We thought we would have a little extra fun with The Paper Tiger Online Beta testers! Not only do you have a chance to win an Apple iPad with responses to the surveys after each assignment, but we will be giving $10.00 to our top 10 Beta testers.
Top 10 who give us
-the best feedback!
-the most feedback!
-find the most bugs!
-answer the survey!
In today’s workplace environment, it’s frowned upon to discriminate against anyone for any reason whatsoever. It also suggests that everyone should have the same ability to find suitable work. Employers must be seen to treat everyone fairly.
ADD/ADHD Presents Specific Challenges
People who suffer from Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or Attention Deficit & Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) often have difficulty in workplaces for many reasons. If tasks are too mundane or take too long to complete, they can become difficult for the employee to handle.
This can create feelings of low self-esteem and may trigger the desire to quit work rather than cope with it. This challenge often proves to be a large obstacle to people who suffer from ADD/ADHD successfully finding and keeping jobs, especially if they’ve had a bad experience in the past.
Having ADD/ADHD means you have a chronic illness that can’t be cured. It doesn’t turn you into a “monster with 2 heads.” You’re still a human being who deserves the same opportunities everyone else has. Having a chronic illness that isn’t obviously visible doesn’t make it any less real. Add disorganization to the specific challenges of ADD/ADHD and you get more stress than normal, lack of concentration, confusion and a sense of panic.
Bring Sanity Back With Document Management Software
The great news is that document management software, like The Paper Tiger Document Management and Filing System Software brings sanity back into people’s lives. The Paper Tiger is very user friendly for anyone needing such a system. However, people who have ADD/ADHD have an added bonus in knowing that it’s so easy to use and is very logical, which means it doesn’t require an excessive amount of effort. This means files can be saved, archived, retrieved or discarded without the stress that traditional style systems have.
To better understand how filing system software can help you, just picture life without it. Desks piled high with overflowing folders full of documents. In and out trays full to capacity with more documents waiting to be added to the files. Everyone running around scratching their heads and trying to retrieve specific files so they can get back to the more demanding work. An unwieldy alphabetical filing system that forces people to waste hours of valuable time is something that makes no sense.
This picture can be summed up in just 3 words –
COSTLY, INEFFICIENT and FRUSTRATING!
Get Organized to Increase Office Efficiency and Moral
Imagine the possibilities if your new filing system software was able to help people facing these extra challenges to better cope. Just think how much more efficiently your whole company would run.
Now close your eyes and picture a row of desks with in trays and out trays containing just a few documents. The desktops have a few files here and there, and staff members are smiling as they carry out their daily tasks. That’s an example of how much impact the implementation of the right document management system can have on your staff and the company’s bottom line.
Naturally this software isn’t just for people with health problems. It’s designed to make life easier for everyone using it. Employers will have greater confidence in implementing such a user-friendly filing system. Employees will be able to better manage their time in order to focus on the more demanding tasks.
In any workplace, teamwork is a vital component of success. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. In a workplace, as in life, it’s up to everyone to cope with the cards they’ve been dealt. So if you can add the right document management system and increase efficiency for all, then that’s fantastic.
The one thing that people in all working environments agree on is that work should be manageable. The more user-friendly your filing system is, the better it will be for everyone.
Your IQ or mental capacity should make no difference. Knowing that user-friendly document management software brings sanity back into people’s lives, will enable you to create a better working atmosphere without breaking the bank.
The Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System will get you on the right track and bring sanity to your life!
Other Recent Posts:
The Smartest Filing System for Busy Moms
The Paper Tiger Will Help You Practice Good Time Management and Organization Techniques
The Many uses of The Paper Tiger
Today’s mail is tomorrow’s clutter. Stop making stacks; start making decisions!
The Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System can help you find files after you’ve filed them.
And to help you make the decisions you need to make regarding how to handle the paper flow through your home or office, see our blog post The Paper Tiger Will Help You Practice Good Time Management and Organization Techniques
There are 24 hours in a day. No more and no less. It doesn’t matter if you’re the CEO of the largest corporation or a school cleaner. However, moms are in a unique category. A mom is supposed to be all things to all people and accomplish miracles on a regular basis. The smartest filing system for busy moms is user-friendly and helps her to achieve these miraculous challenges each and every day.
Picture any mother. She has to be a wife, a mother, a sister, a daughter, an auntie, a friend, a chauffeur, cook, cleaner, dishwasher, record keeper, money manager and all-round multitasking super mom. This list is more than enough to exhaust a regular person and it doesn’t even include time for sleep, rest or hobbies.
