If your office is anything like most others, space is at a premium. No business wants to pay for more office space than they need, so typically the business will err on the small side and try to make it work. That means you need to be smart about how you use your space, including the supply closets that you have available. In this article, we are going to offer up some simple office supply closet organization tips to help you make the most of the space you have.
Know What Supplies You Need
The first step in organizing a supply closet is to actually understand what supplies the workers in your office need on a regular basis. Most likely, that list will start out pretty easily, as there are some things that virtually every office requires. Items like pens and pencils, printer paper, staples, and other standards will be an easy choice.
From there, an easy step you can take is to send an email out to the office and ask for feedback on what supplies tend to be required on a day to day basis. You probably won’t end up buying everything that is suggested, but the items that seem to be mentioned over and over again are a good place to stock up. Establishing a solid list of required supplies up front is going to make the rest of this project much easier.
Of course, you can always browse the categories at For My Desk to see quickly find everything you might need.
Decide on Quantities
With your list assembled, the next step is to decide how much of each of the supplies you will need to stock. For some things, like printer paper, you’ll probably want to have quite a lot on hand. Other things, like maybe a backup stapler, may be sufficient in a quantity of one. You don’t want to run out of anything, of course, but you are also working with a finite amount of space.
Think about which things you absolutely don’t want to run out of during the middle of a busy work day, and give those items priority. You can go with less stock on less important items, knowing you could reorder quickly and stock up once again if the need arises.
Equip the Closet
An empty closet with no shelves or anything else to organize your supplies isn’t going to do you much good. You’ll want to at least have some shelves, and you might even include a storage system if you have enough space. If your closet already has some shelves or other storage features, do your best to create a plan that makes optimal use of those spaces.
Remember the Files
We’ve talked mostly about the kinds of office supplies your employees will be using on a day to day basis. But what about all the files that need to be stored away? You’ll probably put active files in a file cabinet that can be easily accessed, but older files for inactive clients may simply need to be put into storage. Having the right storage boxes on hand will go a long way toward making sure old files don’t clutter up the active areas of your office.
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Everything Has Its Place
To get organized, and stay organized, you’ll need to make sure that every single thing that goes into your office storage closet has a place to land—even the small items, which might be bunched together in a container of some kind. If you fail to provide a spot for everything you plan to store, items are inevitably going to wind up tossed in casually, and a mess will soon develop. Take the time to create a detailed plan to organize the closet, and that plan should carry you forward nicely.
Put Someone in Charge
This is perhaps the most important step of the whole organization process. If no one is accountable for the cleanliness and organization of the storage closet, it’s almost certain that it will wind up a mess. However, if you have a single individual who is assigned the task of making sure everyone else keeps the closet clean, your odds are much better.
This should be someone who has the time available to check on the closet from time to time, and it should also be someone who is able to order replacement supplies as necessary. Think about the dynamics of your office and it should quickly become clear who the best person for the job will be.
Address Repeat Offenders
There is no need to embarrass anyone in the office over something like putting a supply back in the wrong place, but you also need to make sure that everyone is working together on this task. If someone in the office seems to be responsible for letting the storage closet get out of order, make sure they are reminded of the importance of this task.
It only takes a moment to put something back in its right spot as compared to tossing it randomly into the closet. It might take a little while to get everyone on board if your office has typically had a messy closet, but you should have the support of the entire team soon enough.
Stock Your Office Supply Closet At For My Desk
An organized supply closet might seem like a small thing, but it can make a big difference. You’ll be able to clear some clutter away from busy parts of the office, and you will be able to quickly track down what you need to keep work on time and on track. If you need any storage supplies to make the most of your closets, For My Desk is the perfect place to shop. Our combination of great brand names and competitive prices means you don’t need to bother looking anywhere else. We look forward to receiving your order!
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