You may not know it from the record amount of snow and the cold temperatures across the U.S., but Spring is here! It’s the time of year when many of us do our Spring Cleaning at home. You should consider doing the same thing at your office.
Spring Cleaning helps us purge the unnecessary and get rid of the clutter, so we can focus on current and future projects. In the office world, it’s also the time to think about whether your office functions optimally for you. Here are my top 5 things to consider about Spring Cleaning your office:
- FURNITURE FIT – Do you look forward to going into your office and getting to work or do your office furnishings make you sad and more likely to justify playing hooky? Spring is the time to re-evaluate your surroundings. Is it time to invest in a new desk that’s more ergonomically friendly and functional? Do you need a bigger desk? Do you need to downsize now that you got rid of your old fax machine and scanner? Will a paint job brighten up and inspire your surroundings or do you just need to re-arrange your furniture? This spring, take a minute to ask yourself these questions.
- USE IT OR LOSE IT – You know what they say, if you don’t use it, lose it. In fact, the last week of March is considered National Cleaning Week. Now’s the time to toss out any old paperwork or office items that are creating desktop clutter. The same goes for your electronic or digital clutter. Go through last year’s files and purge the ones you don’t need. Create folders for your contacts, apps and projects.
- FILE IT RIGHT – Once you get rid of the clutter, how are you going to keep your office organized? Consider a new organization system. This season, Alliance Corporate Services has a lot of new shelving and storage systems to help you organize your office. I encourage my customers to keep their paperwork in a lateral filing system. This type of filing system will help store files horizontally, rather than vertically. Horizontal lateral files allow you to keep your information at your fingertips, instead of getting lost by being piled one on top of the other. You may also want to add a communication board to your office, which could eliminate sticky notes and unnecessary paperwork and could serve as a central gathering point for you and your employees.
- CLEAN YOUR DEVICES – Lunch leftovers and dust can affect your office devices. Spring is the time to clean your electronics. First, make sure your devices are off. Use a cloth or microfiber towel to wipe down your screens; a paper towel could scratch the surface. For your keyboard and USB ports, blast them with compressed air. Finally, clean your headsets or smaller electronics with a Q-Tip or toothpick.
- CABLE YOUR CORDS – One of the biggest complaints I hear from my clients is what to do with all of the cables lying around the office. There are a number of new products debuting every day to help solve the cable conundrum. Electronic cable tables are big sellers this year, as are cable tethers and conference tables with built-in wiring. A simple, Do-It-Yourself solution is to use cable clamps or binder clips to keep your cords contained.
Just like you change your car’s oil and makeover your home, you should do the same with your office and office furniture. Spring is the perfect time to refresh and re-organize your office and your life. If you need ideas on how to spruce up your office, e-mail or call me. After 40 years in the business, I still believe in Spring Cleaning as an instant pick me up and boost in business.