Busy Moms Need Help to Get Organized
Think about your own circumstances. You may be a man or woman. Either way, you probably agree that moms need some help. The great news is that modern, versatile filing system software can help reduce the amount of time needed to accomplish some of these tasks. This time can then be focused on more important things. A filing system isn’t necessarily a grey shabby-looking filing cabinet with a bunch of messy old papers stuffed inside.
Filing systems are already used for so many purposes in every day life which aren’t recognized as filing systems. Your computer has files and folders in different places probably saved in a haphazard fashion on your hard drive with some things misfiled or duplicated because you’ve lost track of them. The shoebox in the cupboard has a pile of paid bills. That’s a file. A book shelf files books. That’s also a file. As is the shelf under the DVD recorder.
Make Life Easier
Anything that needs to be stored is a form of filing. Why not make life much easier? When you receive something, you have to make a choice. Action it, archive it for future retrieval if necessary or throw it out. As a mom, think of all the things you have to keep. It’s hard enough remembering where everything is, let alone trying to find something that another member of the household has put away because they think differently.
Kids’ school reports, paid bills, outstanding bills, bank statements, warranties, CDs, DVDs, legal certificates for birth, marriage, divorce, business names, mortgage details, important contact details for family and friends, kids toys, copies of wills and powers of attorney, medical records, insurance details, photos in albums, prescriptions, employment records, tax records and the list goes on and on. You could even keep a file for all the clothing each family member has so you don’t waste money needlessly.
Picture your home as it is today. Ninety-five percent of the time, stuff will be strewn throughout the house. It’s poor mom’s job to find the lost assignment due today. It’s also her job to make breakfast, prepare lunches for the kids, write a couple of checks, pay some bills, remember to ring Aunt Dorothy for her birthday, order some flowers to be sent to her, give the kids their pocket money and to juggle all these tasks simultaneously.
Would you remember them all? Probably not! It’s time to give mom a helping hand! Using smart filing system software, she can create one simple way to organize everything that needs filing and storing, no matter where it is in the house, the garage, the shed, or in storage.
Instead of using an old fashioned alphabetical system, she can use one where all titles are specific to what they record. For example – bills can be divided into power, telephone, rates, school fees, etc., but can be grouped together as paid or unpaid. They could be filed in monthly, quarterly or yearly or however you want them to be filed.
Your huge DVD collection could be sorted according to genre. CDs can be done the same way. You could have different numbered boxes and make that number part of the title. Kids’ reports and school work could be under their names or categories and sub categories. It doesn’t really matter what you call them.
Standardize the Way You Store Things
It doesn’t matter where you store things. The main aim of using an indexed filing system is to standardize so you and your whole family can easily retrieve things without wasting hours searching the house from top to bottom.
Some things may be in a filing cabinet if they’re documents. Some may be in drawers, boxes, hanging files, under beds, in the shed or garage, or perhaps stored outside of the residence. If a busy mom can save time when she puts things away and retrieves them again, think of how much free time she’ll have to do other things or simply to have a well deserved rest.
Motherhood is the hardest job in existence and it isn’t even a salaried position! So why on earth shouldn’t moms be able to use the same system that corporations use to save time and money?
Access can be restricted to whoever needs it. Hard copies of the index can be printed off and given to each family member or posted in a convenient place. Perhaps store a copy offsite at a friend’s house or at the bank, along with copies of all vital documents and a backup of all computer files.
Mom can run the household like a business and keep track of things more efficiently. A smart document management system can be the foundation for really getting the household organized properly once and for all.
The Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System — the smartest filing system for busy moms will create a whole new way of life in which there is less stress and more time for the things that really count.
Following is a tip for managing file folders in the The Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System.
Use a manila file inside a Pendaflex hanging file folder only if you plan to remove the entire file from the cabinet from time to time, or you want to subdivide a file into categories.
The Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System is a very powerful, yet simple indexing system that will totally revolutionize the relationship you have with your filing cabinet. The filing system works just like a search engine for your paper files!
Do you know where your Paper Tiger Database is? Have you archived it lately onto a CD or flash-drive in case of computer failure?
The default location of each version of The Paper Tiger is below:
For builds 4.1.13 and above, you can find the database file at the following location: “C:\PaperTiger PTxxxxx41 Backups”
Note: XXXXX indicates Professional/Basic/Network, depending on the edition of The Paper Tiger you have. You will need to look for a .bak file extension.
For builds 4.1.12 and below, you can find the backup file at the following locations: “C:\Program Files\The Monticello Corporation\MSSQL.X\MSSQL\Backup”. You will need to look for a .bak file extension.
You can find version 3 database on your harddrive at: Programs files/The Monticello Corporation/*.ptd file. *indicates the name of your database.
