This article by Stephanie Calahan, of Calahan Solutions and a Paper Tiger Expert provides us with numerous tips to get organized and get our life in order. I’m sure this will give you a clue as to the caliber of life coaching that Stephanie provides her clients. These tips include paper filing systems, getting organized in every area of your life, financial management, and getting your health in order. Stephanie recognizes, as we do, that different people need different tools to help with their daily lives. She lists different paper filing systems below, including Paper Tiger Filing System and Document Management Software, which she recommends based on her clients’ needs and the way that they work. She understands that every person is different and requires systems that work for them.
It is interesting to me that many entrepreneurs and business owners spend the majority of their time completely consumed by their business and totally neglect their personal affairs.
Many of my clients contact me to get their business organized, yet when we talk, they often admit that their personal affairs are as much of a “mess” or more than their business. They do not have systems for handling their most important areas of life. Their household papers are everywhere…piled in various corners and flat surfaces around the house. They are not sure where their hard-earned money is spent and they don’t have solid plans for the future.
Its true that they are busy. VERY BUSY! However, sometimes they are so busy that they lose focus as to why they started their business, doing what they do, in the first place. When I ask “Why did you start your business?” I generally hear it is because they wanted more freedom to live a life they define. They wanted to make more money so that they have the ability to have more choice in life.
If you do not have your personal life in order, you may not be getting all of the benefits from your hard work! Now is the time! Now is the time to let go of the excuses that you don’t have time, are too tired or don’t know how. Here are a few tips to get started:
Your paperwork likely consists of three types of paper: 1) stuff you need to take action on 2) stuff you are saving for reference and 3) stuff that you should have tossed a long time ago, but haven’t.
This is the system that manages all of the papers that are on your counters and other spaces that you have out in the open and in piles because you don’t want to forget to do something. Then use the system. Read, sort and process your email and snail mail daily. Avoid backlog. Also, when you come across papers that are date driven, make sure to add an entry to your calendar/planner to remind you to do things. This system is the perfect location to store all of the bills you have yet to pay.
Did you know that the average person wastes 150 hours a year just looking for things? Imagine what you could do if you weren’t searching! An effective reference system is one that you use consistently because you trust it. You trust it because it is easy to use and you can find information with ease when you need it. Different systems are going to work better for different people, so make sure you set up something that works for you. This system is a great place to store all of the bills you have paid. Here are a few for you to consider:
If you would like to go paperless with your home filing, this is definitely the tool to consider! I have the honor of being on the advisory board of AboutOne and I love how this company really listens to your needs. AboutOne was designed by moms and dads for moms and dads to make managing all that household information fast, fun, and easy. With just a few clicks, your information is stored with bank-level security, and all your posts can then be combined or mixed together in new ways, saving you time on everyday chores like creating family newsletters, scrapbooks, hardcover photo albums, and creating and mailing holiday cards, or completing school forms, college applications, caregiver instructions, and tax returns. I personally LOVE how easy it is to manage all of the complex medical information we have in our family. AboutOne.com’s patent-pending service takes just seconds of your time and helps you save time, save money, and be prepared. You can sign up for a trial account here: http://www.aboutone.com/.
I have been a happy Paper Tiger user for years. If you don’t want to go paperless, but you want an easy way to find anything in 5 seconds or less, then this is the tool. The tool gives you a powerful index search — like how you would search on Google — that allows you to find your information fast. However, you can use this tool for much more than filing paper! Anything that you can number you can put into the system. At home, we have “paper tigered” books, CDs, DVDs, binders, storage bins, and more. We love this tool because it does not matter how different my husband and I might reference information (for example, I might say Insurance-Car and he might say Country Insurance) we can find things with ease using the fast find button. Your information is secure and backed up too. You can sign up for a free Paper Tiger Online account at Paper Tiger’s website.
If you like the idea of a color coded system, then you might consider the FileSolutions Home Filing System. The Home Filing System includes a booklet to guide you through the filing process by helping you select the appropriate files for your home. You can build 80-100 files for your home & family items using the pre-printed, color-coded labels for both vertical files and 1/3 cut file folders. The categories include: Personal, Financial, Taxes/Insurance, and Lifestyle. In addition, file your important papers & find them again using FileIndexTM. With this unique system, you can index over 350 items. It will be the first and last place you look when you (or another family member) need to find something. Note, folders & hanging files not included. This tool is great for simple household filing. Consider one of these great paper systems from OrganizedAtoZ.
80 percent of what we keep, we never reference again. I see that theme repeat itself over and over again when I work with clients and help them through their decisions. If you have a hard time figuring out what to let go, consider using the DART system. If you would like a summary of what to keep and what to let go of for your home, get our Residential Record Retention guide.
If you are looking for a simple money management system, consider www.mint.com . This tool is very user friendly and allows you to know exactly what is going on with your finances. You can set budgets and alerts that email you when you are off track. You can also get very user friendly graphics to show you where your dollars are going.
