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Creating a good filing system is one of the best things you can do to save
time, money and your sanity. Managing paper with a good filing system will
put you back in control, and increase productivity.
Some things to think about before purchasing a filing cabinet are:
How often will you use it? This will determine if you can use a lightweight
cabinet or if you need to purchase a sturdier one that is made for daily
use.
Where will it be located? The standard cabinet comes with a choice of
vertical or lateral files. If your cabinet will be sitting next to your
desk, a lateral file will be easier to read and access. However, if it will
be sitting behind you or somewhere where you have to stand up to access the
files, a vertical file would be better.
How much information will it be holding? Do you need a four-drawer cabinet
or will a two-drawer be sufficient if you use a different means to hold
archived files.
What will it contain? If you will be keeping important information such as
birth certificates, social security cards, financial information, insurance
policies and medical records in your filing cabinet, then I suggest you
spend the extra money and purchase a locking, fireproof filing cabinet. They
aren’t cheap but it will save you a lot of headaches, heartache, and time if
you ever have a fire or theft. One thing to remember is that because they
have fireproof walls, they are extremely heavy. Plan ahead; you will need a
few strong men and a hand truck to get this cabinet into your office and
where you want it. Once it’s there, don’t plan on moving it very often.
I suggest separating your files into two categories:
Working Files:
These are the ones you access regularly and include utilities, financial
folders, projects you are working on, birthday & holiday cards, automobile,
life and house insurance policies and anything else you may need quick
access to.
Archived Files:
Those that you need to keep but rarely access. These may include old tax
papers, bank and credit card statements, utility bills, school records, etc.
If you haven’t touched it in the last 12 months, it can be archived.
When archiving, I suggest you make a Table of Contents with what is included
and how long you have to keep them. If you are unsure of how long a record
should be kept, contact your tax or other financial advisor. As you add new
items to your files, you can remove the ones that are no longer needed.
The bottom drawer of your filing cabinet is a great place for your archived
files because you won’t have to bend over very often to retrieve things. If
you find that you don’t have enough room or have outgrown it, then you can
purchase cardboard containers from any office supply store like Office Max
or Staples for just a few dollars. These are great for using broad headings
on the box and more defined labels on the inside. For example, I have a box
labeled “Financial” and inside I have separate sections for taxes, bank
statements, credit card statements, etc.
Once you have your cabinet in place you need to decide how you want to
arrange your files. The most common choices include:
Alphabetically — great for client or customer name files.
Subject — a good choice if you're using subfolders.
Numerically — excellent for dated material, such as purchase orders and
bills.
Geographical — appropriate if you have satellite operations.
Chronological — a good solution for back-up files that need to be set up by
month.
Tickler files — great for very detailed tasks, such as tracking bills,
correspondence and reading materials. Set up tickler files by the day,
month, and/or year.
You can also make up your own categories & system but be sure that it’s
logical so your spouse or other adult can easily find what he or she is
looking for in case of an emergency.
What about those things that don’t fit in a regular file folder such as
photos, magazines, or catalogs? There are a multitude of products available
for storing odd shaped, oversized items. Look for boxes, magazine organizers
and tubes at your local office supply store. There are also special tabs
that you can use for storing magazines in 3-ring binders.
Sifting through stacks of papers every day trying to find that one sheet you
need is a huge time waster as well as a stress trigger. By setting up a good
filing system you will have less stress and more hours to spend on the
important things in life, your family and friends.
About the Author: Melody Spier is a work at
home mom of two teens and the owner of Ballyhoo Virtual Services a Virtual
Assistant business catering to women in business. She specializes in online
marketing and promotion with article and press release submissions, blogs as
well as many other services. You can contact Melody by visiting
http://www.BallyhooVA.com or by email
Mel@BallyhooVA.com |