Paper Tiger Blog

Everyone has a need to get organized and manage their records and many other physical items, whether it be paper files, contents of binders, or what’s in the file room or basement, so that retrieving an item in a timely manner is efficient.

Many companies have one or more administrative employees whose chief function is to manage company records—often, in an archaic and unmanageable system, and is dependent on the person who knows the filing system. Thousands of hours are literally eaten up with filing and then trying to locate specific information at a later date because the system used for document management is so inefficient or outdated.

One of the chief reasons companies still suffer inefficient filing systems is that every employee is different. People have their own thoughts about what filing should be, and their own way of managing and naming their files. So you have a variety of different methods all intertwined within one company. There has to be a better way to organize your filing cabinets into a uniform, logical style that is standardized throughout your business, regardless of the size company you have!

Some statistics say that about 7 percent of all documents are lost or misplaced and have to be reproduced. Experts estimate that about 150 hours of employee time per year are wasted trying to locate missing files or documents. And even more to recreate the necessary information! At $20 an hour on average—because all levels of employees are involved in this process—that can easily add up to $3,000 per year or more, that you can save simply by using file indexing, like Paper Tiger Filing System Software to manage your files more effectively and efficiently.

So you’re probably wondering, “How does an indexing system work to manage paper files?”

It’s quite simple really. With Paper Tiger, you allow employees the access they require, according to your own policies, to use the software. You and your staff need to agree on a records retention policy as a guideline for the types of paper files you retain, how you want records kept and how long certain files should be kept. This policy should also transfer to your digital files as well. We have several articles already on records retention guidelines that you can use to assist you.  Company name, common subjects, or other descriptions. Whatever works for you. Use as many keywords as you like. Each employee that has access to the software can also add keywords that they relate to each document or set of relating files.

Paper Tiger is a file indexing system for your paper files or other physical items that has a search engine built in so that lost information is virtually eliminated in your home or office. You can keep your paper in its original form, (you do not have to scan it), and use the power of the computer to index the paper files that you need to keep in hard copy format. You would simply type in the information into the database relating to your paper files or other physical items to get organized so that you can find what you need when you need it, without time-wasting searches. After all, retrieval is the goal when you file something away, right!? Well, maybe there are multiple goals, such as 1) getting the file off your desk and 2) organized in such a way that you can easily and quickly retrieve it when it’s needed again.

Paper Tiger software consists of the following levels:

• Database which is a group of locations, categories and items.
• Locations are made up of Item names, description, capacity and review frequency. Location could relate to where you will store your physical items or could relate to the types of physical items that you plan to index (paper files, books, CDs, DVDs, storage boxes, etc.) Your Locations can be named anything you want – however you relate to what you are indexing, i.e., Office files, Home files, Action files, Reference files, House, Basement, Garage, etc. Paper Tiger uses Locations to represent these places where you store the items you want to be able to find later. For example, your Reference files Location might contain an index of all files in your 5 file cabinets of 4 drawers each, and Item #1 in Paper Tiger starts with the documents in the first hanging file folder in file cabinet 1, and end with Item #500 in with all documents indexed from the last hanging file folder in file cabinet 5. Paper Tiger allows you to print cut-out tabs or Avery labels which you use to mark your physical items to match the index numbers assigned by Paper Tiger, i.e., Reference 1, Reference 2, Reference 3, etc.
• Item Name is the descriptive name you give a hanging folder or other item you are indexing. “Museum Board Directory” might be the Item Name you give a folder that contains a current phone and address list of museum board members. “Sales Reports” might be the Item Name you choose for a folder containing each regional sales report. A folder or Item Name labeled “Warranties” might include sub-files for “Electronics,” “Major Appliances,” and “Outdoor Equipment.” Your Item Name might also be the names of Books, CDs, DVDs, Collection Items, etc., within Locations under these. See also the Many Uses of The Paper Tiger. Note: multiple relating documents can be added to the same hanging folder. You do not need a different hanging folder for each piece of paper. Simply edit the existing item in Paper Tiger and add additional keywords as necessary when you’re adding a file.
• Keywords: Type all keywords associated with the item, such as receipts or contracts or what the book is about, etc. When you need to find the item later, you can search by keyword. The more keywords you enter, the easier it will be to find the item later.
• Notes (optional): You can add additional comments in the Notes section if you wish.
• Category (optional): If the item falls into a category, tab to the Category field and type in or select a category you’ve already created from the drop-down box. Category is a word or words you may use to classify groups of related folders or items. For example, you may use the Category “Benefits” to classify the Folders, “401K,” “Stock Options,” and “Day Care.” The Category, “Services,” might include Folders for “Accountant,” “Graphic Artist,” and “Organizing Consultant.” The Category “Self-Help” might include all your books that relate to self-help or motivation.
• Action Date (optional): If there is a future date in which you want to review this item, or if this item will require your action, tab to the Action Date field and type the date or click on the calendar to select a date. When you open or sign into Paper Tiger, you will be alerted that you have Reminders.

When you’ve indexed your items into Paper Tiger, and you need to find something later, you simply conduct a Google-like search in Paper Tiger’s database to find where the item is located.

This solves problems with filing or finding any physical item, such as:

• You can’t decide what to name something because it could be named so many different things;
• You don’t like making new folders when you need to file;
• You can’t remember where or what name you filed something under previously;
• Staff or family members sharing files or other items, everyone thinks differently and anyone can search a keyword;
• Staff turnover or the one person that knows where everything is gets sick or is away for a time;
• Organizing other physical items, such as contents of boxes so you don’t have to worry about being able to find items later.