If you have an iPhone, you will also love this app http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mint-com-personal-finance/id300238550?mt=8
It goes without saying that debt can be a weight that drags you down for the length of time you have it. For some, they spend more time thinking about the mounting debt than time on getting things done. Eliminate your debt. The most popular method for revolving debt is the debt snowball method. There are many sites and smartphone apps that can help you with this. Many of them let you prioritize debts and see estimated times left to pay off each debt. They let you plan payments and view progress as you shrink what is owed. Many will also estimate the date you will be debt-free, so that you can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I was reading an article on Mashable.com the other day that suggested this one was one of the better ones on the iPhone.
Most banks now have the ability to set up automatic bill paying. Consider setting up automatic payments for all of your regular bills. Your bills will be paid on time and you will save loads of time.
By reviewing your situation on a regular basis, you are able to stay on top of any problem areas and make strategic decisions quickly.
There are a number of outstanding professionals in your local area or on the internet that share helpful information on wealth creation. Attend classes or read books. Become informed. The better knowledge you have, the easier it will be for you to make decisions and have confidence to take action. Here is a great article on CBS about Organizing Your Finances in 5 Days: How to Quickly Get Your Financial House in Order in 2011.
We hear this all of the time, but it still holds true. Do you have some medical concerns that you have been ignoring? Find a professional that can help you get better. Need to eat better or exercise more? Create a system to make it happen. The healthier you are, the easier it is to manage every day activities. The longer you let “small” medical concerns slide, the faster they can become “big” medical things that tax you, your family, and your finances.
“The foundation of success in life is good health: that is the substratum fortune; it is also the basis of happiness. A person cannot accumulate a fortune very well when he is sick.” ~ P.T. Barnum in The Art of Money Getting
There are a number of sites that are all over the net to help you and a nutrition/exercize coach can also make a huge impact. Here are a few iPhone apps that could be of benefit too: Get in Shape: iPersonal Trainer or FitnessFree or CrunchFu. If you would like to quit smoking try: Quitter or MyQuitCoach.
If you take control of your personal concerns, you will have more confidence and peace of mind that the right things are happening. It is important to learn how to manage your time effectively and get organized so that you can focus on the most important things in your life. If you don’t, you will not be any further ahead next year.
One of the sayings that floats around frequently are:
Some people make things happen
Others watch things happen
Still others say “what happened”?
Who do you choose to be?
If you’re not sure how to get your business or life organized so that you free up your time, make more money and experience life, I encourage you to take action and contact us for a telephone strategy session. Why be time-pressed and struggle when you can easily get more done with less stress?
About the Author:
Stephanie Calahan is The Business Vision Catalyst and founder of Calahan Solutions, Inc. She works with purpose-driven entrepreneurs, visionaries, coaches, consultants, health practitioners, authors, speakers and all sorts of remarkable service professionals who are experts in their field, to help them embrace their brilliance, leverage their business and get their message out with power, ease and joy; so that they can make a powerfully positive difference in the world, exponentially grow their income and enjoy a highly-successful and meaningful business… while working less. Learn how you can have more freedom in your life! http://www.StephanieCalahan.com
Getting organized is something that nearly everyone struggles with. In fact, the task can be so difficult, that many people pay hundreds of dollars to a professional organizer to come in and organize their stuff.
The problem is your system. You don’t really know how it works or how to keep up with it. The result is a mess that returns. A professional organizer can help you think through the processes of getting organized and maintaining organization so you can be more productive throughout the year. In addition, Paper Tiger Filing System for document management can help you to get organized and stay organized.
Clutter is a result of poor organization systems, poor organizational skills, and just too much stuff. The first step to getting organized is to get rid of stuff you don’t need. Only you can best determine what these items are. However, if you want to experience organized living, you will have to learn how to part with stuff. Keep only items that you know are important or that you use on a regular basis. Everything else can go to someone that either needs it or could make more use of it.
Once you finish the declutter phase, you need a document management system. Document management can save you from spending countless hours looking for important documents. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy or expensive. Just a desk filing system or small filing cabinet will do. However, to make this easy and efficient, you will also need the right document management software.
The Paper Tiger Filing System is the perfect document management software. Unlike paperless filing systems, Paper Tiger does not require you to invest hundreds of dollars in expensive equipment. You also won’t have to spend countless hours performing document scanning and backup. Paper Tiger Filing System, instead, is an indexing system for your physical items.
Indexing may sound like a scary word. However, it is actually very easy to use. It is also very time efficient. You probably use indexing on a daily basis when you use the internet. Indexing is how popular search engines store their files. This is what allows you to access the right information every time, quickly.
Of course, you will need an organization system that does more than just organize your papers. The average home has many items that need organizing. Paper Tiger Filing System can help with that too. Other items can be placed in a digital file. Items such as CDs, DVDs, office supplies, tax documents, collections, and even storage items can easily be indexed with the Paper Tiger Filing System. Simply create a digital folder in the software’s database, label your storage container accordingly, and you know where your items are anytime you need them.
The best part of creating organized living for yourself is that you have a system and know how to maintain the system. This means that once you get organized, you stay organized. The trick is finding the right filing system for your needs. Unlike many other filing systems, Paper Tiger Filing System can meet all of your organization needs. Then if you need additional help, there are professional organizers who are also Paper Tiger Experts that can assist you with putting all the pieces together to create the right system customized just for you.
