4 Small Business Inspired WFH Strategies to Increase Productivity

April 22, 2021

By Jason Eisenberg
Community Program Manager for Office Depot

Working from home. It's gone through many iterations in the last few years and while everyone has their own means to stay healthy and productive, there is always a common thread of beliefs that helps most people working from home not only get through their workday, but thrive in it.

With the help of some of our #DiscoverDepot customers who are also business owners, we were able to identify some of the easy and actionable strategies they've implemented since working from home so you and your business can do the same.  


1) Get fully organized & functional

@jaclynrjohnson
Jaclyn Johnson, founder of the very popular Create & Cultivate brand, shares four steps on how she keeps her WFH business fully functional without sacrificing the quality of her content. She breaks it down into four different stages: storage, going wireless, ergonomics and time management.  

 

  • The first step is 'getting your storage game right'. Jaclyn recommends using a multi-functional filing cart. In this particular case she is using one with wheels so she can roll it out when she needs to check some files, and then roll it away to keep her space from feeling too cluttered.

  • She also recommends going wireless with the tools that allow for it. “Wires ruin everything,’ says the founder of Create & Cultivate. “Dramatic, I know but truly keeping it wireless allows you to function seamlessly through all those conference calls.” It’s not just about conference calls. Your pone charger, mouse, keyboard, microphone – all of these generally require wiring, but there are products to help keep that desk clean so you don’t have to untangle wire ever again.
  • Investing in your health and well-being is also important to your productivity, so don’t overlook your furniture. Make sure to take into account what kind of chair you’ll need, your desk, even keyboards! There are studies and solutions to help you reduce stress due to your physical work from home environment.
  • Lastly, Jaclyn discusses the importance of efficiency and getting everything you need in one place, if possible. At Office Depot, she not only finds all her business supplies and furniture, but she also gets important documents printed there while she’s shopping. You can even file and print your documents scheduled for pickup from the website. 

2) Stay happy & healthy

@jess_ekstrom
Founder of Headbands of Hope and Guided Bright Pages, Jess Ekstrom shares how she deals with WFH fatigue – something a few us can probably understand after a year of normalizing remote work. Jess explains how she needs to find ways to keep her motivation and energy levels up throughout the workday. Here are her two tips:

First, she decided to try a standing desk. A 12-month study revealed 47% of subjects enjoyed a reduction in upper back, shoulder or neck discomfort, 65% of people reported increased productivity due to better concentration, mobility and feeling more active and refreshed, and 65% of people said standing desks 'positively impacted their health outside of the workplace'.


"This is 100% the case in my experience," says Jess.

The second tip she had was using curbside pickup to make her errands quicker and easier while feeling safe in her own vehicle. She also loves that Office Depot is a one-stop shop for her business, which allows her to ship packages as well.

"I could focus on keeping [my business going instead of waiting in line at the post office," she explained.


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3) Be productive from anywhere

@misshannahashton
Hannah Ashton’s situation sometimes requires her to get up and move her physical workspace. The founder of Dream Achieve Workbook shares that it can be difficult to run an online business efficiently when you have to continuously create organized workspaces – no matter how small the space is. Here’s how she does this time and time again in four steps.


Find a corner of your room or house – it doesn’t have to be a full office/room. Sometimes a foldable table is all you need.


Fill that table with the necessary products and pieces to your business like scissors, pens, printers, label makers, etc.


Keep the inspiration flowing by putting up photos that inspire you. You can even blow up your favorite photo to hang on the wall if you want.

"Or what I do is use Post-It Notes to brainstorm new content and ideas - being reminded of my ideas is what inspires new ones!"

Keep it all organized. Nothing makes Hannah more frazzled than an untidy workspace, unable to find what she needs at a moment's notice.

"I love using these clear storage bins to keep my inventory and shipping supplies together."


4) Manage your time

@bysandylin
Creator and founder of the community Small Business Tips, Sandy Lin is no stranger to offering advice on how small businesses can be more productive. She shares how important time blocking is when your working from home and juggling responsibilities like being a content creator, entrepreneur, dog mom and a significant other. Here are her three steps to helping stay organized and productive as an entrepreneur. "Office Depot has been my secret weapon," said Sandy in her Instagram post.

Have a dedicated workspace and schedule every day. Having a place where you can work, grind and focus helps tremendously with her.


Declutter your desk! Use whatever makes you comfortable, but it's vital you know where certain documents live at all times so you don't have to stress about finding the right piece of paper when there's 50 other documents laying about. "Use a folder, label maker and binder to help you stay organized with all the documents."

Block your time on either a digital or physical planner. Here is how another #DiscoverDepot ambassador decides what kind of planner to use. Sandy says you need to have morning routines that work for you so you can stick to them.


Give some of these strategies a try and find YOUR best way to organize and stay productive for your business. To find more inspiration on how other business owners are building their brand, check out our Discover Depot page. If you'd like to be featured as an Office Depot ambassador, sign up here! 

All content provided herein is for educational purposes only. It is provided ?as is? and Office Depot does not warrant the accuracy of the information provided, nor does it assume any responsibility for errors, omissions or contrary interpretation of the subject matter herein.