You can find version 2 database on your harddrive at: Paper Tiger Single User 2.0/Databasefiles/*.ptd file. *indicates the name of your database.
Every business, company, organization and government body of any description has to deal with the serious issue of document management and how best to deal with such a complex issue. Frequently the main concern is only how to file the information. However, a user friendly filing system must allow easy retrieval of all documents or files at any given time.
Retrieval is the key reason why documents must be stored in the first place. Some material has to be kept for a certain period of time for legal reasons. Other files need to be accessed regularly so that more documents can be added or amended. On some files, you will simply take action and then shred or delete them.
A classic case is a hospital. If you were a patient in a particular hospital and only had to go there twice in a five year period, you would expect the doctor to easily access your records the second time and then add current information to that existing file. He wouldn’t create a duplicate file.
There’s no reason to have a filing system that doesn’t tell you where the relevant file has been stored whenever you need it. Society revolves around legal hard copy documents for everything from birth certificates to business licenses and legal contracts for major companies. Because computers are a major part of today’s lifestyle, it’s only logical to utilize options that can now be offered to help reduce the clutter that current paper filing systems create.
You may have an office with 200 staff that all carry out different duties. They still need access to the same document management system to retrieve vital information to carry out their specific work. Many staff members may even collaborate on some files if that’s what their duties dictate. Using specialized filing system software to record the location of all files within the company will enable faster retrieval and increased efficiency.
Documents can be added to files as time passes and, if you currently use an alphabetical system, it can become very confusing and cumbersome. This is because everyone thinks differently. One person might use a business name as the title, while another uses a person’s name, and therefore duplicate files can get created and as history of that “file” grows, so does the confusion.
To avoid such problems, it’s essential to have very user-friendly document management software. Establish set criteria for the naming of files and make that a standard right through the company. Then filing, retrieval, additions to and re-filing processes will become much more streamlined and save countless hours and thousands of dollars. The staff will be more productive and your business will achieve its goals a lot faster.
If your business doesn’t use an efficient document management system, documents can be created in a variety of different formats. Apart from hard copy paper-based documents, you’ll have faxes, audio, DVD, CD and PowerPoint files. There will also be emails that may be quite lengthy and have been viewed by numerous people. These may need to be added to specific files as well.
Using document management software, you can record the location of each item and the file in which it’s stored. If any of these various formats are needed again, simply access the file by checking your computer for the location. Then you have all the relevant information in one place.
Quite often there might be regular reviews of material contained in some of the files. Instead of trying to remember them or write them in a diary that only you can see, utilize the filing system software to set reminders so that anybody can access the information and action the necessary work. This means that even if the relevant person is away sick, the work can still be carried out.
When all the files are stored and labeled correctly as per the filing system guidelines you implement, you have the added benefits of knowing who and when files have been accessed and/or action taken. Compliance with all regulatory bodies is much easier when you have tighter control over your document management system.
In addition, using an efficient document management system will enable you to reduce the office clutter. The desks that used to be piled high with files waiting to be worked on will become a thing of the past. Staff simply retrieve the relevant information they need only when they need it. They’re not confronted with that depressing pile every single day.
No matter what decision you make, remember that a user friendly filing system must allow easy retrieval or it just becomes another time waster that your business shouldn’t have to deal with.
The Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System is a very powerful, yet simple indexing system that will totally revolutionize the relationship you have with your filing cabinet. The filing system works just like a search engine for your paper files!
You can start with as few, or as many, of your files as you like by simply creating your index into the software’s database and printing the accompanying labels. Then, as you add new files, simply add them to your database and you’re on your way to a more efficient and cost-effective document management solution.
You may have never thought about it, but when it comes to managing paper, you only have 5 options. We have outlined the options in our Document Management Decision Guide. Of course, we suggest indexing the files in your filing cabinet using Paper Tiger Filing System Software for document management. The following article by Meggin McIntosh tells us that we have 4 options when dealing with emails.
By Meggin McIntosh, “The Ph.D. of Productivity”™ and Paper Tiger Expert
Really, you can only make one of four decisions when dealing with your email:
1. Delete
2. Do
3. Delegate
4. Defer
In this article, you’ll learn about how to make the decision to delete emails – quickly.
Delete. Delete. Delete. (I can’t emphasize the importance of this decision enough!) The minute some emails come in, you already know “This is a dud, this is nothing, this isn’t even to me, I didn’t ask for this. You must be kidding!” All those things that go through your head with some e-mails we receive. They don’t deserve a reply; you don’t need to save them; you need to just delete them and do that as rapidly as you can.