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When we first launched Paper Tiger Online, some customers were concerned about moving their personal data online. Given the numerous insecurities and vulnerabilities of the Internet, I could understand their rightful concerns. We hear it everyday about websites getting hacked, private data getting leaked, or identities stolen, et al. This warranted fear by internet users and companies, ushered in the age of secure communication and more specifically SS. SSL like all things perfect in this world has its flaws, but offers an added layer of security which makes it exceedingly harder for some diabolical cyber mind to compromise your Internet transactions.
“What is SSL?” You Might Ask
SSL is an acronym for Secure Socket Layer. SSL is a set of security protocols (rules) for setting up private encrypted communication between a website and its users. SSL is relevant to any online website that knows the value of keeping safe from an online hacker their customers’: credit card information, birth date, address, telephone number, license number, social security number, or file locations in Paper Tiger Online’s case. If you have ever noticed – some web addresses might have HTTPS instead of HTTP, and if so, you have already been introduced to SSL, which is represented by the S and indicates encrypted communication between your browser and the website.
Paper Tiger Online accounts offer an optional setting to turn on SSL for all communications between the application and your web browser while logged into your account.
How does SSL work?
An SSL certificate provides encryption of the data while sending it through a secure private channel. The private connection is like placing the information into a sealed envelope to guard the information from unintended viewers.
An SSL certificate consists of 2 keys: one to encrypt and one to decipher. The public key encrypts the information and the private key deciphers it once it reaches its destination. When encrypted, the message is appended with a message authentication code (MAC). You may sometimes receive a message from your browser to accept a certificate in order to proceed with your connection. A secure connection is established through a handshake technique where the server is authenticated as secure. Once the handshake has occurred it virtually encrypts and marks every transaction as secure until it’s told otherwise. The URL will change from HTTP to HTTPS to indicate a secure network.
The minimum secure SSL encryption recommended for ecommerce transactions is the 128-bit SSL certificate. For the mathematicians in the building, do the math, which is 128 * 127 * 126 and so on till 1 possible combination that a hacker has to try before getting to your data. However, the industry is not satisfied with this and is quickly migrating towards TLS protocol which is 1028-bit and 2048-bit security certificate – Paper Tiger will not be far behind.
Turning SSL On For Your Paper Tiger Account
By default only the login page uses SSL, and needs to be turned on for the rest of the application. Turning SSL on for your Paper Tiger Online account is as simple as checking a box.
1. Click the Accounts tab from the Dashboard
2. Scroll to the middle of the page and check the SSL box to turn it on
3. Click on Update SSL Preference
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How many times has this happened to you: You are running late for a meeting, and have to take time to find the files you need, only to end up being late for the meeting, and never did find those files? Things like this have happened to pretty much everyone who has ever been in business. It seems as though everyone has their own different way of paper filing, and most of the time, none of the methods used actually work all that well, and can even end up being quite complicated.
For the last ten years, many business owners have relied on the paper filing system offered by Paper Tiger Filing System Software for Document Management. Now in its fourth generation, this is an easy-to-use filing system that allows you to keep all of your original paperwork, while it is also indexed, so you can find anything you need with a few keystrokes on your computer. It is an incredibly easy system to learn how to use, and also very easy to teach to members of your staff.
When it comes to time management, it can often seem like there is just way too much to do, and things can become quite overwhelming, especially when it comes to the mountain of paper files we often end up having to sift through just to find one little thing. Having the Paper Tiger Filing System Software can eliminate these problems, leaving you with more time to take care of many other little details involving your business, and your life.
Another option you have is hiring a new staff member just to take care of the paperwork that keeps on building up every single day, no matter how hard you try to get it all organized. This can be a really costly option and an unnecessary one. All you need is to have a great paper filing system like the Paper Tiger Filing System Software to take care remembering where your files are so that you can find them when you need them, and you can spend your time on more worthwhile things.
You may have also tried other methods of looking after your files, only to find that they did not work as well as you would have liked. One of course is the traditional method of alphabetizing everything. Unfortunately, we all start out with the best of intentions, but after a while, things do not get filed properly, and sometimes, not at all. Since the alphabetical system is limited to what fits on the file folder tab, you put off filing because you’re afraid you won’t remember what you filed things under and won’t be able to find them again so you would rather keep your paper files in stacks.
When you are trying to run a business, the last thing you need to worry about is dealing with paper filing. Let Paper Tiger take care of your files by indexing them, so you can find everything you need, any time, quickly and easily. You will be able to access everything you need, without having to spend hours fumbling through stacks of papers, and you will be wondering why you didn’t implement a paper management system like this ages ago. See how Paper Tiger Filing System Software for Document Management works by watching the videos on our Why Paper Tiger page.
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Paper is by far the #1 reason people contact us. The paperless office that was promised back int the late 70s / early 80s never happened. My friends at The Monticello Corporation created a new video that does a great job of talking about how to gain control of paper. Take a watch and tell me what you think! (click here to see the video)
I’ve been using and consulting with this tool, Paper Tiger Filing System and Document Management Software, for a number of years now. It is one of the tools that we introduce you to when you claim your Office Miracle(tm).
Sound interesting? Contact us today for a no cost / no obligation telephone consultation to see if this is the right tool for your situation. Want to buy it right now? Check out Paper Tiger Filing System and Document Management Software for more information on the tool.
