The road to organization is sometimes a long one, especially if you want to start organizing an area that has been growing and spreading for a while!

If you can start at the beginning, by that I mean, before things get out of hand, get organized from the get go. The sooner you start, the less time you spend later looking for things or organizing a bigger mess.

For example: If you start a new business and want an organized and efficient office, start with:

- getting help from a friend/family member
- read e-books/books on organizing
- visit websites
- call a professional organizer

First of all, set up a plan to utilize every drawer, table, shelf and container with the intention of systematizing everything you need. In order to get your hands on what you need when you need it and know its location, you need a organization. This is where you can enlist the help of someone who is organized or has done this before. You will save time and money in the future. You can do this either before you start the business or during the first month of your doors being open / online presence.

If you're way past the beginning, find a friend or family member that already has an organized office and ask them to assist you or give pointers on how to do what they did. If that’s not available or you still can’t get a handle on it, the next best thing is to call a professional organizer.

Buy containers, files, label maker, drawer dividers, shelving, and bookcases. If you have a home office, the closet can be the designated office supplies area. Add some extra shelving to maximize all the square footage of the closet and store software, pads, pens and books etc inside. You can get some white melamine shelving from Lowes or Home Depot and sometimes they will even cut it to size for you! You will be amazed at the amount of real estate you have inside the top of your closets. Most home builders give you one shelf (maybe two if you’re lucky) and one rod to hold your clothes. Look above the shelf over the rod and see how much space you have, if there’s room, add another shelf! Depending on the size of the closet, say you have a 6ft wide closet, you can conceivably add 4, 6ft long shelves to that area, that’s another 24 sq ft of storage space you’ve just added that you can now utilize efficiently.

You can use the same principles whether you’re moving into a new home or need to reorganize your current place of residence. You will find space in unexpected places! Set up your systems in the beginning and avoid the hassle and the stress later!

Clearing the clutter and irrelevant items is a good start. This creates space and you might even find something you've been looking for and for one of my clients, that was a large bag full of forgotten money!

For more information please contact Tanya – The Professional Organizer @ tanya@idealsimplicity.com or www.idealsimplicity.com

You can get tips and ideas on organizing from my blog: http://itsallaboutorganizing.blogspot.com/

Author's Bio: 

Professional organizer since 1999, but started organizing children's closets in the spring of 1994 whilst living in Chicago. She is currently assisting people with the organization of their homes and offices in IL, CA, UT, TX & NV.