Storage

Organizing Inventory in a Home Business

Published: June 21, 2017

Running a business out of your home can be challenging, especially with space constraints and and a lot of inventory. I have worked with home business owners selling a variety of items from their home. I’ve helped organize inventory such as clothing, jewelry, make-up, skin care products, essential oils, gift baskets, sports equipment, cooking supplies, books and model cars. No matter what the product, my clients have all had the same goals: to best utilize the space, and to have a functional system where they can quickly access supplies and fulfill customer orders. Here are some of my tips on organizing inventory in a home business.

Tips for Organizing Inventory in a Home Business

Determine where to store items

Assess the space in your home and decide on the best location to store your business inventory, this may be in a bonus room, extra bedroom, closet, garage, attic or basement. If you lack space in your home, you may need to rent an off site storage unit.

Consider climate controlled storage

Many products can be damaged if not stored in a climate controlled area. Severe temperature changes, moisture, pests, dirt and dust can impact your inventory. If this is a concern for you, check the temperature and insulation of your home inventory storage location, or request a climate controlled storage unit.

Stack vertically

Make the most of your storage space, by stacking inventory items vertically. Sturdy metal shelves can provide efficient storage for home business inventory.

Label storage shelves

Label storage shelves by using numbers or letters, so an item can be quickly found.

Organize by type

Sort and organize your products by type, and store similar products together.

Label all boxes

Place text labels or digital photos on unlabeled boxes, so you know what is inside each box.

Store popular products nearby

Store the most frequently sold items in the area that is easiest to access.

Set up “departments”

Layout your home office or storage area in “departments” such as incoming new inventory, inventory in storage, shipping and receiving.

Use software programs and apps such as these to help managing inventory

SOS Inventory

Cashier Live w/ Big Commerce

A well organized home business inventory will lower stress and improve productivity. If you need assistance with organizing your home business, please contact us for a free phone consultation about our home and business organizing services including hands-on organization in the Raleigh, NC area and virtual organization to distant locations.

Pool & Beach Storage Tips

Published: May 31, 2017

As summer approaches, you may need to get your pool or beach items ready for the season. If you have a backyard pool, neighborhood pool, or even a lake or beach nearby, you need to consider the best way to store and organize all of those wet items such as towels, rafts, goggles, sunscreen, and pool toys. Here are some suggestions for storage products and ways to best organize pool and beach items.

Choose a space to store these types of items in your home such as a screened in porch, covered deck, laundry room, garage or mud room. If you don’t have any of these areas, set up a storage space in a bathroom or along the wall near the door you most frequently use.

Hang extra hooks or towel rods in the area where you plan to hang wet towels in your home. If necessary, set up a laundry drying rack specifically for wet towels and swimsuits.

Store rafts and floating toys in mesh bins. If you need portability, try the Intex foldable mesh storage caddy. For storing rafts by your pool, a poolside float organizer or rolling pool storage bins will work well.

Use mesh or waterproof bags to carry supplies to and from the pool or beach. For individuals at the pool, Speedo swim bags or backpacks are a great option. The Travel Happens Wet Bag is great for storing wet swimwear while traveling.

To make it easy for children to carry sand toys, try the EocuSun mesh drawstring backpack.

Be sure to have waterproof bag or case for your smart phone whenever you’re near the pool or beach.

For a neat way to carry small items like keys and sunscreen, and to bring your own pillow to the beach, try the L.A. Wedge beach & storage pillow.

Try using rolling beach carts or wagons to help make travel to and from the beach or pool much easier.

For a full day at the beach or pool, I recommend a cooler with wheels and a handle like this Igloo Island Breeze cooler with wheels.

With all of these available storage products, I hope some of them will make your summer trips easier, better organized, and more enjoyable.

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7 Hacks for Living in Small Spaces

Published: April 19, 2017

7 Hacks for Living in Small Spaces title
Living in small spaces like dorms, studio apartments or starter homes can bring about organizing challenges. Creating additional storage space can help your small living space become more organized and less cluttered. Here are some of my suggestions for storage products and organizing techniques for living in small spaces.

7 Hacks for Living in Small Spaces

1.Make use of the space behind every door by using hanging shoe organizers to hold a variety of items such as hats, gloves, scarves, cleaning supplies, haircare supplies and pantry snacks.

2. Create space on the inside of kitchen cabinet doors by hanging hooks, baskets, or even magnetic boards or bulletin boards to hold various items.

3. Take advantage of vertical space by placing tall shelving units in your living area.

4. Invest in furniture with extra storage capacity such as an ottoman or coffee table that has hidden storage inside, a bed frame with under-bed drawers, or a headboard with shelves.

5. Use furniture that serves a dual purpose such as a futon or fold-out sofa.

6. If you have space above your cabinets or fridge, store excess items in decorative bins or baskets there.

7. Always have a folding step stool in the your dorm, home or apartment so you can easily reach items stored on tall shelves and above cabinets.

7 Simple Ways to Save Space in a Dorm Room

Published: August 17, 2016

Dorm rooms are often cramped, making college move-in day even more overwhelming for students and families. Dorm rooms are used as areas for sleeping, studying, socializing and storing clothing, food and other belongings. There are many activities taking place in this small, and often shared space, so organizing it can sometime be a challenge. There are many storage products available to make it easier to store and organize items in your dorm room.

7 Simple Ways to Save Space in a Dorm Room

1. Vertical Storage

With the small footprint of a dorm room, look to the walls to make the most of the space with cork boards, magnetic dry erase boards, or wall pockets.

