6 Office Organization Tips That Boost Efficiency

There are so many distractions and ill thought-out uses of space in the office. These diversions within an office are known to be counterproductive. 

The pointers below are meant to simplify the process of navigating inside of your workplace and in turn increase the speed and accuracy in which tasks are completed. 

Control The Volume

A busy office can be a huge distraction. Make sure that you and other employees have the option to work in peace. It is imperative to have noise cancellation systems in place. 

Depending on the activity in your office, you may need noise cancelling headsets or dividers, cubicles or to shut doors in order for your employees to be able to think clearly above all the racket. 

This doesn’t mean that you should be working in dead silence. Some light background music has been known to create a relaxing atmosphere. This type of environment will boost efficiency.

Organize Your Desk

Each employee should preferably arrange their monitor and other equipment how they like and in a way that is most convenient for their own style of work. However, the desk needs to be neat and tidy. 

A cluttered desk is not an efficient one. It draws your thoughts away from your task. You need to be able to find what you need quickly. There should be a limited number of items on your desk. Only what is absolutely necessary. Anything that is not used daily should be stashed in drawers. 

Create a Common Area

Employees who socialize during or outside of work hours are known to work better as a team. 

Give your employees a chance to get to know each other by creating a welcoming common area. This could be as simple as a table and some chairs. The point is that people will gladly gather around to take a break, get away from their desks, clear their heads and have a chat, therefor forming bonds. 

It could also be an ideal place for solving work-related issues. All of the above makes for a more productive office. 

Rethink Your Layout

Are the desks and other furniture placed in a way that makes sense for your office dynamic? Are the screens of the computer monitors turned away from natural light, therefor lessening the glare? 

Would an open plan arrangement, where ideas can be tossed back and forth, benefit your business? Here is a wild idea. Arrange the desks and computers in a way which enables everyone in the room to see each other’s’ screens. This may seem drastic, but it is a sure way to increase productivity. 

Organize Your Files

We are all too familiar with the fact that documents need to be stored meticulously. This includes digital files. You should use the same sorting system that you use for hard copies and it should be unified throughout the office. 

It will make it so much easier for anyone who needs it to access them, especially in the case of your absence. Whatever system works best; categories, alphabetical, numerical, ect., it is crucial that everyone is on the same page when it comes to filing. 

Documents and papers need to be dealt with the moment they enter the office, otherwise they will get lost. 

Keep It Within Reach

Each item in your office should have a designated space. The things you use several times a day should be within arm’s reach- cutting down on the time it takes you to get them. 

The things that you use periodically should be easy to find but stored away in cabinets or on shelves. Finally come the things that you do not need at the moment, but cannot throw away. 

If you do need to keep hardcopies, for example (and you almost always do at least for a certain number of years), storage Brisbane based providers suggest that you select a unit that will house all of the archived files until you no longer need them.

Creating a pleasant and organized atmosphere will most definitely have a huge impact on your productivity at work. 

These tips will not only make your office more efficient, they will make it more bearable to come to work each morning, knowing that you are walking into a work-friendly space.

Deal With Small Business Debt Now For Better Results

If you are spending sleepless nights jut by worrying about your business debt, then remember you are not the only one. Nearly 49% of the small business owners find it quite difficult to manage their business debt. 

With passing time, this has been a growing issue, which must be handled as soon as it gets out of hand. In fact, don’t wait for it to linger for long, as the more it stays the worst this scenario can turn into. 

Therefore, it is better to tackle these scenarios in the finest manner possible and no time to be sure. Handling debt can turn out to be the most difficult challenge for any group, and even for the small business owners.

Falling into bankruptcy

Whenever the businesses fail to repay the amount of time and the interest rate keeps on piling up, then they have no other option but to file for bankruptcy. This has been a generic condition for majority of ailing businesses. 

However, this has been a matter of past, as new laws these days have made it quite difficult to declare bankruptcy, just to be out of the piles. On the other hand, bankruptcy is not declared to be an easy way out as it calls for higher price. 

It can cost you thousands of dollars along with added attorney fees. Even that can hamper your credit scores, which means no loan from any financial institution later.

Dig out of the hole

There are some fortunate ways available, which can avert this danger of financial disaster for your small business growth. Some helpful tips are going to work wonder and help you control debt before it gets the chance to control you. 

The first stop has to be to do your homework. Want to know how? If so, then do not forget to check online for the details. Be rest assured to learn everything about the loan before you plunge right into it. 

This can determine the ways, in which you can pay the amount back later. Credit card consolidation loan is a smart way to deal with your debts when they are going out of control. So, check it out and learn about it when in need in order to make things go in your favor.

Calculate the debt ratio

The best way to work on this panel is by calculating the debt coverage related ratio. For that, you have to work hard in dividing the net operating income by principal payments and interest of debt. 

Majority of commercial banks always look for a ratio of 1.15 and anything above this rate. Those are considered optimal and can be handled well off easily. In case, the current ratio is lower than the 1 category or even 1, then it is time for you to boost your current cash flow.

Play it safe

For running a business, no matter how small it is, you have to convince the bank for larger loans. But, you have to play it quite safe. 

In case, the debt coverage ratio talks that the loan you are seeking is likely to be a stretch, then there are high chances that you will struggle while making payments for your loan. Try to consider these facts first before coming into any concluding point, right now.

4 Ways To Dig Out From Business Debt

It’s time to avoid bankruptcy and enjoy business growth in the more solvent manner possible. Lenders are currently tightening the reins on borrowers for everything, starting from health to materials. 

