These can go in the human resources section of your cabinet. You also have paperwork related to sales and revenue, so these papers can go under finances. Since you have to pay taxes at least on an annual basis, create a section for current and past tax paperwork. One way to avoid this is to label each folder tab and create labels for the filing cabinet drawers.
Another way to differentiate paperwork is to use color-coded files, organize files, or organize files. Using a numerical system works well when you need to file invoices with payment dates. To make your office a clutter-free zone, think about what paperwork you no longer need and can shred and throw out.
If you have people no longer with the company, you should consider getting rid of their workplace information. Depending on the type of business you run, you may be inclined to transfer some or many paper files to the cloud. Having files available to you and others in the company can cut down on endless paper trails. You can label files using whatever method you see fit: labeling with a pencil makes it easy to change or edit items, while using a label maker can make things look more unified.
Take your time when preparing your file folders. Start by labeling one file folder and then set the folder aside. Continue the process with the remainder of your file folders. The next step is to prepare your filing cabinet.
Remove the contents of your filing cabinet if any and place them onto a clean, flat surface for the time being. Feel free to refer back to your filing system and file list as needed to remind yourself as to what goes where.
When placing papers inside of folders, you should organize papers in either chronologic or reverse chronologic order. This will make it easy to retrieve information when you need it. For instance, if you have a series of cell phone bills from the past year, you can place them in chronologic order from January, February, March, and so on.
You could also file these same bills in reverse chronologic order, so that the first bill sitting in the file will be the most recent bill, such as November, October, September, and so on. You may have to spend some time sorting through papers, materials, and documents to match like items with like, but the essential structure of your files is already there.
Check out my post on sorting papers for some quick tips here and read up on paper decluttering tips here. Have a massive stack of papers that need to be filed? Keep a basket, box, or container near your filing cabinet to temporarily store papers.
You can then file several items at a time, instead of piecemeal. You may also want to set up a nearby recycling bin or a shredder with a container to make it easy to properly dispose of old, or outdated papers. Get into the habit of filing papers on a regular basis. You can file papers at the end of the day, week, or month. The most important thing is to make sure that you work is consistent. You can turn filling papers into a productive task at any time of the day you so choose, start your day off with some filing, do a spot of filing before lunch, or save filing for whenever you need to take a break from your desk, stretch your legs, or give your mind a rest from work that requires deep thought and concentration.
How about you? What do you find is the most difficult thing about keeping a filing cabinet organized? Join in the conversation and leave a comment below! Want help organizing that filing cabinet? If you want help decluttering and organizing your filing cabinet, I offer professional organizing services and organizing mindset coaching. Click here to learn more about how to work with me. Get organized the easy-peasy way!
Click here to learn more. Take a pen and paper and start making the list of names of the files you can also use an excel sheet or a simple word file if you like. While there is no need to be perfect, you need to make sure everything is recorded properly. You do not want to miss out on anything that becomes a cause of confusion. Example 2: If you were organizing a filing cabinet based by client, you list will include the names or just last names of the clients : Astor, Brown, Jones, Smith, Thompson, and so on.
In the next step of your organization journey, you need to work on creating clear names for the file. A file name helps you know what is inside of the files.
You should be able to see the file and know immediately what is in it — without having to take it out or think about it too much! Example 1: If you are organizing files related to utility bills like cable bills, phone bills etc , then in this stage, the file name would be the actual company name. Try your best to name all the times and avoid using duplicate names or misc file folders.
They are confusing and you cannot remember what is inside of them. Instead, take each of the paperwork inside them and create a separate folder. It will, in the longer run, make things much easier for you. If you are using older cabinet, take out all the files from it and emply them. Keep all the paperwork aside. Start by labeling them according to the plan.
You can label the files using a pencil, colored pen, or with a label maker — whatever is convenient for you. Do not hurry while preparing your file folders. You do not want to create duplicate files or mislabel them by mistake. When you are putting paperwork into the files and folders, remember to do it chronologically or in the reverse chronological order.
This will make things easier for you to find. For example, put them from Jan — Dec or Dec — Jan. Depends on what you like to see on the top — the latest bill or the oldest bills. Comment below and let us know what you find most difficult thing about file cabinet organization? How about you? What do you find is the most difficult thing about keeping a filing cabinet organized?
Join in the conversation and leave a comment below! You need to find something to wear, so you open your dresser drawer and discover three socks, a hat, and a sweater. You open another drawer to find an old holiday costume. Your clothes are probably more organized than that, but your files might not be. In fact, 57 percent of U. Good news: You can save time and learn how to organize digital files with a few best practices.
The key is to decide on a system, communicate it clearly to everyone in your organization, and be consistent. Set goals for digital file organization. Organizing digital files can take over your life if you let it, so start by getting specific about what you want to accomplish.
The office manager will start by spending one Friday afternoon on this, followed by an hour or so each week. Talk to the leadership team at your organization so you understand their priorities. If you have time, get input from everyone. Here are a few questions to start with:. Organize digital files by name, date, project, or department. The best way to organize files on a computer will vary based on your organization and its needs. Decide whether it makes sense to organize files by name, date, project, or department.
After that, shared drive folder structure best practice is to start with your broadest categories for your main folders, and then get more specific with subfolders. Pros: Names are less ambiguous than other categories, such as industry or product type.
Cons: It can be confusing if the client or company changes their name. It can be difficult to remember when you worked on a certain project at a glance.
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