About the Author:
Stephanie Calahan is The Business Vision Catalyst and founder of Calahan Solutions, Inc. She works with purpose-driven entrepreneurs, visionaries, coaches, consultants, health practitioners, authors, speakers and all sorts of remarkable service professionals who are experts in their field, to help them embrace their brilliance, leverage their business and get their message out with power, ease and joy; so that they can make a powerfully positive difference in the world, exponentially grow their income and enjoy a highly-successful and meaningful business… while working less. Learn how you can have more freedom in your life! http://www.StephanieCalahan.com
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Back at the office we have the Network version of Paper Tiger Filing System Software for document management installed on a Windows 2008 Server. Our Paper Tiger is setup for automatic backups, so that our most recent backups are located at “C:\PaperTiger PTNETWORK41 DBBackups”. See our blog post The Paper Tiger Enhancement with Automatic Archive Option for instructions to configure Paper Tiger for automatic archiving of your database.
Whenever we need to retrieve a backup file, we must physically be in-front of the Windows 2008 Server machine. Suppose our CEO took a month vacation to Japan, and left us at the office. If our boss asks for a backup file of our Paper Tiger Databases, we would have to .zip the file to him via email every time he makes a request. We are a large data information firm and we are constantly updating and moving files. Anything that we send our boss becomes extremely outdated within 30 minutes. What is the ideal solution for this situation? An asynchronous backup folder via Dropbox.
[audio:http://www.thepapertiger.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Fred-Holgado-Interview.mp3|titles=Fred Holgado Interview]
Hi I’m Janet Baker, office manager of The Monticello Corporation, makers of Paper Tiger Filing System Software. We have with us today, Fred Holgado, who is our Information Technology Director here at Paper Tiger. Hi Fred, it’s good to have you.
Fred: Hi Janet, thanks for having me.
Janet: So tell us, we want to know a little bit about what’s going on in our IT department. Can you tell us why did The Monticello Corporation decide on Paper Tiger Online?
Fred: Well there are a few reasons why we decided that moving to an online app was our best choice. First and foremost, was that we wanted our customers to focus on using our product and not having problems while installing it or getting it to work. You know we sell 2 versions [of the desktop edition], one is single user version and we have had issues in the past with customers not being able to install it and a lot of it is because of difficulty of installing programs in Windows. It really makes it hard for people to focus on filing and take 20 to 30 minutes to try to install this program. On the other hand, our Network edition which allows multiple people to use the software, that’s a lot more complicated too because it involves Windows networking and that’s something that unless you have a lot of experience and knowledge with, it can be difficult to install.
The online product, it takes about 30 seconds from the time you sign up until the time you actually get to file, and the same thing with the multi-user version [of Paper Tiger Online.] All you have to do is basically open the email and you’ll get to start filing with your team right away. We think it’s a lot easier and much more streamlined for people to use compared to our Windows offering.
Janet: Awesome! And we’ve had a lot of great results from Paper Tiger Online, as well. Can you tell us what is it about online that makes Paper Tiger unique?
Fred: I think for the online version, we’ve really worked hard on making it easy to use. So from the first time you sign in, the application guides you along and tells you exactly what you need to do and the steps you need to take. Also we’ve worked really hard on our knowledge base articles to make sure that at any point in time that you need help, there is some documentation there, and as always, we’re here available and ready to help you with what you need. We’ve also put together some screencast videos that show you how to get started. Those are really easy to follow. It’s just a matter of loading the video and watching for a little bit and you’ll be able to get going with Paper Tiger Online in no time.
Janet: Tell us what are you doing currently to improve Paper Tiger?
Fred: One of the things we’ve recently just added is international character support. Now this doesn’t mean that the application has been translated into different languages, but now it allows you to put in any type of character like accent marks, or other types of languages like Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, etc. This is something that our customers were really requesting; and it took a little bit of work on our part, but now the whole application will accept any of those types of characters.
The other thing that we’ve done, that we’ve just recently finished, is our new support portal which allows you to search all the help articles that we have in real time. It’s really cool and easy to use. All you have to do is look up in the top right corner of the [online] application and there is a help button and it will take you right to our new support portal and you may be able to learn some cool new tricks about Paper Tiger Online.
Janet: So can you tell us what is in the future for Paper Tiger?
Fred: Sure, I can’t go into any specifics, but one of the things is that we’re really interested in and we really see a need is for people to be able to handle digital files properly. I think we do a great job of handling your physical paper, but establishing a relationship between physical paper and your digital files, we think it’s something very interesting. We also have some great ideas to organize actual information, as well, to start establishing relationships between some of the information you may have, whether it be on paper or whether it be on Facebook or other social media or a digital file like .pdf or email. So we’re really looking ahead and looking forward to working on these new things so that we can see what our customers are thinking about it.
Janet: Wow that does sound interesting. So I’m assuming that our customers will be able to make suggestions and that kind of thing; and they will be able to do that through our new tech support portal, right?
Fred: Absolutely, they can get in touch with us either through our tech support portal, shoot us an email, write on our blog, and be looking in the future for blog posts talking about this and we would love to hear what people have to say about our product and any way we can make it better for you.
Janet: Very cool. Well thank you Fred. We appreciate you being with us today. Now go back to work!