2. Underbed Storage

Use bed risers to create more storage space underneath the bed. Store organizational products such as bins, cubical storage units, or plastic drawers under the bed.

3. Stackable Storage

Place a removable hutch on top of the dorm desk for extra shelving. Stack wooden cube units or milk crates on top of one another for further storage.

4. Behind the Door Storage

Over the door shoe sorters, towel racks, and hooks can hang on the doors.

5. Storage Seating

Ottomans or cushioned benches with storage space inside provide both seating and storage.

6. Storage Above of Below the Fridge

Try adjustable shelving above the fridge or a compact fridge cart with drawers below the fridge to store food and kitchen items.

7. Space Saving Hangers

Use slimline hangers in the closet to fit more clothing inside.

With all of these storage products available to you, there are many ways you can save space and create a more functional and organized dorm room. What other storage products have you found helpful in a dorm room? Please leave your recommendations in the comments.

How to Organize Cleaning Supplies

Published: July 27, 2016

My home organizing clients often want tips on how to organize cleaning supplies. Cleaning supplies are sometimes difficult to organize because they have many purposes in various rooms, and most people have many types and sizes of cleaners to store in their home. Here are some suggestions on ways to organize and store those cleaning supplies.

Create a Home for Cleaning Supplies

Determine where you’d like to keep your cleaning supplies. Do you have space under the kitchen or bathroom sink? Is there a hall closet or utility closet that will work well? Is there space in your laundry room for cleaning supplies? Often brooms, mops and vacuum cleaners are such odd shapes that they need to be stored away from the rest of the supplies, either on wall hooks, or on a closet floor.

Cleaning supplies organized in caddies under the kitchen sink after an organizing session with On Task Organizing, LLC in Raleigh, NC

Some people like to store bathroom cleaning supplies under the bathroom sink and other cleaning supplies under the kitchen sink. It really depends on your personal preferences and the way you clean your home. Decide on a location (or locations) and then use storage containers to make the most of your space.

Use Storage Products to Contain Cleaning Supplies

An over-the-cabinet basket helps to hold dishwashing supplies under a kitchen sink

For cabinets, there are great over the door cabinet baskets or over the door cabinet hooks that can be helpful in holding sponges, gloves and other frequently used items. It is best if bottles of cleaning supplies are stored plastic containers to prevent cleaning fluids from leaking onto other items. A cleaning caddy can make it easier for you to travel with the supplies. You can even create one caddy for the bathroom, one for the kitchen, another for carpet cleaners, etc.

Inside closets, clear labeled plastic bins on shelves work well for smaller cleaning supplies. If you store all similar cleaning supplies together, you will be able to find what you need when it is time to clean and prevent repurchasing or over-buying supplies.

photo of two clear bins containing batteries and flashlights in a storage closet organized by On Task Organizing, LLC — Batteries and flashlights in stored in clear labeled bins in a closet organized by On Task Organizing, LLC of Raleigh, NC

Other items that work well to store in utility or laundry closets near the cleaning supplies are bins of batteries, flashlights and lightbulbs. These are things you may need frequently, and it helps to have an easy to access spot for these kinds of items.

15 Tips to Sort and Store Kids’ Artwork and School Papers

Published: June 29, 2016

15 Tips to Sort & Store Kids' Artwork & School Papers title
Sorting through and storing your kids’ artwork and school papers can be a daunting task. Many of my organizing clients want to do this so that they can preserve these keepsakes for their children. Here are 15 of my tips on how to deal with the overwhelming amount of papers your children bring home.

15 Tips to Sort & Store Kids’ Artwork & School Papers

Gather all artwork and schoolwork in one place to make sorting easier.
Sort the papers by child and by the year or grade level in which they were created.
Pare down items by only keeping the best from each year, or limiting it to a certain number of papers, such as the amount that will reasonably fit in a file folder.
Take digital photos or scan papers to make it easier to part with some of the items.
If your child is old enough and interested in helping you, sort through the papers with your child.
Write the child’s name, date, and any other important details on the back of the paper, if the artwork or school paper is worth keeping.
Routinely sort through paperwork, such as during winter and summer school vacation time, so that the amount of artwork and school papers does not become too overwhelming.
Set aside some artwork and paper to give as gifts to grandparents or other relatives.
Create a file box for each child, and limit what you keep to what will fit in that box.
For homework, report cards and certificates, create a file folder for each year and file those in the file box.
Since artwork comes in a variety of sizes, an art portfolio, or a larger box, such as an under bed storage box is more functional. Create a portfolio or box for each child, and again limit what you keep to an amount that will reasonably fit.
Use archival acid-free storage boxes to better preserve the artwork and school papers.
Store these items in a climate controlled area to prevent mold and mildew. Do not store in a garage, basement or attic without climate control.
Store these keepsake papers and art in areas such as an office or bonus room closet, in the child’s bedroom closet or under a bed.
Display outstanding pieces in a frame or in a scrapbook.

Storage

Tips for Organizing Inventory in a Home Business

Determine where to store items

Consider climate controlled storage

Stack vertically

Label storage shelves

Organize by type

Label all boxes

Store popular products nearby

Set up “departments”

Use software programs and apps such as these to help managing inventory

7 Hacks for Living in Small Spaces

7 Simple Ways to Save Space in a Dorm Room

Create a Home for Cleaning Supplies

Use Storage Products to Contain Cleaning Supplies

15 Tips to Sort & Store Kids’ Artwork & School Papers

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