by Natalie Morey | Jun 21, 2023 | Home Office, Home Organisation, Office Organising, Tips, Virtual PA
It’s that time of year. The end of financial year is nearly here. That means it’s time to get your home office paperwork organised. So, here’s 15 ways to organise your home office. They won’t take you long, but I guarantee that if you take the time to do them you will transform your home office in no time at all.
15 ways to organise your home office
Tip 1: Start with your desk. Clear off any unnecessary items, sort through loose papers and create designated spaces for essentials like pens, notebooks and office supplies.
Tip 2: Tackle your filing system. Sort through old documents and create a system that works for you. Consider digitizing files to reduce paper clutter.
Tip 3: Organise your bookshelf. Donate or sell books you no longer need and arrange the remaining ones in a visually pleasing and accessible manner.
Tip 4: Create a designated space for incoming and outgoing mail. Set up trays or folders to sort and manage your mail effectively.
Tip 5: Assess your storage solutions. Optimize your storage by using bins, baskets or drawer organisers to keep items neat and easily accessible.
Tip 6: Declutter your computer desktop. Organise files and folders, delete unnecessary shortcuts and ensure your digital workspace is streamlined.
Tip 7: Focus on cable management. Use cable clips or cord organisers to keep cables and cords tidy and prevent them from becoming tangled.
Working From Home
Tip 8: Evaluate your office furniture. Determine if any furniture items are no longer serving a purpose and if so consider replacing or repurposing them.
Tip 9: Sort through office supplies. Discard dried-out pens, markers, or supplies you no longer use. Keep essentials neatly stored in containers or drawers.
Tip 10: Clear out outdated technology. Dispose of old gadgets, cables or electronic devices that are no longer functional or needed.
Tip 11: Declutter your bulletin board or whiteboard. Remove outdated notes or reminders and create a fresh, visually appealing space.
Tip 12: Evaluate your lighting situation. Ensure your workspace is well-lit with an appropriate desk lamp or overhead lighting.
Tip 13: Clean and organise your printer area. Remove any old or unused paper, refill ink or toner and create a designated spot for printing supplies.
Tip 14: Create a system for managing receipts and invoices. Consider using digital tools or apps to store and organise important financial documents.
Home Office Ideas
Tip 15: Evaluate your office decor. Remove any items that don’t inspire you or contribute to a productive environment. Add personal touches that bring you joy.
For more tips on getting ready for tax time read this blog. Or if you reed some help to get your home office paperwork organised, then contact us.
by Natalie Morey | Jul 27, 2021 | Declutter tips, Home Office, Home Organisation, Office Organising, Tips
I use these 10 tips for coping during lockdown every single day. They work and help me keep on track of what is a crazy time at the moment.
Make friends with your slow cooker
I’m a bit of a slow cooker connoisseur. I prep my veggies, and get them all cut up and meat ready the night before. Then, in the morning all I need to do is pop them in the slow cooker. After a challenging day of home schooling and wrangling kids and trying to juggle work (and stay sane) I don’t have to think about dinner as it’s done.
10 Tips For Coping During Lockdown – Image Ref: ablissfulnest.com
Batch cooking
If you’re making Spaghetti Bolognese, make a double quantity and freeze the other batch. This week we are having Pumpkin Ravioli, Spaghetti Bolognese and Shepard’s Pie, all out of the freezer. Then all you need to do is cook some veggies or makem a quick salad and dinner is done.
10 minutes a day keeps the pile away
Ironing is probably the last thing on your mind at the moment but if you do 10 minutes a day it will keep it in check.
I miss my cleaner
Obviously, my cleaner cannot come at the moment and the last thing I have time to do is clean. So, I just do 5 minutes here and there. As soon as I have showered, I wipe out the shower. It’s amazing the difference this makes and your shower won’t need a proper clean for weeks. A quick wipe over the bathroom mirror and vanity after the kids have cleaned their teeth means another job done. Five minutes here and there makes a big difference. Although one of the benefits of lockdown is that no one will be coming to visit you anyway, so maybe cleaning doesn’t need to be high on your list either!!!