Fred: ok, no problem Janet. Thanks so much.
What suggestions would you make for the future of Paper Tiger Online? Take this short 2-minute PTOnlineDigital Survey and make any comments/suggestions in the feedback boxes provided. We have had some really great feedback so far. Thank you for being so passionate about Paper Tiger Filing System Software for document management!
As we’re approaching the end of the year, it’s time to take a day and do what is called “the file clean out day”. Once you know what you have, you can make decisions on what to purge, save, and possibly scan or archive.
Are you asking yourself, “what’s going on here?”. Consider what shape your filing system is in? Are your filing drawers stuffed so full that it’s nearly impossible to get another piece of paper into – or out of them? Are you hurting your knuckles every time you pull a file out? This time of year is a great time to review your files and purge as much as possible, creating space for next year’s papers.
If you’re using Paper Tiger Filing System Software for Document Management, it’s pretty easy, as all you need to do is run a “file clean out report” and review it to assist you in the process. Don’t use Paper Tiger? Here’s what you can do to get through all your old papers and prepare yourself for the new year. Then implement Paper Tiger so that this process will be simpler next year!
While you’re in the mood to be cleaning out files, don’t forget your PC. It also has files that you no longer need, slowing down your processing of work.
You can run maintenance programs which can ‘defrag’ your files – in other words clean up and arrange them in a way which makes it easier for your PC to find and the speed for running programs will be improved.
Empty your recycle bin. When you delete a file, you are only moving it to the Recycle Bin. If you do not regularly empty your Bin, the files inside may take up valuable disk space. Oftentimes, people overlook this task. You should empty your Recycle Bin regularly, at least once a week. So if you haven’t been doing it, add it to your file clean out day.
Remove Temporary Files. Temporary or junk files are left over by programs and are usually no longer needed. Internet Explorer stores many of the files used on the web pages you visit so that next time you go to a site it doesn’t have to download the same files again. However, this can build up over time and take up a lot of disk space. They waste space and that may eventually slow your PC down.
Do you clean out your files every year? Let us know your process in the comment section below.
Anne McGurty is the president and CEO of Strategize and Organize, a training and consulting firm specializing in helping people perfect their environments and make better use of their resources – time, paper, and all forms of information management. As a productivity expert, Anne provides extensive customized services including business consulting, productivity training, process implementation, and time management seminars. You can also follow Anne on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/strategizeandorganize
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Whether your business is a small one-person operation or a large company, you are bound to have all kinds of paperwork. Often, you have so much paperwork surrounding you that you don’t have a clue as to what is where, or which file is which. Even the smallest of businesses have this type of problem, and it can often be quite a task to come up with a filing system that actually works. No matter how hard we try, or how much we dream, it is hard to go paperless and we are never going to be able to get rid of all of the paper flow that just keeps coming. So why not find a way to keep it organized so that you can find anything that you want in just a few seconds?
When you use the Paper Tiger Filing System Software for document management, you will be able to organize all of your paper files. Now this does not mean that you will be getting rid of your paperwork and just using your computer. Quite the contrary. Actually, with Paper Tiger Filing System Software, you will keep all of your paper files, so that you always have the original hard copy available, but index these records in the software database, so you can find anything you want at a moment’s notice. Some people just feel scanning is still not the solution. Often in attempts to go paperless, more copies are printed that have been stored electronically than ever would have needed to be printed had the one paper copy been kept. This can be used as your very own professional organizer and will really help when it comes to time management.
Did you know that a lot of business owners spend more than 150 hours each year just searching for lost files? When you use the Paper Tiger Filing System Software, you will be able to put these hours to much better use. So, you are probably wondering how Paper Tiger can help you, and what it is all about. Well, Paper Tiger is not a system that involves document scanning. Instead, Paper Tiger uses an indexing method. This means that you keep all of your physical paper files, and index them by inputting an item name and relating keywords for each file, so you can conduct a google-like search in the database and be able to find whenever you need them, instead of having to sift through a stack of paper files or trying to remember that one or two-word title you input on the hanging folder tab, which can really take up a lot of time that could be used in better ways. This indexing method enables a more flexible filing system, and you don’t have to worry about trying to remember where you’ve filed something.
Some of the advantages to using Paper Tiger Filing System Software include:
Indexing is the lowest priced form of document management. Having been in the market for more than 14 years, Paper Tiger has a proven track record of document management and helping people get organized and be more productive. Implement Paper Tiger Filing System Software for document management today and you’ll be on your way to saving time and money.
Do you hate it when your alarm clock goes off every morning? Do you want to roll over and go back to sleep instead of facing another day at work? What sort of things give you job satisfaction?
People work for a variety of reasons. Generally, the number one reason is money. Unfortunately, without money there’s not very much you can do. The bills never stop. You need to pay the mortgage or rent. You have loan payments, grocery bills, school fees for the kids, telephone bills, electricity, gas, water and the list just goes on and on.
That’s the main reason you don’t destroy your alarm clock when it goes off every morning. So what happens when you get to work? Job satisfaction should be an important part of your life. The average person spends a third of the day working. If you don’t enjoy your job, that can make life very difficult.
