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
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.
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
6 Tips for Keeping Effective Filing Systems in the Office
Effective filing systems for the office make your business run more functionally. You can find papers easier and save time looking for them. To keep effective filing systems in your office, try these tasks and share them with everyone in your office to keep the system going consistently. Steps to make a filing system more functional Determine how you want to retrieve the files. Do you want the files to be sorted by event, topic, or speaking engagement? Label each hanging and manila folders. … [Read more...] about 6 Tips for Keeping Effective Filing Systems in the Office
8 Important Documents Every Small Business Owner Needs to Find Easily
Let me ask you this question, do you know where all your important documents are? If you don't, check out the important personal documents post I wrote on Sabrina's Organizing. These relevant documents should be placed in a fireproof safe place. Remember, that you have valuable records for your small business as well. These documents must also have a place in your safe. Here is a list of 8 important documents every small business owner needs to find easily: All payroll related documents … [Read more...] about 8 Important Documents Every Small Business Owner Needs to Find Easily
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
How To Organize Employee Records in Your Small Business
How do you keep your employee's paperwork? Do you have one folder for each employee? Or, are they all in one folder? Do you know where all your employee paperwork is? Do you have subcontractors? Where are all the sensitive W-9 and W-2 paperwork? Are they in a secure place? Every small business needs to keep employee records. I have found that several small businesses do not know where all their paperwork is. And, if this information falls into the wrong hands, you could be creating undue … [Read more...] about How To Organize Employee Records in Your Small Business
