Did you know that too much clutter negatively affects your ability to focus and process information?
That's right - if you're working in a cluttered office, your productivity is definitely suffering.
But how can you handle clutter when you work in a small space?
Investing in a small paper shredder is a great place to start.
You'll be able to purge everything from junk mail to confidential documents, and your office will soon feel calmer, clearer, and an easier space to focus within.
Ready to say goodbye to that paper mountain?
Keep reading to find out how.
1. Shred Junk Mail to Stop It Getting in the Way
Do you tend to chuck junk mail to one side, thinking, "I'll look at that later."
It sounds innocent enough, but this is how a serious clutter problem can get started.
What looks like a couple of flyers at first can quickly descend into a box full of crumpled envelopes, business cards, and take-out ads, none of which you ever seem to get around to throwing away.
Keeping a small paper shredder close by means you can shred junk mail the second it lands on your desk.
If there's a company that continuously bothers you with bulky catalogs or aggressive mailing campaigns, get in touch and ask them to stop - you have the right to ask companies to stop unsolicited contact.
2. Safely Dispose of Confidential Documents
Are there tons of documents you don't want to throw away because they contain confidential information?
Perhaps you're waiting until you've got a good collection, and then planning to rent a shredder?
Stop.
There's no need to suffer this kind of clutter when you can invest in an affordable shredder and take care of the problem yourself.
It's much safer to shred confidential documents right away than to have them sitting around for months, so you'll be doing yourself and your clients a favor.
Any small business owner or contractor who cares about security needs to own a shredder.
3. Shred and Recycle Old Paper
Want to do your bit for the environment by recycling unwanted paper?
When you're worried about confidentiality, it can put you off recycling.
However, once you've started shredding all your old mail, documents, and other papers, there's no data protection to worry about.
This gives you the chance to set up a solid recycling plan for your business, something which impresses customers, reduces your environmental impact, and saves you money on waste disposal.
While it might be annoying to collect papers for your recycling bin, it's easy to wait until your shredder is full and then empty directly into a recycling container.
Companies who don't recycle are falling behind and could lose customers to greener competitors.
Invest in a small paper shredder to up your environmental game.
4. Figure Out If Any Mail Can Be Switched to Paperless
Once you start taking the time to shred your mail, you might realize how much of it is completely unnecessary.
Most companies now offer you the option of receiving paperless updates and notifications via email, instead of in the mail - this saves you time and is usually much more convenient.
It's well worth spending a day going through your mail and figuring out how many of your accounts can be made paperless.
Very few companies insist that you receive letters in the mail since it's more expensive for them.
By switching to paperless you'll save time and money, and help save the planet.
5. Only Spend Time Organizing What You Need to Keep
When your office is full of paper clutter, organization becomes a mammoth task.
You might have one box for junk mail, another for old flyers, another for confidential papers, and so on.
It's likely that only a small fraction of what you're sorting through actually needs to be held onto.
When you get into the habit of using a small paper shredder, you'll no longer have all this junk and clutter to contend with.
That means that everything in your office is genuinely important, and you'll have more room to store it in a way that makes sense. You could introduce new filing cabinets, color-coded boxes, folders, and files.
Dedicating a few hours to organizing your space will make a huge difference to your productivity, and your new shredder will keep you from making the same mistakes again.
Organization is dull - don't sort through more paper than you need to.
6. Schedule a Periodic Shredding Session
So, you know that shredding is a good idea. You've bought a shredder.
But...
You never use it.
For some of us, it can be hard to get into the habit of shredding - especially if we've been used to hoarding papers for years.
To get past this, try scheduling a weekly shredding session.
Mark it on your calendar or set a phone reminder and set aside enough time to sort, gather, and shred all the paper you don't need.
What might feel like a waste of time is actually an essential task, and after a few weeks of following your reminders it will likely become second nature.
Cutting the clutter means forming new habits - and buying a small paper shredder is the first step in the right direction.
Why Invest in a Small Paper Shredder for Your Business?
Running a business without owning a shredder is asking for trouble.
You'll end up swamped with unwanted documents, files you can't throw away, and recycling that never gets taken care of.
When you invest in a small paper shredder, it's easy to stay on top of day-to-day paper clutter.
You can shred junk mail the moment you get it, safely dispose of confidential documents at the earliest opportunity, and reduce your environmental impact with recycling.
It might take a little work at first, but you'll soon get into a routine that helps you to manage clutter for good.
Do you want more details on the type of shredder that's best for your business? Check out our blog for loads of expert tips.