In some cases, it’s wise to set up rules to help ‘make the decision to delete.’ Let’s say you’ve tried to ask somebody to stop sending you emails, particularly of a certain kind, or you’ve indicated that you want to get off a list or who knows what else, and yet, emails from these folks (or companies) still keep coming in. This is the time to set a rule (and essentially all email programs let you establish rules). In Outlook, when you have an e-mail and you need to set a rule, you right-click on the e-mail and one of the choices is “create rule.” Then you can specify the parameters of the rule, e.g., if it’s from that person’s name, if it has certain words or phrases in the subject line, etc.
Recently when I was working in a woman’s office to help her be more productive, we spent some time (actually, a huge amount of time) working with her email. Now, this person is not a neophyte in the world of software; she is actually a software designer and in fact, she owns the company. Yet, she had never learned how to set up rules in her Outlook e-mail. I showed her how to right-click, set up rules, and she was delighted! She had never known that option was there. So, just because you don’t yet know how to do something doesn’t mean you are stupid or uninformed. It just means you get to learn something new that will help you!
The idea here is that you establish rules so that the minute certain emails show up, they can go right into your deleted items, thereby never even showing up in your inbox. The email flashes in and then it’s out before you even have a chance to notice that it’s there. That is some fast decision-making!
Thinking further about the decision of delete, I know how many times when I’m working in someone’s office and we’re looking at their e-mail and there are between 500 and 5,000 just sitting in the in-box. When we start to go through them the person will say, “I don’t know why I have this. I hate it when I get these kinds of things,” but yet they didn’t delete them. You don’t want to be one of those people, so start deleting more freely.
Dealing with email in a productive manner involves making decisions. The first, and really the easiest, is delete. Go to your inbox now and see if you can’t delete at least 10 emails in the next 2 minutes. Then try for 10 in the next 90 seconds. Then….well, you get the idea.
You’re invited to join others (worldwide) who receive Meggin’s weekly emails (and see what is available for download at no cost at the following websites) – all with the goal of helping you be peacefully (and predictably) productive:
**Top Ten Productivity Tips (http://www.TopTenProductivityTips.com)
**Keys to Keeping Chaos at Bay (http://www.KeepingChaosatBay.com)
You can also follow Meggin on Twitter at @megginmcintosh
(c) 2009 by Meggin McIntosh, Ph.D., “The Ph.D. of Productivity”(tm). Through her company, Emphasis on Excellence, Inc., Meggin McIntosh changes what people know, feel, dream, and do. Sound interesting? It is!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Meggin_McIntosh
Document management has been an integral part of every company, business and organization since each business started operations. Some have been in existence for well over 100 years, while others have only come into existence recently. To protect each organization, there has to be rules regarding the filing and storage of all documentation.
For the purposes of this article, the term “business” includes businesses, organizations, companies and all other establishments needing to keep records. Every business is different in many ways. Structure, location, responsibilities, size, accountability and nature of the business being conducted are all different facets of any business and have to be taken into consideration when creating any document storage and filing system.
Regulations Need to be Followed
Regulations are created by whatever governing body the business has to answer to, whether it’s in legal terms or with regards to personal privacy laws or policies. As an example of the latter, a hospital has a duty of care to ensure all patient records are kept confidential. At the same time, however, information needs to be easily accessible. Decisions may have to be made very quickly sometimes with regards to a patient’s health and the decision may be a matter of life or death.
Some businesses that may have been in existence for fifty years or more could have millions of records and most of them would be paper based files. This means there would be very large storage areas full of important information that may not be easily accessible because the information is pre-computer age material. Such businesses would need to facilitate a more modern approach to a document management system in keeping with current, ever changing regulations.
Rules regarding methods for record keeping can be made by Federal, State and Local governments, hospitals, universities, schools, places of worship, defense forces, major corporations, social and sporting clubs and so the list goes on and on. Because businesses interact with each other, the most sensible approach would be to use a standardized style of document indexing system.
A thorough understanding of the rules and regulations of records management that govern your particular business is vital. Any business has to comply with rules set down by various controlling bodies. The only way to ensure you comply fully is to use an indexing system that will enable you to keep total control over all records and yet have them readily locatable and accessible if required at any time.
Some laws are complex and can sometimes be intentionally vague to allow for new technology developments. There can be stiff fines and even jail time applicable for serious breaches of document management retention guidelines. CEOs, managers of large businesses and other enterprises are more frequently turning to companies that specialize in storage of document management and filing systems to help them maintain the increasing amount of information that they receive.
Ease and Flexibility
The document management system should offer great flexibility, be easily accessible to anyone needing information, be user-friendly and reduce the amount of space necessary to maintain permanent records. It shouldn’t be a tedious time-consuming task.
