Her Voice Blog

As many folks are coming back to work today after the holiday weekend, we are curious what you're coming back to. Is your desk one big pile of paper and to-do lists? Do you have files falling all over the place and an abundance of post-it notes you can't quite decipher? It's hard enough to come back to work after a break, but coming back to chaos can make things even more difficult.

No matter where you do your work, it helps for your work space to look and feel professional. We're sharing some great ideas on the blog today from certified professional organizer Linda Samuels (as originally posted on Entrepreneur.com)

Samuels says that when people see a messy office, they assume you aren't on top of your work. Her advice? Corral papers and contain clutter.

1. Organize Must-Have Documents: Searching through stacks of paper wastes valuable time. Keep yours neat with stackable boxes. Use different colors for different categories....maybe one for invoices and another for contracts or separate by clients.

2. Do Away with Desktop Clutter: Keep things you need to have close at hand, but don't let your piles build up past one week. Stacking trays or bins will help with this. Set weekly goals to file your papers so you don't end up with weeks' worth of stacks.

3. Designate Space for Random Items: There are certain items that don't have a place yet you need them often (phone chargers, camera cords, etc.). Placing them in pretty storage containers that can be displayed yet out of sight is a great way to keep things neat.

Hopefully these tips will help you jump start a little neatness and order for your desk. Maybe you're feeling overwhelmed about your business in other ways. Could you use a little help organizing your marketing efforts? Perhaps your social media presence is also cluttered and chaotic. If you need help streamlining your brand's messages, we can help with that too!

FletcherPR is a national communications firm that specializes in reaching women through the power of media. Headquartered in Knoxville, TN with staff in Nashville & Los Angeles, we are a full-service agency providing strategic public relations, social media and marketing communications services to our clients throughout the U.S.