Staying organized is hard and yet essential when you work from your home. In order to avoid wasting time and precious money due to disorganization, go through the following seven steps to save your home business and sanity.

1. Think about your workspace. If you have not yet set one up, think hard about where it is going to be. A room by itself is best as it creates a contained environment with a singular purpose. Just being in here can help you focus, especially if it is set up like a professional office. If need be, set up one corner of a room. Just make sure that it is a low traffic area, and if at all possible, a room no one else enters.

2. Make your workspace comfortable. You need to spend time here, so try and make it a place you want to spend time. Some projects may require hours and hours of attention, so make sure that you have not only usable, durable furniture, but steady utility connections and maybe even music, food and beverages.

Put a calendar or whiteboard on the wall of your workspace. You are not going to remember everything. Well, actually you might if it is important. However, by putting it on the wall, you remember it there instead of inside your head. This not only reduces your mental stress, it gives you more room in your mind to think and pay attention to other matters.

Be deliberate in setting up a file management system. Nothing sucks creative energy out of a room faster than clutter. It also wastes time later on down the road. Keep things clean and organized.

Find a portable planner you are comfortable with and stick with it. An actual day runner is better than a smartphone app. You should be able to open up something physical and see how your day, week or month is going schedulewise.

Do not use the same email address for personal and professional communications. Your professional email should have a very formal feel to it probably be your first and last name, whereas your casual email might be a funny nickname and more anonymous. You also do not want to have to check your professional emails on days off.

Do whatever it takes to minimize distractions and stick to your scheduled plans. You may have to constantly say no to friends, family, children and your favorite reruns. Make sure that those who live with you know that when the door is closed to your workspace, you are at work and need to be left alone. Create boundaries and enjoy the workspace they provide.

Staying organized is essential if you want to keep a firm line between your personal and professional lives so that your home business has the time, space and attention it needs to grow and thrive. Just putting a little time into organization and keeping things orderly will assist you in maximizing your time management. You can totally forgo the frustrations that come with disorganization.