It is creating some trouble for the small business owners, as they are straining under the current weight of debt, growing right under their nose. A study has clearly stated that 8113 companies on a global basis were victims of bankruptcy. 

It is no doubt 57% increase from the last time such report has been taken. This automated access was a major part of the bankruptcy data along with the management company. 

Avoid bankruptcy as much as possible

You cannot deny the fact that bankruptcy is one small step towards salvaging a company. However, his move comes handy with steep price, which you have to pay for. 

The court filing fees along with the attorney ones can easily add up to around $10,000. Other than that, you have loan term damage, which is caused by bankruptcy to owner’s personal credit scores and business. 

So, you have to play the chords right and quite easily if you don’t want to mess it up all over again and work on small business bankruptcy in the easiest manner possible.

Some options to gather on

If you don’t want to fall within the same fate and don’t want your business to be a victim of bankruptcy, then there are certain points available for you to considerate. 

For the first step, try cutting on unnecessary costs and even trying to free up cash. You need to work on trying ways to identify parts of the said business, which got our company to debt on first place. 

In case, the customers are not paying right on time or if the expenses are too high to consider, then you might want to ramp up collection efforts and ditch some unwanted expenses, like costly phone systems or even office space, which is unwanted.

Check your budget again

In case you find out your debts to be piling up more than usual, then it is basically the current budget of your company, which isn’t working. 

 During such crisis situation, you are asked to create a budget, solely based on the present financial situation of your business. Always ensure that your business revenue will be able to cover more than just your fixed monthly costs, like utility bills or rent. 

After that, you have to allot a particular amount of your budget for covering variable costs like that of manufacturing materials. 

Prioritize the debts now

It is important for you to tackle the highest interest rates of your business first. That way you can ease down a bit on the repayment procedure and check out for the ones with lowest interest rates. 

It is important for you to check on the higher ones, as with time, the interest rates keeps on growing. So, the one with higher interest rate should be handled first. Checking out for credit card consolidation and going for it for your credit card debt issues is a smart move these days. It is effective and can lower your worries and trouble with ease.

Top 7 Ways To Teach Your Kids About Saving Money

I have two kids and my elder son loves saving money, I call him ‘The Little Banker’. He just loves to see his money (both coins and pounds) pile up in his fancy piggy bank. 

For him, it is quite exciting to empty his piggy bank and take the money to the credit union to receive a cash prize. It is watching his money pile grow and the attraction of receiving a prize that motivates my son to save. 

I know there are various others ways in which I can teach my kid to save money.

Money experts, around the world, are of the view that the first step is to make the savings fun. In addition, the kids should be taught to save money at an early stage. 

Then as the kids grow up, they should be made familiar to use more sophisticated ways. So, here are top 7 ways to teach your kids about saving money.

Show Them The Money

First and foremost, remember it is never too early to make your kids familiar with the finances. With online shopping, internet banking, and credit card payments, the kids don’t get to see the real notes and coins. 

If they somehow do, it is most of the times, money coming out of an ATM machine. So, it is important to start young and take some time out from your busy schedule to let the kids know that the bank takes care of the money you earn. You can even play shops and make sure you use real cash instead of plastic money.

Having A Piggy Bank

This is one of the most successful & used methods of teaching your kids the significance of saving money while giving the kids an easy and convenient way to do it. Tell your kids you have to fill their piggy banks with money. 

Exemplify that the piggy bank is for saving money for their future. A piggy bank will also help your kid to know the progress he/she is making. You can guide them to make creative piggy banks, just to make savings more interesting and fun.

Give Them Allowance

Try to make a habit of giving your kid a weekly allowance, this will help your kids to learn how to manage the money and also save towards a particular goal. 

You can choose to tie the allowance of the older kids to a particular task or assignment to understand the value of money and making them understand the value of money.

Set An Example

One of the best and the easiest things you can do is to make your kid see that you also love saving money. You can put some money in the jar while they are watching you and make sure you tell them it is your savings jar. 

This will help your kids to understand that saving is a normal thing. Besides, most of the kids want to be just like their parents, so seeing you save money will provide them valuable money lessons that will surely inspire them to save.

Adopt Real Life Experiences

If you want to teach your kid about money, teaching them with real life experiences will be a boon. You can take your kids along with you to the shopping malls or the grocery store. 

This is where you can teach them how to do the price comparison and little insight about inflation will surely come handy. If you are going to the ATM, you can tell your kids the whole process how to use the ATM machine and about the things they should keep in mind while using the machine.

Use Money Apps

If your kids have started using a smartphone, make sure you engage them in money skill apps, geared precisely for the kids. 

You can encourage your kids to download apps like GreenStreets. This is a game where the kids will get to learn important money saving & math skills including – earning money, setting goals, budgeting, saving & spending decision making. 

I am sure the kids will surely love this game as it is both educational and fun at the same time. You can also search for such related games.

Keep It Regular And Positive

Make sure you are not overstressing on how much your kid is actually saving on a monthly basis, especially in the initial stages. Appreciate the regular contributions no matter how small they are; this will teach your kids how to prioritise their personal finances.

Author Bio 

Sophia Jones tries to live her life like the sun – setting her sights high and vowing to always rise up again. Always game for an adventure, Sophia loves widening readers and her own expectations of our vast, beautiful world. As a journalist, Sophia writes to inform. As a creative writer, Sophia strives to inspire. Overall, she hopes to captivate. She currently writes for sites like followthesteps etc.