Do you have a filing system that works?

Filing. Love it or hate it, it’s a necessity to keep on top of your business operations. Thankfully, because of the world of virtual, you can give your whole filing system an overhaul and make it more efficient than ever. In fact, you’ll barely know you’re doing it.

First things first, get organised!

This bit may take a bit of time depending on whether you already use digital filing or if you still keep hard copies.

Go through all your files and cabinets making sure that you’re only keeping what’s necessary. Unless it’s REALLY needed, for example, legal reasons such as accounts or needed for carrying out a service to your clients, bin it, recycle it, get rid of it.

And those receipts and bits of paper on the side of your desk or in those ‘to file trays’, yep we’re sorting through those too.

Now you’re left with the bits you need, it’s time to go digital.

Clearly, technology has meant that we can have a folder for everything – unlike hard copies where for most of us having 100s of folders is impractical. However, only create folders which you really need, otherwise, you may find that you actually don’t know where things should be stored. I’d suggest things like ‘clients’ ‘marketing’ ‘financial’ ‘employees’ and having subfolders within those such as ‘social media’ ‘blogs’ ‘receipts’.

Once you’ve created your folders, scan, upload and file any hard copies that you have. If you’re using Cloud-based software, a digital system has so many advantages such as it being accessible wherever you’re working, and it’s kept securely. Anything that isn’t needed in hard copy form can be destroyed at this point.

Staying on top of your filing once you’ve organised it is going to increase your efficiency. Utilising technology and apps is the quickest and most simplest way of doing this.

Using an accountancy platform that includes an app will allow you to scan and upload receipts while you’re out – there’s no longer an excuse for them to go missing.

Set time aside each morning to go through your emails and file any which are for information only. Those which you need to work on can be filed once you’ve seen them.

Set yourself and your staff the ‘clean desk’ rule. If they’re not working on it, it shouldn’t be on your desk. This will encourage filing as you go.

If you do have hard copy filing systems, use colour coding to differentiate between client files and office files as well as traffic light systems for work to be done, work in progress and work completed.

If you find you simply don’t have the time, a Virtual Assistant can certainly help you create digital filing systems and stay on top of them.