Take 10 minutes for yourself
Before the craziness of the day starts I make a cup of tea and go and sit quietly (away from the kids) and take the time to drink it in peace (and whilst it’s hot). Its amazing how you feel if you can just get 10 minutes here and there to yourself.
10 Tips For Coping During Lockdown – Image Ref: followtheyellowbrickhome.com
Book that appointment
We won’t be in lockdown for ever (even though it does feel like that some days). So, book that facial or massage now so that when lockdown is finished you have already secured your spot.
Plan out your week
Map out those important meeting that you cannot miss and plan your day around them. Let the family know too. If you need to get the kids set up with Google Meets first thing in the morning, then schedule any “must do” meetings in the afternoon.
Recharge at night
Be sure to recharge all your device e.g., iPads at night ready for the next day of learning.
Bribe your kids
Normally not one that I would suggest but do whatever it takes to get it all done. If you have little kids perhaps start a reward chart for them. They get stickers (and eventually a reward) for doing good things like not coming into the office when you’re on a Zoom meeting, or completing their school work for the day.
The last of my 10 Tips For Coping During Lockdown – Up your vitamins and greens
Let’s be honest, we are all probably burning the candle at both ends. So now is the time to up your dose of Vitamins so you can cope. I know I finished work at 11pm last night so I definitely need some extra energy today.
Good luck with lockdown 5.0. Hopefully it won’t be long and we will be back out again.
Want more tips on coping during lockdown? Then check out our blog on: Master Working From Home.
Whilst we cannot go and do any home organising we are still helping our clients virtually. So if you need some help, we are only a phone call away.
by Natalie Morey | Jul 20, 2021 | Declutter tips, Home Office, Home Organisation, Office Organising
Organising your paperwork for tax time can be a time-consuming and stressful at the best of times. But it’s a hundred times worse when your tax documents and receipts are scattered all over the place and in no logical order. So we have put together some tax time tips to help get you organised.
If you are still using the old shoe box storage system or if you have got receipts shoved in your wallet or worse still you have got no idea where they are, then it’s time to review your home office filing system.
Having a well-organised tax record filing system is the key to making the process a whole lot simpler, quicker and hassle-free.
Here’s our 8 tips to help get you organised.
Organising Your Paperwork for Tax Time. Image reference: www.kateknowleshome
1. Set up a filing system
Systems don’t need to be expensive or complicated. A 2-ring binder folder, simple colour-coded manila folders or a concertina file will work if you don’t have a filing cabinet.
2. Understand what you can claim
It’s a good idea to talk to a tax professional and get an idea of what expenses you can claim. This is especially important now if you’re working arrangements have changed (and let’s be honest, nearly all of us have had changed working arrangements in the last 12 months).
Have you purchased equipment so you can work from home – a laptop, desk items, stationery etc.? Find out what you can claim and ensure you have the receipts to prove it.
For more detailed information on what you may be able to claim, check with the ATO.
3. Organising for Tax Time – Decide on your categories
Possible income and expense categories might include:
Income
- PAYG Payment Summaries from your employers
- Interest earned on all bank accounts
- Dividends received on any shares you own
- Distributions paid from Trusts or Partnerships
- Rental income on your rental properties
Expenses
- Working from home expenses.
- Work car related expenses
- Work travel related expenses
- Other work related expenses, such as printing, subscriptions, stationery. Do note that they must relate specifically to your employment.
- Donations
- Education/professional development expenses
- Cost of managing your tax affairs, ie your accountant’s fee for preparing your tax return
4. Collect all the paperwork scattered around the house
You know the ones that have been put in your car, shoved in your wallet, your jacket pocket, in your bedside table or some other random spot.
5. Just do it – Once
Papers don’t file themselves. Set time aside to do this. The best option is to file an item away as soon as you receive it. If you cannot do that, set aside a few minutes each week or month to do this. Perhaps make the last day of each month the day when you will do this. Then, you will avoid a big pile of paperwork and emails to file at the end of tax time.
6. Go Digital – Tax Time Tip
Don’t want papers and files sitting around. Then perhaps its time to go digital. Create folders on your computer and in your inbox so you can file electronic receipts, invoices, bank statements and other digital tax-related documents in the appropriate folders as soon as you receive them.