Intelligent Document Management Software
Record keeping in the past has been generally alphabetical, numerical or a clumsy combination of the two. Because of new technology and ever-changing rules, an intelligent document management software, like The Paper Tiger Document Management and Filing System Software, is really the best choice because of its versatility. If files can be located by simply conducting a ‘google-like’ search from your computer, it will be much easier to comply with all relevant rules pertaining to your specific business.
Disposal of Records
It’s also necessary to know how to dispose of records permanently and correctly once they’re no longer required. If this isn’t done properly, there can be serious repercussions. A certain bank discovered this the hard way when some of their old computers containing hundreds of confidential customer files went up for auction on eBay. Needless to say, there were heavy legal penalties imposed.
Businesses have different lengths of time for which records must be kept. A standard figure for most businesses is seven years. If your business operates in different states or countries, then the way you set up and maintain your document management system will be forced to comply with the rules of those states and countries.
Any system you decide to use must be able to cope with these extra complications. Technology will continue to improve and more reliance will be placed on utilizing it to replace older, more archaic systems.
Ensuring you’re following the rules regarding the filing and storage of all documentation is a mandatory part of every business and using a smart document management software, like The Paper Tiger Document Management and Filing System Software, will enable you to have the greatest amount of flexibility to cope with this enormous job.
The following changes have been made to The Paper Tiger Document Management and Filing System Software to give the option to make a copy of the database backup file to a user select archive folder each time that a backup is performed.
-A checkbox field has been added to the Database Backup Manager Form to set up the archive folder. Go to File, then Database Backup Manager.
-Click the Auto Archive check box.
-Click on the Browse button to select an Archive Folder where you wish to place the archived database.
-Select the folder and click on OK to return the Database Backup Manager Form.
The selected folder will be displayed next to the Auto Archive check box. Each time a backup is performed, a copy of the backup file (.BAK) will be written to the folder.
You can also define the Auto Archive folder by going to the Edit/ Preference menu and click on the Shutdown Tab. The Auto Archive fields work the same as on the Database Backup Manager Form.
There’s a strong need for a complex and sophisticated form of document management for all businesses, no matter the size. However, this is not the only way in which such a system can be used.
There are plenty of non-profit organizations and individuals who have a need to keep accurate records in an easy to use filing system that will enable them to locate material, or see what they actually have in their collection, whenever necessary.
Individuals may have a collection of old vinyl records that they want to keep preserved safely. Other people have cd collections of music, talking books, relaxation cds, DVD collections of favorite movies and TV series and even memorabilia related to any of the aforementioned materials.
Keep Accurate Records of Collectors Items and Many Other Things!
With an efficient indexing system, like The Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System, that is versatile enough to handle all different formats of stored information, this will allow people to keep accurate records of their collections. Such collections are often kept stored safely away from any possible threats, whether it’s from burglary, or fire. Bank deposit boxes are a great way to keep important material and also a hard copy of the indexing system you utilize.
Book, stamp and coin collectors are notorious for keeping meticulous records of all the items in their collection so they can confidently keep looking for more treasures to add to the ever-growing collections. But it’s impossible for them to remember every single item they own before making any purchase.
A well organized indexing system will allow them to label files according to their own specific needs, so a quick glance can show if they already own the rare coin or particular book they see advertised somewhere and may want to purchase.
There are many other types of collectors that need to keep records of their collections, as well as other pertinent facts. Antiques, certain kinds of hobbies such as trains, toy cars, dolls, gem stones and more are all considered to be valuable collections to their owners. Being able to instantly see what your collection has in it by hitting a few buttons on your keyboard or reading the hard copy file is a necessity.
You may have a number of different medical problems, some of them going back years. Using this smart system means you can keep all items including test results, x-rays, other scans and receipts in one place. You never know when you’ll need a particular piece of paper or test result and this system puts everything at your fingertips.
Medical laboratories can use this type of system to catalog and store specimen samples and test results for easy location when needed in the future. Because there are a wide variety of different medical uses, having a standardized system allows for everyone to use the same method and therefore makes retrieval of vital data and specimens much easier, especially if numerous people use the same information.
You may be involved in a complex court case and have lots of different documentation. Indexing this information can help you file documents away for future reference rather than having to carry it all around with you. Some court cases can drag out for years and the files could be on a range of topics including: legislation, personal documents relating to the claim, expenses and specifics regarding what caused the legal wrangle in the first place. Document management software can be easily implemented to help keep track of where a file can be found.
Keep Track of Archives, Home Contents, Moving or Storage Boxes
Archiving of material becomes a much easier process when using document management software. These archived files and documents can then be stored somewhere off site in a secure place, which means if your current location has problems such as a fire, theft or power outage, the archived files won’t be affected.
