If you’re self-employed and work from home, you probably already know that maintaining an organized home office is a challenge. Sure, you don’t have any co-workers to complain about that two-day-old sandwich on your desk, but you still need an orderly work station to work from home efficiently.

Working at a company office usually provides an ergonomically efficient work space that includes a desk, file cabinets and shelves. Home offices are sometimes just a computer on a small table, with maybe a small file cabinet to the side. Companies also provide letterhead stationery, business cards, envelopes and business cards, but if you’re self-employed and working at home, you have to furnish your own.

Business Cards

One of the first things a self-employed person working from home needs is a professional set of business cards. What happens, though, when you run out of cards and need more in a hurry? It’s not like you can go to the office manager and request more.

Companies like Overnight Prints can send a new set of professional-looking business cards constructed from thick, 15-point paper stock and coated with a satin or matte finish on both sides. After all, if there’s a big business get-together with would-be clients the next evening, you can’t successfully press palms without a business card in the palm. And for the times when you do pick up new clients, Overnight Prints can customize greeting cards as well. A handwritten thank you card can’t hurt.

Thank You Cards

According to Entrepreneur.com, studies show that when a businessman or entrepreneur sends a written “thank you” to customers or clients, they’re more likely to tell their friends about the great products and service,  and spend more money. 

It helps to be specific when expressing gratitude, and consider hand-writing your note; in this age of email and texting, this stands out. Emoticons don’t always have the lasting impact as a beautiful piece of stationery with a person’s cursive writing and signature.

Of course, keep your stationery and other paper items in proper order. An at-home employee doesn’t want to waste time searching for the right card or the right envelope. Blogger Katie Clemons shares some ideas about organizing her stationery at AboutOne.com. Instead of having a disaster of mismatched envelopes, Clemons sorts her cards in different piles for different purposes. She keeps return labels, stamps, an address book and other supplies with the cards, making it easier for her to get them in the mail because she doesn’t have to dig around for a stamp.

A properly stocked home office enhance your business and keep customers coming back.