Organizing Your Mail and Paperwork
No matter what system you use, a successful and neat filing system is being able to put your hands on something when you need it. organizing paperwork tips for more information).
Home offices usually function with two sets of filing systems. One is for the commercial or business that is being conducted, and the other is for personal or family matters.
How To Organize Your Paper Files
Your business filing system will be broken down into sub-categories that are appropriate for your type of operation. Major sections may separate operational procedures, equipment, building/office data, employee data, etc.
Family or personal filing systems may include educational records of children, medical histories, insurance, banking information, deeds, wills, etc.
Making sections for things by subject (example, Insurance, Advertising, Employees, Bills) or make a system based on a index with files marked alphabetically or numerically
Color coded labels are great helps in making sure similar topics are filed together. In fact, if your medical folder is coded with blue, when information comes across your desk that relates to that topic, put a sticky blue dot on the upper right hand corner. That way, when you run across the sheet with the blue dot, you'll automatically know it belongs in the medical file folder. (That helps your "instant recall," too, when wondering where you put it!)
Your filing system consists of two categories: active and historic. Active are the ones you use daily - correspondence, banking, etc.. Historic files contain tax records, receipts, deeds, wills, etc.
Review, Sort and Dispose
Keep your filing current. Manage documents on a daily basis by throwing out obsolete data or junk mail. If it needs attention, put it in a "To Do" file and leave it on top of your desk until you have acted on it.
Get into the habit of using post it notes with comments or colored sticky dots to identify the subject. Don't leave loose papers on your desk at night. Either put them in the appropriate file, or into the "To Do" file.
Determine The Number Of Files You Need
Depending on the size of your filing cabinet, manila file folders come legal or letter size. They also come pre-cut with either 3 or 5 tabs for easy indexing. Only you can determine how many you need. Make a list of the categories you plan to use, then purchase file folders accordingly.
Identify, Label and Hang The Files
Dividers in hanging file folders are convenient for organizing major categories, then putting sub-headings on folders to file in sub-divisions. Make a set of hanging file folders and related interior file folder or folders for each of the piles and their sub-divisions.
Keep most recent documents and data in the front part of the file. As the folder fills, at the end of the year, you will have no trouble placing the outdated information into your historical files.
There are heavy-duty corrugated paper boxes you can get from the office supply store that are great for long-term storage of important documents. Be sure to label them correctly when storing.
Annual Maintenance of the System
Annual maintenance of your filing system consists of going through the active files, and determining what can be removed and stored. Business and professional records must be stored for a certain number of years. Don't destroy any of these valuable records unless you are completely sure they are outdated and you will not be required by IRS or a government agency to produce these records.
Other Tips for Organizing Papers
The most important topic in your Active files is the "To Do" folder. It contains bills that need to be paid, appointments you need to make, correspondence you need to answer and other important DO NOT FORGET issues. When the proper action is made, file the paper in the appropriate file.
Use color codes to help identify your important documents.
Staggered file tabs are fundamental to good filing organization. You may either file alphabetically or by category. Just be sure when making a new file that the tab is visible from the one that immediately preceded it.