When moving, you can label every packing box to know instantly what’s in each box and, after arriving at your destination, they can be quickly put in the correct rooms. It’s also handy if you have to keep possessions in storage for a while.
Most people have home and contents insurance. However, would you remember exactly what you had if your house burnt down? You can create a file detailing all of your possessions, their value, brands, etc. so it’s easier to deal with if the worst does happen. You can also use this if you have a wine cellar. You can easily update this as you make new purchases.
Efficient record keeping has enormous versatility in its options and so the benefits are invaluable for business people and individuals alike. These are only some of the possible uses but it’s a powerful example of how many different ways the right document management system can be utilized.
The Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System is the right choice to index and catalog anything you can put a number on. See also our blog for The Many Uses of The Paper Tiger.
This article from Greenstein, Rogoff, Olsen & Co is a great source for Storing tax records: How long is long enough? First you have to decide what paper files to keep and how long to keep them. Document your retention schedule so you don’t have to decide each year what’s best for your situation, then set up your filing system to accommodate when you need to declutter your files by archiving or shredding. Remember to use the Action Date function in The Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System to help you in the life-cycle of your document management retention schedule.
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April 15 has come and gone and another year of tax forms and shoeboxes full of receipts is behind us. But what should be done with those documents after your check or refund request is in the mail?
Federal law requires you to maintain copies of your tax returns and supporting documents for three years. This is called the “three-year law” and leads many people to believe they’re safe provided they retain their documents for this period of time.
However, if the IRS believes you have significantly under-reported your income (by 25 percent or more), or believes there may be indication of fraud, it may go back six years in an audit. To be safe, use the following guidelines.
Business Document To Keep For One Year
• Correspondence with Customers and Vendors
• Duplicate Deposit Slips
• Purchase Orders (other than Purchasing Department copy)
• Receiving Sheets
• Requisitions
• Stenographer’s Notebooks
• Stockroom Withdrawal Forms
Business Documents To Keep For Three Years
• Bank Statements and Reconciliation’s
• Employee Personnel Records (after termination)
• Employment Applications
• Expired Insurance Policies
• General Correspondence
• Internal Audit Reports
• Internal Reports
• Petty Cash Vouchers
• Physical Inventory Tags
• Savings Bond Registration Records of Employees
• Time Cards For Hourly Employees
Business Documents To Keep For Six Years
• Accident Reports, Claims
• Accounts Payable Ledgers and Schedules
• Accounts Receivable Ledgers and Schedules
• Cancelled Checks
• Cancelled Stock and Bond Certificates
• Employment Tax Records
• Expense Analysis and Expense Distribution Schedules
• Expired Contracts, Leases
• Expired Option Records
• Inventories of Products, Materials, Supplies
• Invoices to Customers
• Notes Receivable Ledgers, Schedules
• Payroll Records and Summaries, including payment to pensioners
• Plant Cost Ledgers
• Purchasing Department Copies of Purchase Orders
• Sales Records
• Subsidiary Ledgers
• Time Books
• Travel and Entertainment Records
• Vouchers for Payments to Vendors, Employees, etc.
• Voucher Register, Schedules
Business Records To Keep Forever
While federal guidelines do not require you to keep tax records “forever,” in many cases there will be other reasons you’ll want to retain these documents indefinitely.
• Audit Reports from CPAs/Accountants
• Cancelled Checks for Important Payments (especially tax payments)
• Cash Books, Charts of Accounts
• Contracts, Leases Currently in Effect
• Corporate Documents (incorporation, charter, by-laws, etc.)
• Documents substantiating fixed asset additions
• Deeds
• Depreciation Schedules
• Financial Statements (Year End)
• General and Private Ledgers, Year End Trial Balances
• Insurance Records, Current Accident Reports, Claims, Policies
• Investment Trade Confirmations
• IRS Revenue Agents’ Reports
• Journals
• Legal Records, Correspondence and Other Important Matters
• Minutes Books of Directors and Stockholders
• Mortgages, Bills of Sale
• Property Appraisals by Outside Appraisers
• Property Records
• Retirement and Pension Records
• Tax Returns and Worksheets
• Trademark and Patent Registrations
Personal Document To Keep For One Year
• While it’s important to keep year-end mutual fund and IRA contribution statements forever, you don’t have to save monthly and quarterly statements once the year-end statement has arrived.
