In my work as a freelance writer and virtual assistant, productivity is crucial.
There are several must-haves in my office that make my job much easier.
Laptop I used to work solely from a desktop but I found working in the same spot to be a bit restrictive.
My youngest son needs constant supervision and it was not always a good idea to have him in my office.
I invested in a laptop - probably the best purchase I could have made! I can move freely throughout the house and I have found I am much more creative; when a writing idea pops in my head, I just pick up the laptop and start drafting.
We are a homeschooling family and the laptop has come in handy at the park and library.
Shop around for the best price and you will be surprised how much laptop you can get for the money, in many cases less than a desktop computer.
Internet Connection (wireless) Along with the laptop, I have a wireless connection with a long-range.
On sunny days, I take the laptop outside and work.
I can sit in the same room with the kids and check email without feeling cut off from the rest of the house.
I selected the highest speed I could afford so as to minimize download issues.
Mom Planner I tried using an online scheduler but I found myself writing appointments down anyway.
I treated myself to a "mom" planner.
The planner has a calendar and clear pockets in the back to keep important papers, like bills, phone lists and anything relating to our homeschool.
Having all of this information in one place has really cut down on me running around the house trying to find one piece of paper! I create my TO DO list on Sundays for the upcoming week and check off as I complete each task.
Unlimited Telephone Plan I am probably one of the last people to give up my land line but I got such a good deal from my carrier, it made sense for me to just keep it.
I can talk as much as I want with family and business associates without worrying about overage charges.
Scanner To reduce the amount of paper in my office, I have started scanning documents.
I created folders in my computer for each client and my children.
Once I scanned the document, I saved it in the appropriate folder.
Scanning client documents and then saving them to a flash drive has proved useful.
Papers can easily be misplaced and having a scanned copy is a green solution to the paper issue in any office.
Birth certificates, shot records and other official documents were all scanned for my children and it makes it easy for me to locate them when I need them.
Online Fax Number Rather than having a physical fax machine, I use an online fax service.
I do not have to purchase ink or paper and it comes in handy for the occasional fax I need to send.
Having a virtual fax number also eliminates the expense of an additional telephone line.
Incoming faxes are sent to my email address and I can print it out if I need to do so.
For outgoing faxes, I just attach a document to the fax and off it goes.
Keeping life simple and being environmentally responsible is a big part of my life and having these handy items in my office has done just that.