Is your briefcase a mess? Is it difficult for you to find what you need? Don’t worry; we’ve been there. If you’re experiencing this, we have some good news for you.
Don’t ever have to feel embarrassed again in a meeting when you can’t find your pen or that important document! Here’s everything you need to do to achieve a beautifully organized briefcase, whether you're carrying a men's briefcase or a women's briefcase.
1. Decide What Can Be Removed from Your Briefcase
The first step in organizing your briefcase is to empty the bag to declutter the contents and take out items that you don’t need to be carrying all the time. The one thing you should keep in mind when trying to figure out if an article belongs in your bag or not is to establish if it “earns the right” to make its way back into your bag.
We mean that every item should be placed in your bag with intention. The item should serve a purpose. Are you still having some trouble deciding what items should be in your bag? Ask yourself these questions:
- Does this belong in my briefcase? Should it be placed elsewhere or thrown away?
Clutter usually happens because we throw an item in the bag with the intention of transporting it somewhere. For example, this could be from the home to the office. Then it’s forgotten and left in your bag until you discover it again or clean out your bag. Once you come across these items in your bag again, go ahead and take them out and put them where they’re supposed to go.
- Do I need all of this item, or would a few be enough?
This question is helpful for you when you know you have several of something in your bag but are questioning if you genuinely need them all. A good example might be pens. You might like a few to carry around for easy access, in case one dies or you lose one, but you don't need a whole pack of them. This will help you cut down the volume of things you're carrying around in your briefcase every day.
- Do I need to carry this in my bag, or would storing it elsewhere and grabbing it when I need it be better?
This question will help you catch items that you think you need to carry in your briefcase, when in fact, you just need to have the items accessible elsewhere. You’d be surprised how many items you carry around that would actually serve you well in a designated place where you can grab it when you need it.
An example of this would be an additional pair of shoes. Believe it or not, this is a common practice. People will have their meeting shoes and keep an extra pair they can change out of once they’re done with their meetings. Instead of storing these in your briefcase, you can rather store them in your car. This way, you’ll still have access to them without bulking up your bag.
Once you've decided what you can remove from your bag, not only will your bag be better organized but it will also make the bag lighter. This makes traveling with the bag easier and will reduce strain on your neck and shoulders. The next step is to get your briefcase organized.
2. What Belongs in a Briefcase?
Being on the go and working from multiple places means you should always have certain items on hand. Being comfortable requires having certain accessories. Here are some general things that belong in a briefcase:
- An extra pair of glasses
- Chargers for your phone, laptop, tablet
- Earbuds
- Writing implements like a pencil, highlighter, or sharpie
- Stylus
- Post-it notes
- Stain removers
- Memo book
- Tissues
- Flash drive
- Face mask
- Business cards
- Temporary important documents and files
3. Make Sure to Use Compartments and Pockets
Choosing a briefcase with several compartments and pockets will help the organization process because you can designate certain items into specific compartments. Even better, if you already have a briefcase with several compartments and pockets you’re ready to go.
For example, you will not place pens, documents, and electronics in the same compartment. Instead, your pens will be in one pocket, documents in another pocket, electronics in another, and so on. We recommend placing files and memos in the largest compartment, a mesh pocket or something similar to a mesh pocket would be perfect for writing utensils like pens. If you have a flap pocket this would be a great place to access quick-grab items like chargers and glasses.
Of course, you should organize your briefcase the way you want. There are some organizational methods that specifically have convenience in mind while others have protection in mind. Again, you should do what works for you. All that matters is that you know where everything is so you can quickly access items when you need them.
In addition, we suggest keeping important items like phones and keys in an internal zipped pocket to keep them safe.
Not Enough Pockets? Try an Organizer Insert!
Does your briefcase not have a lot of pockets or compartments? Don’t worry; you don’t have to go out and buy a whole new briefcase. You can use an organizer insert to add additional organizational spaces.
The idea behind organizer inserts is that they will provide you with pouches, slots, and compartments to the inside of your bag to help you keep everything organized. Bag organizers are not only good for organization, if you have a saggy briefcase an organizer insert can add structure. It’ll also protect the inside of your bag from pen marks and other stains.
This is especially useful if you have many smaller items because this will prevent the bottom of your vegan briefcase bag from becoming overrun.
4. Keep Trash Out
Trust us, we know it can be extremely tempting to quickly throw wrappers, receipts, into your non leather briefcase, but this can cause things to become disorganized quickly. Trash can also cause stains and blemishes on the inside of your bag that can sometimes be impossible to remove. So to keep things organized and clean, keep trash out of your briefcase!
The best way to look at your briefcase is that it’s an extension of your office. You wouldn’t want a cluttered office with trash scattered all over, would you? So, take the time to keep your bag clean; you will only benefit from this.
5. Avoid Placing Sharp Objects in Your Briefcase
If you’re someone who carries their electronics like a cell phone and laptop in your vegan leather briefcase, you want to avoid placing sharp objects in there. Electronics have sensitive screens that can be easily scratched, cracked, and damaged by sharp objects.
Sharp objects are not only a hazard to your electronics. Sharp objects can tear holes into the lining of your bag which can cause a lot of damage and even cause you to lose smaller items. Make sure to put your electronics in their designated pockets. If you need to carry sharp objects in your bag, ensure they're adequately stored away from your tech.
Wrapping Up
Here on the Doshi Blog, we want to encourage and support people in buying and wearing vegan and ethical products.
Vegan products are just as timeless as the conventional version; they also have price advantages. When you compare vegan designer items to ones made of genuine leather, you’ll often find that the vegan options are cheaper. For these reasons, vegan accessories/products make great alternatives!
Are you interested in getting a vegan briefcase? We offer a variety of handmade designer vegan options. Check out our women’s vegan briefcase, Doshi Business Brief 2.
