Many owners view filing systems as a necessary evil since by taking the time to set it up and maintain it doesn't help make money for their business. So, they quickly file papers in groups that may or may not be appropriate just to get it out of the way and give them more time to do things that help them make money. But, then they get frustrated when they can't find what they were looking for in the future. The reality is all businesses need to keep retrievable files and need to have systems in … [Read more...] about 7 Areas to Organize in Your Office Files
Small Business Paper Management Tips Archive Page
Welcome to our Small Business Paper Management Tips Archive Page to help you and your business streamline processes. Read the archive posts for tips to use in your business.
Benefits and Tips to Revisit Paper Files Yearly
If you need a piece of paper from 10 years ago, how easy would it be to get it? Not many small business owners who have worked for years could say they would be able to find their paper files from 10 years ago. And, that is OK. We all don't keep every single piece of paper, though I found while working with several small businesses that not finding that piece of paper gives them undue stress for days if not weeks trying to find it. So, instead of stressing about lost papers, let's create a … [Read more...] about Benefits and Tips to Revisit Paper Files Yearly
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 … [Read more...] about 6 Steps to Find Missing Papers in Your Small Office
Essential Business Home Office Filing Systems to Keep the Papers Organized
Do you work from home most of the time? If so, you probably have papers that need to be filed. Whether they are long term storage or short term task papers, you will need places to store these things to be able to retrieve them easily. This week we are talking about the essential business home office filing systems you need to make your office work more efficiently. Let's start with the temporary papers in your office. Temporary Home Office Filing System These temporary filing systems … [Read more...] about Essential Business Home Office Filing Systems to Keep the Papers Organized
How Long Should I Keep Business Records
How long do you keep your business files? Do you keep them forever or do you get rid of them after a certain length of time? Keeping files for a business is different from keeping your personal files. There are many different types of business files that need to be kept at different lengths of time. Over the years small business owners have asked me these questions. To be honest, the IRS doesn't have a clear, across the board answer to this question so here is what I suggest. If you wish to … [Read more...] about How Long Should I Keep Business Records
7 Best Containers For Your Home Office
Keeping your home office organized is very important. Even if you have another office and split your time with your home office, both workspaces need to be as organized as possible. This way, if you are working in one office and need to work at your home office, you will be able to transition to the other space easily and be more productive. To do that, you need to have the best containers for your home office to hold the necessary papers and supplies. Here are examples of the seven best … [Read more...] about 7 Best Containers For Your Home Office
How To Permanently Clear Desk Clutter Forever
Piles of papers on a desk can make it hard to get things done. When you start looking for papers, you get more and more anxious because the papers seem to have walked away leaving you to fend for yourself. Does this ever happen to you? Do you get more and more frustrated moving around mounds and mounds of papers just to locate that one important document barred under a large selection of unnecessary junk? Lucky for you, today, I am discussing a sure-fire way to permanently clear desk clutter … [Read more...] about How To Permanently Clear Desk Clutter Forever
3 Ways to Organize Your Small Business Files
Your office files can get very disorganized if you don't have a good management system established. By not having it organized, it will result in undue stress for you and your employees. Taking the time to organize these systems will make your business run more smoothly and will reduce stress for you and your employees/clients. Here are three powerful ways to organize your home and office files. 1. Sorting by color coding: Use different colors to represent different types of data. Try green … [Read more...] about 3 Ways to Organize Your Small Business Files
How to Shred Important Small Business and Personal Papers
I was checking out my storage area and realized that I haven't revisited my old papers in a while so recently I went through the old bins and started shredding lots and lots of papers. The thing about paper is that it doesn't take a lot of room and I can easily place it somewhere and let it collect dust. But, this is not necessary. The IRS doesn't need us to keep every single piece of paper that ever crossed our desk. As a small business owner, we need to be more conservative with getting rid … [Read more...] about How to Shred Important Small Business and Personal Papers
