The organized home office

Uh-oh. The phone is ringing, but you can't find it. It's somewhere under all that clutter of loose papers, cables, and sticky notes. Don't worry: Getting a handle on the chaos is a cinch with some simple steps. It's just a matter of knowing where to put everything and, of course, when to toss it.

It’s time to optimize your work environment by putting all the paper in its proper place. Plus, we’ll help you find other smart ways to add order to your workday.

Every sheet of paper in its place
Before you start filing and organizing, it's a good idea to get rid of anything you don't need. Try using this acronym to decide what to do with all of that paper:

• Throw it away or recycle it.
• Refer it to someone else.
• Act on it.
• Save it in the place where it belongs.
• Halt it (in the case of junk mail or subscriptions you don't need).

File paper electronically
Scanning is a great way to create electronic versions of all of your critical documents. You can scan your documents and save them to your hard drive or to a CD or DVD for safekeeping. Or you can import that file into an application for later use.

A handy software program available on many HP scanners is Optical Character Recognition (OCR), which enables you to scan documents as images and edit the text (saving you a lot of retyping time). Learn more about creating a digital archive. And take a look at HP’s latest crop of scanners.

File paper by category
Use your computer to make labels for each category that you'll need in your filing cabinet. Format your labels using a program like Avery Wizard (a free download at avery.com), or simply choose “Labels" in the Tools menu when using Microsoft Word.

Within each category, label folders according to their contents. File the categories and the individual file folders alphabetically or chronologically, depending on the content. Examples of categories and subcategories:

• Marketing > First quarter
• Payroll > January
• Proposals > ABC Company

Store files that are only used occasionally in a separate place, so they don't get in the way of your daily work.

Love those labels
Find everything more easily by labeling your file drawers (A–L, etc), floppy disks, CDs, and DVDs. Also, label any portable electronic devices with your contact information just in case you lose them. Return address labels work perfectly.

HP has a wide assortment of printable organizers, including these eye-catching CD/DVD labels that you can personalize. 

An inbox on every desk
Items in your inbox should be tasks that you have not yet worked on. Items in your outbox should be tasks that are finished and need to be filed. You may want a third tray for projects that are "in progress."

Untangle those cables
Get a grip on the many cables that are getting tangled in your workspace. Purchase a few plastic cable ties from an office supply store, gather your cords together, and fasten them neatly together in several places. You can also purchase products specifically made to organize cables, available at computer and office supply stores.

Taxing situations
To speed up tax time this year, create five (or more) folders or large envelopes and label them with categories such as Questions, Background, Income, Deductible Expenses, and Special Items. Use these folders to organize all your tax-related information. If you ever work from home, this will help keep business and personal expenses separate.

Save space, save money
All-in-ones have up to four functions: printing, copying, scanning, and faxing. They're ideal for smaller office environments and cost much less than having each separate machine. Check out HP’s selection of multifunction all-in-ones.

Organization at your fingertips
If your home office is a second office, a handheld computer such as an HP iPAQ can save you from having to enter data into a computer more than once. Handhelds can store contacts, schedules, to-do lists, e-mail, practically anything that their larger counterparts can. But they fit into your pocket or handbag. And by regularly syncing up with your computer, you can update the information anytime and access it from your office, too.