Filing Can Be A Stressful Part of Your Job
No matter what sort of work you do, inevitably, there will be some sort of record keeping involved. You may be using an alphabetic filing system or a more modernized document management system. Either away, part of the job will inevitably be filing and/or retrieval of files. Do you find that part of your job easy or does it get overwhelming at times? Would you enjoy your job more if filing was easier?
Life in general can be very stressful, then add to that the different aspects of your job. However, there are plenty of methods for reducing your stress and workload.
Imagine a morning when your alarm clock goes off and you’re actually excited about going to work because you don’t have to face stacks of paper files. Well, that’s not a pipe dream. It can become a reality.
If you’re still using an alphabetical filing system, you’re probably spending several hours a day filing and retrieving files, trying to remember what subject you put on the hanging folder tabs for the specific files you need. That’s really unproductive time for both you and your employer. There must be a better way.
If you’re the person actively maintaining the filing and retrieving the files, it’s possible that your boss may not even be aware of how much time it takes. There are better ways to spend your time than being bogged down with filing.
Document Management Software is More Efficient
An efficient document management software such as Paper Tiger Filing System Software, will not only make life better for you, it will save your employer lots of money. Obviously you want job satisfaction, and therefore it’s in your best interest to bring up such matters with your boss. Some managers appreciate this sort of constructive input and may thank you for it.
Paper Tiger can be set up to suit your company’s exact needs. It’s up to you, your boss and other staff members to determine the best way to file all documents. If you use such a system, all documents, no matter what format they’re in, can be easily stored within the same file. This means that if you have some paper files, DVDs, a PowerPoint presentation or other electronic files on a CD and a binder, all relating to the same subject matter, they can all be kept within the same hanging file folder. By simply recording the subject and relating keywords to all documents within a file folder into the database, it’s very easy to check the location of the file at any time by simply conducting a google-like search in the filing system software program.
If your management team decided to implement Paper Tiger Filing System Software, you’ll spend less time filing and retrieving files, and more time doing the more important tasks. Once your filing system has been implemented, you’ll be able to locate any file that your boss wants easily and quickly.
This system also has another advantage. You probably have thousands of files that you need to keep for legal reasons, but are no longer active. You can archive these files somewhere off-site or in an archive room, and how to keep track of what is in your archives is a simple process with Paper Tiger.
Surely you would enjoy your job more if filing was easier. When people feel productive, they generally feel happier and more confident. Implementing Paper Tiger is a win-win situation all around.
Many people think that all that teachers do is teach our kids the things they need to know in order to be able to graduate and go on to college, or get jobs. They do not realize all of the little things that teachers do in order to be able to teach their classes. After all, lesson plans don’t just appear out of thin air, and tests don’t make themselves up. Teachers have to create their own lesson plans, create tests and exams, grade tests and other assignments and keep track of those grades, and so much more. Often, you will find quite a few filing cabinets in a typical classroom, and these are filled to capacity with all of the things that teachers have to deal with every single day. This is a really good reason why teachers should switch to a much easier form of paper management, such as that offered by Paper Tiger Filing System Software for Document Management.
If you are a teacher, you know all too well how much paperwork accumulates on your desk in the course of a day, and at the end of a week, you may even be buried under all of the paper files that you know needs to be filed away, but how to file for easy retrieval is mind-boggling. You may think that a file management system such as indexing software for filing is something that is just for businesses, but it is something that can really make your job a whole lot easier and free up a lot of your time. You can eliminate a lot of the clutter from your classroom, and your mind, so you are free to do what you really want to do: teach.
Some of the things that you can use this system for include:
Paper Tiger Filing System Software is an excellent tool for teachers and professors who want to free up their time and space. Because this is an indexing system and not a scanning system, you will still be able to keep all of your original paper files. You can keep what you need, and toss what you don’t. This filing system software is designed to save you time and effort when you are ready to either file or retrieve your paper files. You simply indicate where that item is stored and assign it a series of relevant keywords. Then you never need worry about misplacing a file again. When you need to find something in a hurry, you won’t have stacks of paper files to go through or have to remember what name you put on the hanging file folder tab, because you can find it with just a few keystrokes on your computer.
The next time you are trying to find something in a pile of papers, perhaps a test that you want to hand out to your students the next day, and are ready to give up and make a new one because you have so much to go through that it is overwhelming, consider implementing a different sort of paper filing system that will save you a lot of time. If you’re filing the old-fashioned, alphabetic way without Paper Tiger Filing System Software for document management, you’re working too hard!
Learn what Paper Tiger can do for you, and how it can make your life a whole lot easier.
Document Management – How Long Do I Have To Keep My Paper Files?
by Ramona Creel
At work, at home, no matter who you are or what you do — we are all bombarded with paper. Some days, as I help clients sort through their mail, I’m amazed that we have any trees left on this planet at all! Junk mail, bills, magazines, newspapers, memos, reports — it’s an endless source of stress. Things have gotten so bad that we’re developing a new fear in our society — “paperphobia,” the fear of having to deal with that stack that’s been sitting there for a week. But a good document management system is the key to overcoming your paper-induced worries!
