Running a business out of your home is a great way to save money when you cannot afford to rent a large store. However, keeping it organized can be a little tricky as you gain more customers. For this reason, you need to focus on two key areas of your business which will help you stay organized at all times.

Complete Filing System

As orders come in, you need a better way to track each one. Relying just on emails or printouts from your website is an inefficient method when you start to get several orders each day. Additionally, if you lose any paperwork, you could inadvertently forget to send out an order that has been paid for.

One solution is to use a complete filing system that relies on paper and digital copies of your orders, the shipping addresses and the receipts. The idea is to have two copies of everything, so that if your computer stops working or you lose the paper copy, you always have a backup option.

Another part of your filing system is to give each product you sell an individual code. You can use this code to identify key aspects of the items you sell and you can make a detailed list for easy identification at a later time. For example, all clothing items can use a numerical based code, while food items can have a series of letters that make up their codes.

Additional Storage

Once you have a filing system, you need to think about storage solutions. Unless your home has a lot of excess room that you do not need, it is best to look outside of your home for your storage requirements. To start, you can rent a small unit that holds most of the items that have yet to be sold.

Even with this additional space, you need to make sure that this area stays organized as well. It is a good idea to attach an itemized list to each box inside your storage unit, so you do not have to open each box to find the items you need to ship. The storage unit will also give you enough space for extra packing materials, so you do not have to store them inside your home.

The security for these locations is another advantage, since these facilities have video cameras, personal pin codes for the gate and you can use your own locks. These can be invaluable options when you sell expensive items that you want to protect at all times.

Starting a business out of your home is a good option when you have limited funds and cannot afford to rent a store. However, you need to keep your business organized so that each order can be filled quickly. Using multiple methods for organization will help you accomplish your goal, especially when you start to receive more orders on a regular basis.