Top 10 Tips to Setting up Your Filing System

Biz-Online — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 06:08:40 +0000

Once you start trading it is important to keep all of your correspondence (not just invoices) so that you have an accurate and through record of all your business transactions. You never know when you might need refer back to a previous client’s contact details, or to follow up on a query you originally dealt with months ago. Here is a top ten of the best tips to help you sort out your filing:

1) Location – make sure you have a separate, secure space for your filing, so that you don’t have to move things around before you can get to it. Try and locate your filing in a handy spot for where you do most of your office work, so that you can file and retrieve things away quickly and easily.

2) Storage – Keep things simple for storage containers. If you use your files on a daily basis then box files kept in open cabinets or on shelves are easy to use, and can be moved around and stored away again quickly. If you have a lot of paper work, or need to file things away for long periods then filing drawers are ideal and also have the benefit of being lockable so that you can keep stored data secure.

3) Alphabetical or Numerical order – If your business involves a lot of client contacts then the most logical filing system is alphabetical order, under the client’s last name or company name. This also makes it easier for new people coming in, as then they don’t have to learn a complicated system and can get to work straight away. If you generate a lot of invoices or give each job a reference number then it makes sense to file paperwork in numerical order.

4) Labelling – make sure you label each file clearly, both on the front and the spine, so that you can find what you need quickly and easily. If your handwriting is a bit messy then it is a good idea to buy printing labels and use the computer to print out clear, durable labels.

5) File Folders – box files are ideal for keeping invoices and individual sheets of paper tidy, and are useful if you have large client files that need to be added to over time. Coloured folders are also a good idea, as they can be used to separate areas of your business such as marketing, client information and financial documents. This can make it easier to find things when you are in a hurry.

6) In trays and out trays – many business owners find in/out trays very handy for sorting and storing current work and enquiries, which can then be filed in the main system once they have been processed.

7) Email – don’t forget that your emails can be stored in a filing system too, by creating folders in your inbox, or on your main computer hard drive. Keep it simple, and if you have a full inbox and want to delete things then you could always print them off and file then in your hardcopy system if you think you may need them again.

Record Maintenance – most businesses review hard copy records on a yearly basis, so that they don’t end collecting hundreds of out of date or obsolete files. Financial and tax records are usually kept for 10 years, whereas enquires and items like sales brochures are only kept for 1 to 2 years.

9) Employee Records – It is a good idea to keep employee records in a separate, secure place from your other filing, as much of this information is normally private, and your employees would not want other unauthorised colleagues to have access to this.

10) Indexes – if you have a large number of files, then you might want to consider creating an index. It may take a little time to set up, but it can save you hours of wasted time in the future, and will help others who may need to use your files.

Hope this will help to manage your files efficiently. Comments and suggestions appreciated.

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Top 10 Tips to Setting up Your Filing System

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