Personal Documents To Keep For Three Years
• Credit Card Statements
• Medical Bills (in case of insurance disputes)
• Utility Records
• Expired Insurance Policies
Personal Documents To Keep For Six Years
• Supporting Documents For Tax Returns
• Accident Reports and Claims
• Medical Bills (if tax-related)
• Property Records / Improvement Receipts
• Sales Receipts
• Wage Garnishments
• Other Tax-Related Bills
Personal Records To Keep Forever
• CPA Audit Reports
• Legal Records
• Important Correspondence
• Income Tax Returns
• Income Tax Payment Checks
• Investment Trade Confirmations
• Retirement and Pension Records
Special Circumstances
• Car Records (keep until the car is sold)
• Credit Card Receipts (keep until verified on your statement)
• Insurance Policies (keep for the life of the policy)
• Mortgages / Deeds / Leases (keep 6 years beyond the agreement)
• Pay Stubs (keep until reconciled with your W-2)
• Property Records / improvement receipts (keep until property sold)
• Sales Receipts (keep for life of the warranty)
• Stock and Bond Records (keep for 6 years beyond selling)
• Warranties and Instructions (keep for the life of the product)
• Other Bills (keep until payment is verified on the next bill)
• Depreciation Schedules and Other Capital Asset Records (keep for 3 years after the tax life of the asset)
Should you want to take your Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System database backup file and move it to a remote location, such as a server, flash drive or a CD, producing a backup file to do so with is simple.
Archiving a Database Backup
1. Select Database Backup Manager from the File menu
2. Select Full Database from the Type of Backup area
3. Click on Backup Database
4. Select Create New Backup File from the Type of Backup area
5. Click on Backup Database again
6. Under the window area entitled Backup Files, select the second item from the top in the list of backup files*
7. Click on Archive Backup File
8. Name the file you wish to save and select where it will be located
9. Click on Save
*The most current backup file cannot be archived. Archiving a backup file requires that a newer backup file be generated first. This is to ensure that automatic backups can still occur when the program is closed. Thus the reason for choosing the 2nd item from the top in the list.
Archived backups are not selectable/usable from the database manager window. They can only be selected by clicking on the Restore Archive File button.
Restoring Your Database from an Archived Backup File
When in need of restoring your database from an archived backup file,
1. Select Database Backup Manager from the File menu
2. Click on Restore Archive File
3. Browse to and open the specific file you wish to restore from
4. Select the newly restored backup file
5. Click on Restore Database
6. A confirmation window appears asking if you chose the correct database restore point. Click yes if you are positive you have chosen the correct point
The number one paper management software product is now “in the cloud” – The Paper Tiger Online is now in beta testing and soon to be released!
Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) April 14, 2010 — For the past fifteen years (since 1995), The Paper Tiger Document Management Software & Filing System has set the standard for helping companies and individuals get control of something they hate…filing the paper on their desk and in their office. Now, The Paper Tiger software is being put “in the cloud” and made available worldwide on the Internet (SaaS – software as a service).
Now anyone can start solving their problems with the paper in their office in 30 seconds or less. If a messy desk is a problem, if members of your team want to be able to quickly and easily share information in the office or if you are wasting too much time each week looking for lost information, then The Paper Tiger Online might be for you. The new filing system product is designed for anyone who wants to get a better handle on the paper-based information in the office. Currently tens of thousands of organizations worldwide use the existing desktop (client) version of The Paper Tiger software.
The Paper Tiger Document Management Software and Filing System is a very powerful, yet simple indexing system for paper office files. It works like a search engine for paper files to help companies and individuals stay organized! People using the software can save over 150 hours per year by eliminating the time-consuming task of looking for lost information. The Paper Tiger Document Management and Filing System software uses the power of the computer to index the hanging file folders in office file cabinets. This method works much better than old-fashioned alphabetic methods and is a great alternative to costly scanning and imaging solutions.
“Finally, everyone including our Mac customers can use The Paper Tiger software. We are excited to have an online solution that makes it so easy for our customers to start solving their problems with paper!”, says James D. Grady, President & CEO of The Monticello Corporation, the makers of The Paper Tiger Document Management and Filing System software. “Starting a new FREE account with The Paper Tiger Online takes about 30 seconds and can save a businessperson 150 hours per year in lost productivity trying to find the paper in their life”, Grady continues.
Tens of thousands of companies, government agencies and non-profit organizations around the world use The Paper Tiger Document Management and Filing System software to get organized and manage their office filing tasks much more productively. What most people do not know is that there are only 5 things you can do with a piece of paper – (1) Toss It (2) Stack It (3) File It Alphabetically (4) Scan It or (5) Index It using a product like The Paper Tiger Document Management and Filing System software. The paperless office never quite made it to reality, alphabetic methods quickly break down and become out-of-date, and scanning solutions are costly and very difficult to implement. Also, many documents (signed contracts, presentations, etc.) must be kept in their original paper form. Some people are uncomfortable with scanning documents due to the possibility that they could lose everything in the event of a technical malfunction. For a complete list of these options and the pros and cons of each, see our Document Management Decision Guide.
