Head: Cut the Clutter!

One day last year Angie Gallop stared down at her desk and decided enough was enough. The freelance writer and ESL instructor's home office was in complete chaos. Papers, computer manuals, pens and files threatened to take over her precious desk space. More piles covered the floor.

"It was awful. I was buried in my paper," she says now from her small and sunny -- but clutter-free -- office in downtown Toronto.

Running down the street to her local Business Depot, she picked up a half-dozen wall folders. She identified them with labels such as "active files", "items to attend to" and "bills."

It was the first step towards organization and it worked. Now, Ms. Gallop is a clutter-free convert.

"You don't know how many times I feel so good -- and look good to other people," she says.

Estelle Gee, president of Orderly Lives, a professional organizing service in Toronto hears stories like Ms. Gallop's every week. Ms. Gee says most of us are more disorganized than we'd like to be. In fact only 25 percent of the population is naturally organized. The rest of us have to learn the skills to become that way.

Disorganization costs. One study in the U.S. found that corporate executives spend up to six weeks per year searching for misplaced paperwork. Sure, entrepreneurs may not have the volume of paper to wade through that a Fortune 500 firm might, but wasting time hits much closer to home. Ms. Gallop admits disorganization battered her own bottom line.

Marilyn Paul, author of It's Hard to Make a Difference When You Can't Find Your Keys, says there are many ways disorganized people end up losing money.

"How many cabs have you had to take instead of walking or taking the subway because you're running late?" she asks. She says some people are so disorganized that they forget to bill their own clients.

But beyond dollars and cents, disorganization often leads to stress. Many people who have a difficult time creating order eventually feel like they can't cope at all.

Small business owners are particularly susceptible to working in chaos. There's simply not enough space to store everything -- and home life often invades.

"Very rarely do people have an area that is totally wrapped up and devoted to their business. Life on the outside tends to penetrate that area quite easily," says professional organizer, Pat Maxwell.

She suggests finding a room with a door so small business owners can keep their home life from distracting them. Finding creative ways for filing, like Ms. Gallop's, also helps. But the biggest boon to working clutter free? Throw most of your paper out. If you haven't looked at a document in the last six months, chances are you never will again.

"People have to be taught to dump stuff. Recycling is good for the soul," Ms. Maxwell says.

Sometimes it's hard to convince some of the most disorganized people to change their ways. Some are perfectionists who think if they're going to cut the clutter, they have to do it perfectly, or not at all.

But the biggest obstacle to change is fear, says Ms. Gee. Many people are afraid to throw anything out because they worry they'll need it again some day, when in fact, holding on to ancient files collecting dust only makes it more difficult to handle current clients' needs.

Spending an afternoon filling a recycling bin and setting up filing systems is a start, but staying organized is the main goal. Be mindful of how you create chaos; think about what you're doing before tossing another print-out on the pile, maintains Ms. Paul, who took two years getting organized herself.

"You're more like an athlete in training than you are like someone who is going to the store to buy a book. Organizing is not a one-time thing. It's not a quick fix, but you'll get amazing results," she says.

To find a professional organizer in your area, visit the Professional Organizers in Canada association at www.organizersincanada.com.

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Sidebar: What you need

It's much easier to be organized if you have the right equipment. If your office looks like a toddler took a tantrum in it, it's important to have the following:

Adequate filing cabinets

Most small businesses have too little filing cabinet space.

A mobile pedestal with drawers (fits under desk)

For all the odds-and-ends like staplers, pens, stamps and calculators that tend to go missing if they don't have their own place.

(EXAMPLE: O'SULLIVAN - Elevations Mobile File, Metropolitan Cherry)

A mail basket

Place mail here automatically -- and read it at least every three days.

An erasable calendar and markers

Know what meetings are coming up and projects are due every day of the year.

Wall folders

Keep your important documents in an easy-to-reach spot -- and off your desk.

A paper shredder

So you can recycle with peace of mind.

(EDITOR'S NOTE: RUN DESCRIPTIONS WITH PRODUCT SHOTS.)

Bio: Kira Vermond is a freelance journalist in Toronto who specializes in work-life balance issues. She vows to clean up her own home office this year -- honest....