Office Necessities

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Started 6 months ago by toberead
Latest reply from luxcat
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toberead
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I work from home a few days a week, and I have a home office set up with my daily necessities, but I still think of my work office as my "main" office. It's where I keep any long term storage items (files, books, etc.) as well as those little things I use when I'm in the office (tissues, snacks, bandaids, office supplies, etc.)

However, there is a plan to change our office setup so that our home offices would become our primary offices. On the days we were in the office, we would have to use a "common" desk and we would have no storage space on site.

Moving all my reference items will require me to find more storage space at home - I'm hoping some of them can be converted to electronic versions but probably not everything. But I'm discomfited at the idea of not having my "stuff" around me when I'm working at the office - I always seem to need a bandaid or a charger for my phone or a pair of scissors, and I have my desk drawers neatly stocked with those items. (Although in theory we have a supply cabinet, in practice it never seems to have what you need.) I've always kept both my home and work offices stocked up with supplies so I don't have to carry much back and forth - but I guess I will have to learn to live with a more "mobile" office and carry everything I might need with me.

I'm afraid I'll end up with a horribly cluttered bag filled with the entire contents of my desk drawers that I drag back and forth from home to office. Any suggestions for staying uncluttered with a non-permanent office?

Posted 6 months ago #
susanintexas
Member

Can you put them in a container (like a tool chest -- perhaps something that can be locked) and keep them at the "away" office? Sounds like you have duplicates anyway if you have been bouncing back and forth between two offices.

Posted 6 months ago #
BreakingFree
Member

Can you keep things that are not subject to heat/freezing issues and probably won't be needed daily in a container in your trunk? Use small containers for tylenol, a single bandaid, small packets of kleenex, etc. for the things you need to have with you.

Posted 6 months ago #
herisff
Member

Also remember that you do not need the full-size option of anything. Bandaids - keep a couple in your wallet or a side pocket of your purse. Keep a couple aspirins etc in a small container in your purse (I keep a few motrin, a few benadryls, etc in mine. I know which pill is which by size/color). You can keep a very small pair of scissors in a "office box" or bag if you must, or borrow from someone else. You can also fold paper and use a letter opener instead. If you're concerned about having extra envelopes and such - are those in the storeroom? If so, just go there. If not, keep 2 of each size in your office box/bag. As for the phone charger - can you set it up so that you always remember to charge it at home overnight? Or, if your routine is to charge while at work - bundle it in such a way that only the two ends show with just enough cord available to be usable, throw it in your purse or lunchbag, and first thing you get to the office plug it all in out of the way.

Reference materials, I think you'll just need to haul them home and store them where they're available but out of the way. Do go through them first, to ensure there are no duplicates or out-dated stuff. And as you said, convert to electronic format where you can. Reduce and miniaturize where you can.

Posted 6 months ago #
luxcat
Member

8 years of working from a home office but spending quite a bit of time on the road has taught me to refine what I keep and use. I do end up carrying a large bag about most of the time, but it's less than you might think.

When you switch to the home office be ruthless and get rid of anything you do not use at least once a month. If you have items you think you *might* use just put a sticky note on them with the month and year you put them in the shelf/desk/file cabinet/closet shelf and move on. In time you'll find that you can probably winnow out at least 25% of what you thought you had to have, or change it to electronic versions as you said.

As for the office back-and-forth kit could you use one of those little backpacks on wheels or a rolling file crate just as many legal types use? I used to carry two large bags, now I have it down to just one which doubles as my purse on travel days, but every job is different. Also I learned not to keep too many duplicates of things. One stapler at home suffices and I have access to another one at the office should I need it. One set of back up printer cartridges is fine, One extra ream of paper, not a whole box, etc

You might find you really like this mode of working, it takes time to get used to but I've been able to really focus on my work since starting to work from a home office and I find it far more efficient. Good luck!

Posted 6 months ago #

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