Thinning The Herd
Remember the first rule of clutter — “the less you have, the easier it is to organize.” The paperless office is still a long way off — I can’t guarantee that you will ever be able to eliminate paper from your life completely, but you can certainly reduce the size of the piles. Let’s start by going through your old files and doing some cleaning out. I believe strongly that if you don’t have a good reason for keeping it, get rid of it — but a lot of folks are afraid to ever throw a document away because they might need it again “someday.” How do you define “someday?” I suggest that my clients ask themselves some basic questions about why they are keeping their paper:
That last question leads us to the subject of purging financial and legal records. This is a sensitive (and somewhat scary) issue, because there could be some harsh consequences if you throw something out too soon. I agree that it’s better to be safe than sorry, but fear is a poor organizing guide. If you simply take the time to educate yourself about how long you are legally required to retain each document, you’ll never go wrong. Effective document management is all about having the right information and acting on that knowledge.
Records Retention Guidelines
In recent years, an entirely new field of study called “records management” has arisen — dedicated to helping people understand how long they must keep certain documents. Based on the information gathered by this industry, I have compiled standard schedule for purging your files. But please understand that this is a complicated issue (especially in today’s litigious society), and each situation is unique. Many professions set their own legal guidelines for records retention, and you may have some unusual or extenuating circumstance in your life — so check with your accountant or attorney before pitching out any important legal, business, or financial paperwork.
You must keep the following documents forever (yes, forever!):
Businesses are held accountable to a much stricter set of rules than individuals. In addition, specific industries set their own legal standards, including but not limited to healthcare, insurance, law, etc. In addition to the items listed above, all companies should create permanent files for the following, but be sure to ask your professional association for any additional policies for record management and retention.
Hold onto the following paperwork for six years. The IRS may go back 6 years to audit your tax returns for errors or incorrectly claimed deductions, so it’s important to keep all tax-related documents.
Keep these records for three years:
You should retain these records according to the following guidelines:
Safely Disposing Of Paper
Just because you cleaned it out, does not mean that it goes in the trash! Did you realize that once you put something in a garbage can at the curb, it becomes public property? And reports of identity theft are increasing every day. When someone else gains access to your personal records (social security number, tax id, drivers license number, address, bank account information) and pretends to be you, the results can be disastrous. Using your identifying information, this person can take out loans, run up credit card bills, and run up a tremendous amount of debt — all in your name. And most times, you never know until you get the collection letter. It can take years to clear up the legal and financial problems this causes you, and it can temporarily ruin your credit. Proper document management is synonymous with safety.
So to protect yourself from this threat, be sure to dispose of your important records properly. Any piece of paper that contains account numbers, your social security number, or any other sensitive information should be shredded. If you only have a small amount of paper to destroy, consider visiting your local office supply store to pick up a personal shredder — they run as little at $20 or $30. If you generate a large quantity of “shredable” paper, or just don’t want to sit there feeding in one page at a time, think about using a mobile shredding service. These companies will come to your home or office and shred your documents on-site for a fee. Just be sure that you choose a reputable company that provides you with a certificate or letter guaranteeing that your paper has been shredded unrecognizable.
Welcome To The Digital Age
In order for your filing system to be truly effective, it should really have two components — a paper side combined with electronic document management software. Software such as Paper Tiger Filing System Software for Document Management is designed to save you time and effort when you are ready to either file or retrieve your paper files. You simply indicate where that item is stored and assign it a series of relevant keywords. Then you never need worry about misplacing a file again. Simply search by the name of the document or one of the keywords and voila! If you’re filing the old-fashioned way without document management software, you’re working too hard!
About the Author
Ramona Creel is Professional Organizer, NAPO Golden Circle Member, and the original founder of OnlineOrganizing. A former Social Worker, she has always enjoyed helping people find the resources and solutions they need to improve their lives. Ramona now travels the country as a full-time RVer, sharing her story of simplicity with everyone she meets. She leads by example — having worked for more than 10 years as a Professional Organizer, and having radically downsized and simplified her own life as a full-time RVer. Ramona now considers herself a “Renaissance Woman” — bringing all of her passions together into one satisfying career. As a “Virtual Organizer”, she can create a customized organizing plan for your home or office. As a “Simplicity and Accountability Coach “, Ramona provides a proven program for making every area of your life a little bit easier — perfect for those who want to make the time and space to focus on their true priorities. As a Professional Photographer, Ramona captures powerful images of places and people as she travels. And as a freelance writer and blogger, she shares organizing techniques, travel tips, and social commentary with others. You can see all these sides of Ramona — read her articles, browse through her photographs, and even hire her to help get your life in order — at www.RamonaCreel.com. You can also follow her on Twitter, check out her Facebook profile, and subscribe to her blog feeds.
The Paper Tiger Online multi-user plans have been designed to help your team increase its efficiency and agility around document management. It offers a unified online environment for you to have more than 1 user in your Paper Tiger account, and will provide your team better collaboration and access to document information without the risks associated with sharing a single account. I’m sure you’ll see the benefits as you think about how more efficient your staff can be with the document management and paper flow in your office.
Some benefits to your organization include:
Paper Tiger Online multi-user plans allow you to set up an infinite number of users who can access your Paper Tiger filing system information. Each user will have unique user credentials associated with their profiles. This capability will allow you to track the changes made by each user in your team.
