If you can increase your company's productivity without hiring more staff, you will increase profits. Even small increases in productivity can, over time, produce significant benefits. For example, in a ten-person company, a 10% increase in productivity is like having an extra 'free' employee.

Ways to office efficiency
Small businesses depend on the motivation and productivity of their staff. With fewer employees, the work rate of each person - and especially the boss - are vital. These tips will help you use IT to become more effective.

• Keep track of all your tasks in one place. If you want to get on top of a growing list of things to do, gathering all your tasks in one place is a great way to start. Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 makes it easy to track tasks and emails that need follow-up.
• Take action now. Each time you pick up a piece of paper or open an email, make a habit of dealing with it there and then. Do something about it, file it for future reference or bin it. Putting papers back into your in-tray is a recipe for procrastination.
• Purge unnecessary stuff. Clutter and irrelevant papers get in the way of what is important. Spend some time sorting out your office and get rid of anything that you don't actually need.
• Go wireless. Wireless networks are great for growing businesses. You can connect to the network and the internet without expensive fixed cabling. People can use notebooks anywhere in the building - at other desks, in meetings and for presentations. Choose wireless access
  With fewer employees, the work rate of each person - and especially the boss - are vital
  points and routers that support the latest Wireless-N Wi-Fi standard because this gives greater range and speed.
• Share information. Using an intranet is a great way to share key information in a team. It's like a private company-only internet site. Setting up an intranet is a great way to get people to rethink how they store and share files.
• Use collaboration software. Email isn't the only way to collaborate digitally. Microsoft Office Groove lets you create workspaces that you can share with colleagues. They can include file libraries, image libraries, calendars and other kinds of information. When you're online, you have access to the latest information, but when you are not connected, everything is stored on your computer and remains available and gets re-synchronised the next time you're connected.
• Go paperless. Don't print unnecessary documents and emails. Save space and filing time: scan documents in rather than photocopy them.
• Centralise your filing. Set up a central filing system, under lock and key if necessary, so that all your company's important files are kept together (and can be copied and taken offsite as a backup). Similarly, consider investing in a file server and Windows Small Business Server software to run it, so that you can keep all your computer files in one place and control access to them.
• Set up a filing system that works. Create a structure for your paper files so that it is easy to find things. Consider scanning important files into a central computer server using a scanner with a sheet feeder.
• Tablet PC. Tablet PCs let you take handwritten notes and convert them into printed text automatically. It's great for meetings.
• Concentrate. It takes time to build up concentration. Every interruption restarts the clock, wasting productive time. So cut down distractions, use noise-cancelling headphones and try to complete one job before starting the next or taking a break.
• Do one thing at a time. Research shows that people who focus on one thing at a time get more done than people who try to multitask by juggling several activities at once.

A bad working environment can be very expensive for businesses and painful for individuals and has series consequences for productivity. Among office workers, repetitive strain injuries are common, not to mention headaches, sore eyes, and aching backs and shoulders. Adjustable monitors and keyboards and good seating arrangements can reduce the risk of injuries. Getting the right temperature and keeping noise down can maximise productivity.

Some useful ideas:

• Position your keyboard and mouse. Experts recommend that you place your keyboard and mouse so that you can use them with your body in a relaxed, comfortable position. If you have to reach for them or hunch your shoulders to use them, they're in the wrong place.
• Get comfortable with your notebook. Consider buying a docking station and external keyboard and mouse for your notebook when you use it for extended periods. Alternatively, a notebook stand can make using a notebook in the office more comfortable and convenient.
• Choose ergonomic keyboards. Look for a keyboard that has different levels of tilt, including the ability to lie completely flat.
• Reduce eyestrain with an adjustable monitor. Put the monitor directly in front of you at arm's length. Adjust the height so that you can see it with your back straight and your eyes tilted slightly downwards. A monitor that can swivel and adjust in height will be more comfortable because you can adjust it as you change your posture during the day. Consider using an adjustable second monitor for your notebook when it's in the office - it'll be more comfortable for extended use.
• Reduce noise to increase productivity. Ringing phones, music and loud noises increase stress, interrupt concentration and reduce productivity.
• Set the right temperature. Productivity falls if the temperature varies far from around 25oC. Getting too hot or too cold can slow you down.

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