Hectic schedules, family meals, carpools and business deadlines all run smoother when there's a dedicated area for managing the business of running a household or home-based office. The area - let's call it a command center - should be thoughtfully situated and organized so tasks are handled efficiently, leaving more time to do the things you want.

The command center, whether it's a home office or a desk tucked into a kitchen niche, should consolidate information and activity flow. Without a central place, "home executives" often find themselves operating out of every room in the house or even using the dining room table.

Be careful about where you choose to work. It's more than throwing a card table in a corner with a phone and a laptop. Just because the basement has an open corner doesn't mean you should work there. Most basements have limited lighting and the amount of natural light can have a big impact on how you feel while working at your desk. Create a workspace in a spot that makes you happy or you'll find the office creeping out into other parts of the home.

While a spare room makes an ideal office, most of us are faced with working in a corner of the guest room or at the kitchen desk. It seems that kitchen designers feel obligated to build a desk into the most used room in the house. With today's busy schedules the desk is likely to become the family's convenient dumping ground. Piles grow higher every time your back is turned. But if the kitchen is the only place for your command center, then diligence is called for since it's likely to take some time to train the family to respect this area.

No matter where your workspace is situated, here are some tips to keep it clutter free:

If possible, put in and out baskets away from the desk, maybe at the garage entry door - one basket for each family member to "dump" their things, such as school work, jackets and iPods. Remember, the desk is off limits for this kind of stuff; it's up to you to keep it functional.

Place a corkboard on the wall near your desk. Then create defined areas on the corkboard for schedules, reminders, chores, messages, etc. where the family can read, and attach or detach information.

Because the desk's file drawer is one of the biggest "containers" in the room, there's a tendency to use it as a storage bin for athletic equipment, camera equipment, and the like. Instead, use the drawer to hold paperwork in hanging files - one for each family member, with subfolders inside to record their medical history, school schedules, important papers, and other items. Put "Action" files in the front of the file drawer so they're easy to access.

Atop the desk, a red folder labeled "Bills to Pay" might find a home in a vertical file. And a basket for sorted mail and/or current projects will help keep your desk clear at the end of the day. (Be sure to sort your mail over the wastebasket.)

One good rule of thumb: Keep only the things you work on daily on the top of your desk, the things you work on weekly in your desk, and the things you work on monthly around your desk. Toss or archive the rest.

A pencil drawer should hold pencils and pens, paper, paper clips and highlighters so they're at the ready when the phone rings or you need to start a grocery list. Relegate the catchall drawer to another spot such as the laundry room or garage. Drawer dividers are a must - they prevent items from sliding to the back of the drawer or getting hidden under papers.

You love your bean babies, the bobblehead from your trip to Hawaii, the plaque with a cute saying, "My idea of housework is to sweep the room with a glance." Find a home for them elsewhere - not on top or near your desk. Nearby cabinets can conceal phone books, reading material and baskets to hold supplies.

If you share the home office with family, communicate with them to develop the best solutions for time and space in the office. Get the family involved to make them feel more committed to the systems they help develop.

When all is said and done, whether the command center is strictly for home use or also for a home business, organization is the key to success.