A new year means a great opportunity for making new plans for your business. But this is also the perfect time of year to organise your workplace, meaning that you really can make a fresh start in 2012.

Here’s the CSnotepad guide to getting your workplace in order:

The key to getting your workspace organised for the year ahead is to break the job down into smaller tasks. It won’t take any longer but will seem a lot less overwhelming.

Start by clearing your desktop. There’s nothing more disheartening on a Monday morning than a teetering pile of paperwork. File any important papers and recycle or shred anything that doesn’t need to be kept. Allocate folders or box files for things like receipts that have be kept to hand, (you don’t have to organise them at this stage if you’re short of time, but you will always know exactly where they are). If you don’t have any files, just use large, clearly marked envelopes.

If you already have a filing system, now is the perfect time to go through and remove anything that really doesn’t need to be kept any longer. And remember, your filing system exists to help you to do your job. Don’t be afraid to amend it to suit your business and the space available to you.

Don’t forget to clean up your computer desktop too! Remove old programs and make sure that your virus protection is up to date. Remember to do the same with your mobile phone too. Make sure that the information on both devices is backed up safely.

Take that pile of dusty business cards and put the contact details into your phone or computer. Then recycle them!

Clear out your email inbox– delete them or deal with them – and put any that need to be kept into clearly labelled folders. If you work with others, ask them to use a similar system so that electronic mail can always be easily found. And while you’re at it, unsubscribe from all those unwanted mailing lists to reduce inbox clutter next year.

Start your 2012 diary, whether paper or electronic. Remember to transfer anything you need over from last year’s diary. Get recurring appointments set up in your calendars.

Don’t forget walls and notice boards! Take down anything that’s out of date and no longer relevant.

If storage is a problem now’s the time to think about sorting out drawers and cupboards. You might find that a quick clear up frees up a lot of space and means that you don’t have to splash out on new office furniture to stay organised.

Finally, take a long hard look at old office equipment. If you’re not using it, recycle or donate it to charity.

But if after all this you still don’t have enough room, why not consider virtual office or call handling services from CSnotepad. All the benefits of an office and fully trained staff, without taking up any of the space.

Happy New Year!