There are some great apps and online programs like Xero or Myob if you need something more specialised.
Organising Your Paperwork for Tax Time: image source: homebunch.com
7. The problem with paper
Apart from the clutter that it causes, the other issues with paper records is that once they’re gone, they’re gone. Paper receipts fade and accidents happen. The best way to store receipts these days is electronically. Take a photo and keep it on your phone or laptop or get an app to keep all your receipts in the cloud. Just make sure you set up an online filing and file it logically, so you can find it.
8. Book that appointment
Now that your organising for Tax Time is done and all your paperwork is organised logically in one spot, it won’t take long to pull it all together. So book that appointment with your accountant and get your tax done. And hopefully, now that you have all your receipts together, you might get a nice refund too.
Running A Business From Home
Running a business from home and need some extra support, setting up XERO or Myob, imputing data or lodging your BAS statements. We work with a great company who can manage all your accounting requirements. Just contact us for more information about them.
Need some help organising your paperwork for tax time? Then contact us. We love organising paperwork and home offices.
by Natalie Morey | Mar 27, 2020 | Declutter tips, Home Office, Home Organisation, Office Organising, Virtual PA
Master working from home with these tips.
Home office
Declutter your Space
There is nothing more distracting than having a heap of stuff laying around. Whether that’s in the spare room, on the kitchen table or on your desk. A cluttered space creates a cluttered mind. So now is the time to clear out the stuff you haven’t used for a while.
Home Office Ideas
No PJ’s
No, its not okay to crawl out of bed and still in your PJs start work. Get dressed, get organised, do your hair (and makeup if you normally wear it), ready for your day “in the office”.
Home Office Ideas
Set Some Boundaries
This is super important especially if other family members are also at home. Set boundaries with anyone else who shares the home, so they respect your work time. So that might mean if you are working in a spare room, when the door is closed, that indicates you are at work and you should not be interrupted. Or, if you are working at the kitchen table, family members understand that they should not be interrupting you. Easier said than done if you have kids at home too, so you just need to start the conversation.
Image credit: Williams Cabinets
Working From Home
Check your Internet Package
You cannot function without it. You may need to upgrade your plan to ensure you have enough data, especially if other family members are also online.
Image credit: Hayfair.com
Organised home office
Business as Usual
Keep the same schedule you had at the office. So that means getting up at the same time and starting the working day with the same tasks you would have done at the office.
Small home office idea
Stay Connected
For some, working from home is great. No distractions, no annoying co-workers and office gossip. But after a while you may start to feel a bit isolated. So, to help stay connected, make calls on FaceTime, Skype or Zoom instead. That’s another good reason to make sure you are dressed, hair and makeup done!
Image credit: The DIY PlayBook
Home Office Decor
Take a Break
Just like if you were in the office, schedule breaks throughout the day, especially if you are sitting in front of a screen. However, be careful not to get caught up doing “household chores”. All of a sudden that load of washing that you went to put on gets you side-tracked from your actual work and you have lost half an hour.
Enjoy your new work space!
The Lifestylers Group provide decluttering and home organising assistance. We also offer virtual PA services to help people get organised and stay organised.
by Natalie Morey | Jul 29, 2016 | Home Office, Home Organisation, Office Organising
Whether you call it a professional organiser, clutter buster or home organiser, the names all mean the same thing. A home organiser is a person who helps to organise your home.
The job of a home organiser
You don’t just need to be super organised to be a professional organiser or a home organiser. Whilst that is important you also need some other important skills. You need to be able to understand and empathise with people. You need to be assertive without coming in and taking over. You need to be able to look beyond the clutter and create a vision for a room by simply standing at the door to the room. You need to be a quick thinker, faster worker and motivator.
As a home organiser, our job is not just about coming to a clients home and organising the perfect bedroom, office or kitchen, it’s about more than that. It’s also about giving our clients the necessary tools and strategies so they can keep this space organised once we leave. Therefore, being able to communicate is an important skill that any professional organiser or home organiser needs. Small rooms, the lack of storage and systems in a home or home office means that some nifty problem solving and troubleshooting is also required at all times.
