yes, color me with the jealous crayon, folks!)

Well, you and I may not have gift cards in hand, but I think we can all benefit from some of the tips shared by the designer and home furnishing consultant brought in for the makeover job.  Here are just a few of the suggestions that I really agree with:

• Create a room with a view.  Conceal ugly or distracting things (laundry room, messy closets, and the like) and surround yourself with items that are both inspirational and attractive, such as awards you've won, certifications you've earned, and objects you enjoy looking at.  I plan to get my degrees up on the wall in the next office, right along with framed works of art straight off my Little's desk.  Take the glass out of a pretty matted frame, and you can change out artwork monthly, weekly, or even daily!
• Give family members their own space.  If you have little ones at home like me, and Jill Lafferty, winner of the home office makeover, it's important to give them a spot where they can be near you but also stay occupied when you need a few more minutes for a project.  My daughter has a small desk and a double-sided easel that is covered with chalk drawings, magnetic letters, and white-board marker sketches.  From time to time she chooses a special piece that just "has to" be pinned on my corkboard as well.
• Create storage for both work and family business.  Make sure you incorporate file drawers and storage for all your needs, but keep one drawer or storage area set aside for family items only.  This will make it a lot easier to track supplies that were used for clients and to gather up receipts at the end of the year for doing personal and business taxes.  Be sure that any confidential information for your clients and colleagues is kept in a locked drawer so you can assure them of its safety.
• Make good use of task lighting.  One lamp won't serve all your needs, nor will a single overhead light in the middle of the room.  If you're doing fine detail work on craft projects, invest in a good lamp with a magnifying tool.  Countertops and desks that will show off paint samples or fabric swatches are not the place to use bulbs that will alter the eye's perception of colors.  Try to spread things out and light them by need and use.
• Keep it organized!  Okay, this one is my personal bugaboo, not one in the magazine.  After you've taken the time to get everything sorted out and put away properly, keep it that way.  Remember that a clean desk at the end of the day is much easier to achieve when tackled daily, as opposed to a once-a-month "clean sweep".  Don't let paperwork, files, and projects build up.  You'll save yourself a lot of time, and most likely be more productive, when you aren't looking at, or digging through, piles of junk!