6 Steps to Find Missing Papers in Your Small Office

Ever look for missing papers that need your immediate attention. Going through pile after pile of paper, you think to yourself, “What did I do with that … file?” Lucky for you, below are six steps to find missing papers documents in your small business.

How to find your missing office papers

Think back, when was the last time you saw the file? Any ideas?
Check where you usually file the document. Check the folders near where you filed the paper. Check in front, then behind and even in between the folders.
If someone else filed it away for you, check under other related words or misspelled words.
Check your ‘to be filed’ bin or other piles in your office. Sometimes, we think we didn’t need the file, and we do.
Ask co-workers to see if they needed the file. Maybe they took it.
Check recycling paper section bin. Maybe you thought it was trash and put it in the recycling bin. Or, perhaps you were recycling another piece of paper, and that one was attached to it.

Hopefully, by the last task, you have found the missing paper.

But, how do you stop losing paper in the first place? Well, it starts with proper planning. Determine if your office has the space to organize your papers properly. Does your desk have a filing cabinet for immediate essential documents? Does your office have a place for long-term files? Is that place filled with unused, unwanted papers? Asking yourself all these questions will give you direction on what to do next. Writing down your storage locations for paper and what goes in those areas not only helps you but also supports your staff. Check out this post (Tips to Organize Office Files – So Anyone Can Find Them). It’s about organizing paper files anyone can find.

Let’s continue the conversation. What other tasks do you do to find lost papers? I would love to hear from you. May you always find the papers you need when you need them. Till next time. Feel free to visit the other related posts below.