About our home organisers
Luckily, we have a team of lovely and trustworthy ladies who perform our professional organising and home organiser services. They each have different personalities and specialise in different areas of organising. For us, when we start work with a new client, we always like to match them up with the most suitable professional organiser or home organiser (both skill and personality wise). After all, you have got someone coming into your home and going through your wardrobes and belongings with you, so you want to like them. That is one of the benefits of having a range of professional organisers and home organisers. You get the right person, who’s perfect for you and your home.
More than just a home organiser
I also think that is why we have so many repeat clients. (The Lifestylers Group started in 2005 and is growing from strength to strength each year). When you work with a homer organiser who is perfect for you and your home, you build up a level of trust. Once a client experiences what our professional organiser or home organiser can do for them, they often get them back again. For some clients, this might simply be an annual spring clean. For others it might become a regular occurrence, whether that be weekly, fortnightly or monthly until their home is organised. And for some clients the role becomes more than just home organising. It’s more like a private pa, virtual pa or personal concierge service. Basically, whatever is on their list gets organised. One of my team does the most diversified range of tasks for a regular client – things like:
- Paying bills and filing
- Buying the kid’s birthday and Christmas presents
- Booking restaurants and helping to plan holidays
- Organising home maintenance and supervising trades
- Visiting Australia Post
- Running errands
- Planning the kids birthday parties
So if you have a list of things on your “to do list” that you never seem to get done, then perhaps a professional organiser or home organiser might be the solution you need.
If you have ever wondering how a home organiser can help you, then give us a call. We can have a chat and go through the challenges you are facing in your home, office or life. Our home organiser services are available in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth.
by Natalie Morey | Jun 16, 2016 | Declutter tips, Home Office, Home Organisation, Office Organising, Personal concierge, Tips
The end of financial year is the perfect time to get motivated and get your office paperwork organised in 4 steps.
Organised home office
Step 1 – Set up a filing system
I recommend at the beginning of each financial year to set up your filing system. It could be as simple as a box. I like to use a 2 ring binder with labeled dividers for each category. Don’t forget to label your storage system or file with the relevant financial year i.e. 2016 – 2017.
Step 2 – Divide your paperwork into categories
The first step in keeping your bills and paperwork organised is to categorise the types of paperwork you have. For example, you might like to use some of the following categories: Bank accounts, including credit cards, Superannuation, Rental property, Share statements, Tax, School, Utilities, Car Expenses and Medical. Once you have set up these categories you can file accordingly. You don’t need to have lots of categories either. Just keep it simple and it will be much quicker and easier to use.
Step 3 – Go paperless
A great way to reduce clutter and papers in your office is to go paperless. It’s easy to set up to. You simply contact your bank and other companies such as your utility providers and ask them to email you your bills. Then, you can save the documents on your computer. However, just like having a hard copy filing system, you need to set up a filing structure and system on your computer. You might have a main folder called: 2016_2107 Fin Year (for the relevant financial year) then create a range of subcategories as mentioned above. If you don’t set up subcategories, then just like piles of paper sitting on your desk, it becomes messy and you can waste time looking for documents. Going paperless will definitely help reduce the paper and clutter in your office. However, it’s essential that you regularly back up your computer because if it was damaged, lost or stolen then there goes all your paperwork which you will need for your tax.
Step 4 – File it
A filing system is only good if you use it. Get into the habit of filing your bills once they have been paid. You might like to set up a system where you file all your paid bills on the last day of every month, or perhaps every Sunday night. Whatever it is, just ensure that you set some time aside and file all your paperwork. That way, when next year’s tax time comes around, you will be all organised for your accountant. Or, if you are doing your own tax, then you will have all the information you need organised in one place.
Office paperwork organised in 4 steps
It’s not long now till the end of financial year, so get motivated, set some time aside and organise your office. If you need help getting your home, life or office organised, then contact us. Based in Melbourne and assisting clients in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth, The Lifestylers Group provides professional organising, decluttering and office organising (for both the home office and small business).
