Spring has sprung! With blue skies, budding flowers and warm(er) weather on the horizon, spending time indoors is probably the last thing you want to do. However, work emails beckon, and bills can’t pay themselves (but wouldn’t that be nice).
Make your workspace more inviting by giving it a spring clean. Our favourite tip? Go paperless. Here’s a few more:
Re-evaluate what’s necessary … and what’s clutter.
If you’ve tried to de-clutter in the past only to find yourself buried in stuff a few weeks later, you might want to consider starting from scratch. That means adding back what you need little by little.
Start by taking everything off your desk and out of your drawers, putting them in a box, and going back to work. When you need an item, you can put it back on your desk. Any items left behind after a few days should be considered unnecessary. Simple, right?
Break out the cleaning supplies
You’d be surprised at the amount of dust and debris that can gather around closed windows during the winter. In office language, that equals coffee stains and crumbs (we’re looking at you, desk snackers!). But seriously, shake out your keyboard. Just not around us. Or anyone you may have a crush on.
All that mess is also putting a damper on your productivity: according to a survey put out by staffing firm Adecco, three quarters of workers say a clean office makes them more productive.
Now’s your chance to cut up some old clothing you’ve had lying around and reuse it as rags. There are many more tips on the internet. Not sure where to start? Here’s a handy checklist to lead you through the cleaning process.
When it comes to storage, think outside-the-box.
Storage space can be precious, especially in smaller apartments and condos. Your best bet is to think vertically: add shelving to give books, important documents and office supplies a home. The key is to create a permanent home for everything. For example, give your year-old utility bills their own cozy home in a labelled box.That way, you’re always on top of where your most important documents are at all times.
Get rid of unnecessary paper
We all know the dreaded paper pile-up. It happens, whether you like it or not. It’s much easier to deal with the paper as it comes up, rather than leaving it on your desk to accumulate dust and take up space.
Here’s how to combat paper clutter:
- Gather all the loose papers off your desk. If it isn’t crucial, or doesn’t fit into a ‘home’ (see Tip 3), you may want to consider making its ‘home’ the recycling bin.
- Invest in an electronic receipt and document organization system. If you’re a business owner, you can easily scan and upload digital copies of your important receipts and documents – that way you’re able to electronically manage and store both your personal and business expenses for tax season.
- Go paperless with your monthly statements whenever possible. Last year, Coast Capital introduced eStatements, the secure, convenient way to view your financial statement online. Now that you’ve gone paperless, there’s no need for you to file and store piles of paper any longer.
Haven’t made the switch to eStatements yet? Here’s why you should.
It’s free. Save yourself the $2 monthly paper statement fee* – that’s $24 a year you can spend on something better.
It’s convenient. Access your current and past statements anytime from your computer or laptop. We’ll even send you an email to let you know when the statement is ready for viewing in Coast Online Banking.
It’s nicer to the environment. While we love a good paper craft, you’ll no longer need a physical copy of your statement. Your eStatements will be securely saved and accessible for seven years.
It’s easy to do. All it takes is 2 minutes of your time to set up. Make the switch to eStatements today.
