Welcome Back To The Office – Do You Have Everything You Need?

It’s always tough coming back to work after the Christmas holiday, but you can make the transition easier by following three simple tips and stocking up on stationery.

Stand by for Action

• Go through your email
  On your first day back, carve out some time to go through your email backlog and complete, delete or delay.  That means take action on those emails you can deal with immediately, get rid of messages that are no longer relevant and put everything else into your to-do list.
• Re-group and co-ordinate
  Gather your colleagues together when you’re all back and discuss what shared tasks you have and any new developments or deadlines. Start your weekly catch-up meetings as soon as you can.
• Check your financials
  Father Christmas might have given you money over the holiday, but does he owe anything to your business?  Make sure that you’re up-to-date with invoices and squared off with suppliers, so your enterprise starts the New Year on top of its finances.

Stock up on Stationery

1. #Diaries
Whether it’s a day-to-a-page or week-to-view, choose a desk diary that helps you organise your day.  See if there are any vital notes, job lists or contacts in last year’s that need to be transferred to your 2015 diary.

2. #Notebooks
Why not pick notebooks in bright colours? You could colour code them according to projects – that way you won’t be fumbling to find the right one. Mix and match with other accessories like a desk organiser or letter tray to decorate your workspace in these grey weeks.

3. #Pens and #Pencils
Be ruthless for once.  Go through your desk drawers and check for broken pencils and dried out pens.  Chuck those that can’t be revived.  If you’re the kind that runs through pencils like nobody’s business, an electric sharpener could be handy.

4. #Staplers
Nothing is more annoying than mismatched staples and staplers.  So if you’re buying a new one, find the correct staples for it at the same time.  (A staple remover would be useful too.)

5. #Tea and #Coffee
Is everything in the office kitchen within its use-by date?  Do you have enough tea, coffee and #biscuits to see you through the cold January ahead?  Get thee to the cupboard and check.

6. #Printer #Cartridges and #Paper
Do some homework and figure out how much paper your office will need in the first few months.  The same goes for printer cartridges – that way you’ll avoid the stress of facing a grumbling printer and ‘out of ink’ error messages.

7. #Files and #Folders
Is it time to archive old and completed projects? Storage boxes are a good solution. Or it may simply be a case of buying ring binders and lever arch files for papers that piled up during the Christmas rush.  Clear your desk for the New Year.

8. #Office Chairs
Are you sitting comfortably? Nobody wants to start the new year with numb bum, so check that your office chairs are fit for the job – no frayed edges or sinking suspension –  and order new ones to replace those that have done their duty.

9. #Wall Planners
If your back bedroom business is starting to take off, plan your strategy for the months ahead with a wall planner.  Use this for big ideas and bold plans (you can always keep the details in your diary).

10. #Harddrives and #USB Sticks
No doubt you got some great pictures of the family while you were away (all wonky paper hats and pulled crackers), but do you have enough digital storage for the office on your return?  It’s always better to have more USB sticks and harddrives than you need – a bit of extra capacity in an emergency.

Those are some of our suggestions for office essentials, but we’re sure you’ve got some ideas of your own.  What items will you be stocking up on and why?   Let us know in the comments.