In a world of 'the paperless office', files and folders should be obsolete. Every business needs to learn "how-to" manage records and organize documents. Small business owners are too afraid to throw anything away. Consequently, this leads to an overload of file folders, storage boxes, and ultimately a paper avalanche.
Business owners will tend to keep everything in an effort to avoid having to decide what to keep and what to pitch. In time, the storage room door cannot be opened and hope is all but lost for finding any documents that may be needed. It is the responsibility of management to make sure things remain organized to prevent lowered productivity or a complete shutdown of business operations.
Many smaller companies simply do not deal with their paperwork issues until it is really too late to stem the tide. The paperwork just seems to mount making documents and important information difficult, if not impossible, to find. Paperwork would rarely become lost if management fulfilled its responsibility and adhered to better time management strategies.
Step One Towards Office Organization
Set aside a day to commit to organizing your office space. To eliminate the distraction of customers or phone calls, schedule it on a Saturday. But if Saturday doesn't work well for you, dedicate one day each week as "Office Cleanup Day." Then, require all staff members to participate.
Organizing your office space and paperwork is more difficult if you work alone, but not impossible. Even entrepreneur diehards can squeeze in a day for cleanup.
Tackle the paperwork on your desk first. Sort by subject, then sort by dates. Once everything is sorted, create file folders for each subject. Place paperwork neatly into the appropriate file folder and set aside, but don't forget about it.
You should also have a separate system for your accounting and bookkeeping. Expense reports and receipts should be carefully filed for later reference. A good idea is to record your business transactions into a ledger. You can either use a ledger book or one of the many software programs available.
Upon organizing the paperwork into folders, you are going to require some boxes or perhaps some crates to store all the documents in for safekeeping. The particular way in which you file things will naturally be determined by the nature of your business. But, irrespective of the type of business you operate, all companies should file accounts payable and accounts receivable at the same time. The critical thins is that you have some kind of system for your filing.
Computer Documents
Fire and water damage are a major concern for most businesses, especially for a home-based office. Small businesses find scanners to be a business asset. In minutes, a scanner processes a document from paper form to electronic file.
It is simple to file and access information stored on a cd, floppy, or even an external hard drive for the true techies. Whatever you choose to utilize, make sure to keep the storage devices in a fireproof safe or even off site if that is a viable option.
You must be able to access information in a timely fashion in order to get through the list of tasks that must be accomplished on a daily basis. Do not procrastinate and put off organizing your office space because management strategies are essential to the success of your business.
"Your ability to accomplish daily tasks is directly related to your ability to find the right information at the right time," Hemphill said. Management strategies are essential to the livelihood of your office staff and the success of your business. Don't wait until the last minute to organize! |
