Service and retail-oriented small business owners face the same challenges when setting priorities for their time. Because it is critical to make sure customers receive the level of service they expect in a safe, comfortable environment, it is easy to focus on the customer-facing parts of the business. In the case of a car wash owner, the tunnel, waiting and detailing areas, and driveways, as well as employees, take up most of an owner or manager’s time.

For this reason, it is important that the car wash office be designed to enable an owner to take care of essential “back office” tasks efficiently and quickly to keep the business running smoothly and to allow plenty of time to be “out front” with customers and employees.

Often, a car wash-based office is a single room that must serve multiple purposes for multiple people – a bookkeeper who comes in weekly to manage accounts or handle payroll, the owner who needs a place to handle purchasing, and a place to talk with customers or employees.

Finding a way to meet all of the needs of people who must use the office in a way that promotes efficiency is a challenge that can be overcome. Designing and organizing the office to be clutter free and to enable the office occupant to focus on the business at hand requires careful thought and planning.

One of the most common mistakes small business owners make when planning their offices is not accounting for all of the different ways an office will be used, says David Waring, editor of fitsmallbusiness.com. For instance, rather than accounting only for the furniture and equipment that is needed to handle office duties, remember that you need a comfortable place to talk with employees or customers, he says. “If you are meeting with a customer who has a complaint, be sure there is a place for the customer to sit, and if there is a child with the customer, be sure the office is safe – no cords stretched across the room, no boxes stacked high, and even, childproof outlet protectors,” he suggests.

After thinking about the different ways the office will be used, develop a master plan, recommends Vicki Winterton, owner of Efficient Business Practices. “You’ll have a desk area with computer and one or two paper areas for incoming or outgoing items, a space for office supplies, a bookcase, a table for ongoing projects and, in the case of a small business with no private hall or area to post employee schedules, a bulletin board to post required notices and schedules,” she says.

“I recommend using the ACT formula when designing an office,” says Winterton. ACT stands for:

*Assess space to identify where windows and heating vents are located, and what size and type of furniture will fit best;

*Create a plan that establishes zones to handle different tasks – projects, computer work, mail, etc.;

*Tackle plan by putting simple systems in place to manage paper, data, supply storage, projects and regular organizational maintenance.

Pick the right furnishings

When choosing furniture, be sure to select furniture that fits the space and can be placed appropriately, says Pat Heydlauff, president of Energy Design. “Place the desk kitty-corner to the door to be sure you are not startled by someone walking into the office and to give yourself a few extra seconds to finish what you’re doing,” she suggests. This placement works well even if the office is small, she adds.

Small business owners often make the same mistake with office furniture, points out Waring. “They spend too much on a desk that takes up too much room and not enough on a comfortable chair,” he says. “I’m a big fan of Ikea tables that serve as desks.”

Bookcases are also versatile, space saving pieces of furniture for small offices. “A clutter-free office promotes efficiency and you can use bookcases to store items you need during your time in the office, while keeping the space neat,” says Winterton. Shelves can be left open to store larger items such as notebooks or ledgers, or containers that fit on the shelves can be used to store smaller items. “Choosing containers that are uniform in appearance give the bookshelf a neat, organized appearance.”

Another advantage of bookshelves is the ability to designate specific space for different employees who may use the same office, says Winterton. “Letter trays for their mail, containers for their files or even baskets for their pens, can be left on designated shelves so everything is ready for their return to the office,” she says.

File cabinets should be used to store records that need to be secured but are not needed for day-to-day items. Two- or three-drawer file cabinets can also serve dual purposes as storage and stand for a printer to make the best use of space.

“Files that you must keep for a number of years, such as tax records, but are not routinely used can be stored off-site,” says Winterton. Archived files can be kept in a home office, a secure storage unit or other location that the owner can access if the information is needed, rather than cluttering a small office, she says.

Although bookshelves and file cabinets provide an organized way to store items, be sure the information you need for the day’s tasks are within easy reach while at your desk, says Heydlauff. Vertical files sitting on the desk or mounted on the wall next to the desk keep current files, such as open purchase orders, close at hand but organized, she points out. The most effective strategy to stay focused is to complete a task, close the file and get it off your desk.

Online tools support efficiency

Another way to de-clutter your desk and office is to use one of the many online document management systems available to small businesses, says Waring. “Moving from paper to digital files makes it easier to find documents by searching online folders,” he says. The ability to share documents with specific people, establish an audit trail, provide email to employees and even create spreadsheets that can be shared for review between bookkeepers and owners. “Google for Work is one cost-effective program that is used by many small businesses,” he adds.

Online business solutions also enable an owner to share work schedules, notices about business events, employee recognitions or other business-related information with employees via computer versus paper or phone calls. “If schedules or other critical information are moved online, be cognizant of employees who may not have access to computers at home,” says Waring. “Purchase a second computer, such as an inexpensive Chromebook, for employees to use because you don’t want them using the owner’s computer, which contains salary or other business-sensitive information.” The second computer, laptop or tablet needs to be in a safe, private space. Even if it is in the owner’s office, it should be placed away from the owner’s desk to minimize distractions and to protect confidential data.

Once the office is de-cluttered, organized and efficient, the real challenge is maintaining the organization, says Winterton. “I’m a fan of an opener and closer to each day,” she says. Taking 10 minutes to organize and set priorities for the day by identifying three main projects or tasks that must be completed, and 10 to 20 minutes at the end of the day to re-file supplies or files used during the day, clear the desk and reposition papers for the next day, enables you to stay organized,” she says. If daily maintenance isn’t possible, plan to spend two hours one day each week, maybe at the end of a workweek, to fine tune your filing, to-do lists and plans for the next week.

“It is much easier to keep up with filing and organizing than it is to catch up,” points out Winterton. De-cluttering the office part of an owner’s job enables the owner to spend more time with customers and employees and to be more creative and strategic. “The human brain craves order and we feel good when we are on top of our responsibilities – we enjoy our work and the people with whom we work more when we’re organized and efficient.”