The new Paper Tiger Online is currently in beta testing and should be available in the next 60 days. Professional Organizers, Virtual Assistants and all interested people are invited to join the beta testing program. To celebrate The Paper Tiger Online now working for our Mac customers, we are giving away an Apple iPad approximately every 60 days. Go to The Paper Tiger website for more information on The Paper Tiger Online.
About The Monticello Corporation, makers of The Paper Tiger Document Management and Filing System software.
Founded in 1995, The Monticello Corporation’s mission is to enhance its customers’ businesses and personal effectiveness by providing the training, tools and motivation to help them solve their problems with filing and document management. The company’s main product, The Paper Tiger Document Management and Filing System software, was created as a type of inventory management system (like a chart of accounts) for physical hanging files (you know, the green, yellow, blue and red ones in your file cabinet!)
Monticello got its name from the legendary home of Thomas Jefferson, U.S. president from 1801-1809. An avid collector of books and music, Jefferson transferred his personal library of more than 6,000 volumes to the Library of Congress in 1815, doubling its size and permanently expanding the scope of its collections.
Contact:
James D. Grady
President/CEO, The Monticello Corporation
www.thepapertiger.com
Toll-free Phone: 866-701-1561
This article by Denise Landers, founder and CEO of Key Organization Systems Inc. and a Paper Tiger Expert, will help you save time and money, simply by taking steps to get organized. Denise also recommends The Paper Tiger Document Management and Filing System software to help keep track of all your paper files throughout the year.
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Are you interested in cutting costs and saving money?
Saving money in both business and personal spheres is not only a wise discretionary move during this economic turmoil, but for many it is a necessity. These past months have caused us all to reevaluate our spending and seek ways to limit cash outflow.
There is an easy solution that will produce many benefits, not just financially but in many tangent areas – become more organized.
Improving organization helps with the bottom line in a multitude of ways:
1. Image.
a. 73% of managers and associates say they form impressions of co-workers by the way their desks are organized. Disorganized desks do not indicate you are ready for additional responsibilities. There is a lot of competition now, so do not handicap your chances of securing more business.
b. Nearly 70% of workers believe that colleagues with messy desks are less career driven than their counterparts. Can you afford to allow that perception in this climate of downsizing and forced sabbaticals?
2. Productivity
a. Office distractions eat up 2.1 hours per day for the average worker. How much more could you produce if you had 2 extra focused hours of work each day?
b. Once interrupted, it takes 25 minutes to get back into the flow of the original task. Although many think you will get more done by multitasking, you are actually less effective than when concentrating on one thing before switching to another.
3. Time
If distractions eat up an average of 2.1 hours per day, that adds up to over 12 weeks per year. If you were organized, not only would you produce more, but you have extra time to pursue your personal goals and meet family commitments.
4. Health
a. Distracted drivers who are multitasking cause 80% of crashes and 65% of near-crashes.
b. Stress builds up with disorganization. 80% of our medical expenditures are now stress-related.
5. Money
a. 2.1 hours of distractions per day translates to $28 billion a year in the U.S. Add to that the loss of money due to employee absenteeism, illness, and health claims.
b. Estimate how much time is being wasted by each employee within an organization, multiply that by number of employees, and do that for year after year that this continues to occur.
Bringing the cost of disorganization closer to home, here are common situations where eliminating disorganization can quickly put more dollars in your pocket:
• Late payments (misplaced bills leading to interest and penalties)
• Pending rebates (not collecting the necessary information)
• Duplicate purchases (unable to find what you already had)
• Unused gift cards (not with you while shopping)
• Overdraft fees (failing to reconcile)
• Multiple trips to store (shopping without a list)
• Repairs (neglecting maintenance)
• Tax Deductions (not tracking mileage and business expenses)
• Late fees (overdue items)
It is always worth the time to be better organized, but with the economic stresses we are facing now, it becomes more of a necessity. The short-term investment in time produces long-term dividends.
Denise Landers @timetrainer
Contact Key Organization Systems, Inc. for written permission to reproduce an article: http://www.keyorganization.com/contact-us.php
If you would like to jumpstart your organizing efforts and add to your time management skills, we can help!
Corporate Training: workshops and consulting to increase daily work flow and reduce stress
Individual Assistance: our onsite and virtual office organizing to bring about changes quickly
On Your Own: books and CDs to work at your own pace