Because some information in your Paper Tiger account may be classified, a Paper Tiger Online multi-user plan lets you set permissions on the users you invite. This allows you to control what databases or locations each user can view or edit.
To maintain the integrity and consistency of your document management information, Paper Tiger Online multi-user plans come with built in error detection controls which prevents more than one user from editing the same file at the same time.
The Paper Tiger Online multi-user plan is a great solution for team environments with large volumes of physical documents and items that they need to track and collaborate around. The return on investment you receive will be evident in the productivity and effectiveness of your team.
Below is a peek into some of the Paper Tiger Online multi-user features.
The user management page above displays all the users who currently have access to your account and the number of user space available for your account. From here you can invite new users, cancel current users and edit each user’s individual profile and permissions. See more information in our Knowledge Base article ‘Inviting a User to Your Multi-User Account.’
The permissions page allows you to set permissions for what each user can view and edit. Permissions management can be done at the database and location level, you can select what each user can and cannot view or edit.
Please see our Knowledge Base articles Paper Tiger Multi-User Concepts, How to Set User Permissions and How Do Permissions Work?, and Collision Detection for more information regarding Paper Tiger Online multi-user plans and how they work.
Read this article by Stephanie Calahan of Calahan Solutions and a Paper Tiger Expert for statistics regarding how much misfiled and lost paper files cost you. Stephanie also recommends Paper Tiger Filing System and Document Management Software in her Office Miracle to be able to find your files when you need them!
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The other day I was doing my file clean-out, (yes you really should go through and see what is still relevant!), and I came across some statistics that I thought you might be interested in. Implications could make or break your business!
Companies typically misfile 2 – 20 % of their records. (Source: ARMA International)
Large organizations lose a document every 12 seconds. On average 7.5 of the documents are lost forever! (source: ARMA International)
90% of all workplace docs are still on paper; 30% of the average workday is spent searching for that info! (source: Assoc for Info & Image Mgt)
The average office spends $20 on labor for filing each document & $120 searching for every misfiled document! (source: Coopers & Lybrand study in Inc Mag)
The average office loses 1 out of 20 office documents & spends $250 on document re-creation! (source: Coopers & Lybrand study in Inc Mag)
Wow! Do you have processes in your business to make sure that these statistics are not representing you too?
Also see this article “Did You Know Paper and Other Things in Your Office Hold Emotion?” by Stephanie that you should find helpful when deciding what to file or not.
About the Author:
Stephanie Calahan is The Business Vision Catalyst and founder of Calahan Solutions, Inc. She works with purpose-driven entrepreneurs, visionaries, coaches, consultants, health practitioners, authors, speakers and all sorts of remarkable service professionals who are experts in their field, to help them embrace their brilliance, leverage their business and get their message out with power, ease and joy; so that they can make a powerfully positive difference in the world, exponentially grow their income and enjoy a highly-successful and meaningful business… while working less. Learn how you can have more freedom in your life! http://www.StephanieCalahan.com
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Do you have trouble keeping things organized, especially all of the paper files for your small business? Is this problem flowing over into your everyday life because you just can’t seem to get organized at all, and it is starting to affect your life and your business?
Well, maybe you should look into getting professional help. No, we are not talking about psychological help, but help getting all of your business paperwork organized so you can find anything you need whenever you need it, quickly and easily. This is a great way to declutter your office, and in a way, your life as well. Because, if your work life is cluttered, you will probably bring this clutter home with you (at least in your mind, because you are worried about finding things), so your life may end up becoming quite cluttered, also.
A lot of business owners rely on using the traditional method of alphabetical filing for all of their paper files. This is okay, to a degree, but it does require quite a bit of maintenance, and it is not a job that you can always find people to do willingly. After all, filing it is pretty boring. Also, people tend to think differently about files from one day to the next, so it is common to have to look in different places in your filing cabinet to find the right title in which you filed it previously. So, instead of drudging through files all the time, or making one of your employees suffer through the task, why not consider going to a different method of document management, such as indexing using Paper Tiger Filing System Software for Document Management. This software is easy to learn how to use, so you should have no problem learning everything you need to know in half an hour or less.
Another bonus to using the Paper Tiger is for archiving old files. For instance, if you do like to clean out your hanging file folders every so often and get rid of old things you do not need or send them to a storage facility for those you have to keep for a certain length of time, how to archive using this paper management system is simple, and you’ll be able to track where they are in the event you ever need them again. You can even set an Action Date to remind you when to toss them or take additional action on them.
You can also use this filing system software for managing things other than your paper files. If you have books, binders, CDs, DVDs, items in storage containers or a storage facility, or any kind of collectors items or inventory, they can also be cataloged using this filing system.
When you sign up to use Paper Tiger Online Filing System Software, you will be ready to start using the software in under a minute. If you ever have any questions, there are videos, online help, frequently asked questions and the Paper Tiger Knowledge Base, so you are never without resources for learning. There is also online chat available, so you can have your questions answered within minutes.
It is estimated that people waste 150 hours per year looking for lost items. Indexing your paper files and all your other physical items will save you a lot of time and money that can be used for other areas of your business. De-clutter your business and your life when you take advantage of all that Paper Tiger Filing System Software and Document Management has to offer.