So for paper files, every single file will be labelled using the exact same system. And duplication of files are virtually eliminated. From the day you implement this brilliant, time saving system, every document relating to a project will be placed in the same location for easy retrieval.

It’s common knowledge that every document that comes into your office has to be managed in one of three ways.

1. It can be dealt with immediately and then filed.
2. It can be delegated to someone or scheduled for future action.
3. Or it can be tossed.

The joy of indexing is that your filing cabinet now becomes your action file as well. You can create a file just for items that need action without forgetting where you put them, or failing to take action because you “forgot” about them. Then when you’re finished, you can move the file to an archive location or a more permanent file and leave an uncluttered desk ready for more important work. You can file it away and not have to worry about finding it later.

Once your projects are complete and files are no longer needed on a daily or weekly basis, they can easily be moved from your action file location to a reference file cabinet or archived in storage elsewhere, and a quick search in the database will tell you where they’re currently located, in case something needs to be retrieved later. No more worrying about not being able to find a file because someone is out sick! Paper Tiger filing system software eliminates that problem.

In today’s contemporary society with constant Internet usage, video conferencing and urgent meetings are often called with little or no warning. Having an indexed file management system is ideal because you can quickly and easily “lay your hands on” every document in the office you may need for an impromptu meeting or conference call. You’ll no longer be forced to make major decisions without having all the relevant information you need at hand.

Document indexing truly is the most contemporary method to efficient file management. It will not only save you time and money, but it will make for much happier employees, (including yourself), who can spend so much less time handling files and documents in the office. And remember you’ll also be able to index other physical items such as office supplies, training manuals, CDs, DVDs, etc. Paper Tiger Filing System Software can index anything that you can put a number onto, Not Just For Filing Paper, so you can find anything anytime!

Tidy Tiger Solutions, Michelle Panzlaff, a Professional Organizer and one of our Certified Paper Tiger Experts, has found a way to combine the functionality of the powerful indexing systems in Paper Tiger Filing System Software for Document Management with the concepts provided by Productivity Guru, David Allen, in his world famous GTD (Getting Things Done) Systems.

Michelle says, “I figured out how you could use Paper Tiger as a Task List and Project Manager ‘GTD Style’. I created a database called GTD System, Created Locations based on the context of where I would perform tasks, and used the Categories to define the Priority Level. The thing I liked best is the ‘Report’ Printing of all the To-Do’s. I suppose that offices using Paper Tiger can use the system to also assign duties and tasks to team members if they wanted to. Gee I wonder what else I can use Paper Tiger for?”

Using Paper Tiger and GTD (Getting Things Done) Systems Together

If you’re a fan of these two powerful organizing tools and systems, you’ll be fascinated by this option. This kind of organizing of tasks can also be formatted to help your staff and team to manage tasks, especially if you are already using Paper Tiger to organize your information and paperwork.

Whatever task or list management system you may be using, this video may help you find new and effective ways to organize your lists. Watch now as Michelle demonstrates how.

Overwhelmed by clutter?

Have you lost the ability to be creative, tired of losing important records, and is a growing list of demands getting the better of you, or those around you? Are you ready for a change and want to break the cycle?

If you are seeking some calm in your life and work, have piles of paper that need to be organized effectively, or even if you have some big projects you want help getting launched, you came to the right place.

Professional Organizers are here to help. You are not alone in your challenge to keep clutter and overwhelm from getting in the way of your higher purpose. You can have an effective work space and home you love.

We know that the world today is changing fast, and things are flying in at high speed. It’s no wonder that many of our clients are getting a little behind. There is no one to blame, as life is dynamic.

We all know that clutter can get in the way of success and happiness, and for those that want help to organize, we can help. We bring the know-how, the tools, the resources and the passion for the work at hand.

You, your staff, even your family can work less, earn more and be more productive. Enjoy a streamlined home and office so you can get back to taking care of what really matters.

Professional Organizer in Canada, Michelle Panzlaff created this video to provide you with more information and to help you achieve your goals.

Learn more about the services provided by Michelle Panzlaff and Tidy Tiger Solutions by visiting www.tidytiger.biz today.

Plus, drop into the home page of Tidy Tiger Solutions for free printable gifts and more for your home, work or personal organizing needs.

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Tidy Tiger Solutions
Michelle Panzlaff

To Michelle, serving as a Professional Organizer is all about creating more functional and enjoyable spaces, productive workflow and effective filing systems, while helping clients feel inspired and more productive.

As a skilled professional, Michelle now possesses over 23 years of office, service and administrative experience. Michelle relies on her exceptional skill set to solve complex challenges for her residential and business clients alike.

Phone: (778) 866-6942
Email: info@tidytiger.biz

Each year we hear the same new year’s resolutions over and over again, “I’m going to exercise more this year” or “I’ll be nicer to my family this year” but sadly most of us drop these resolutions within the first ninety days of the year. One of the most popular resolutions that people make is to get organized. The National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) caught wind of this and named January “Get Organized Month” or “GO Month”. They started this initiative in 2003 to help people with organization and productivity. According to NAPO, the bulk of their clients request help with organizing their home offices. It’s safe to assume that clients are referring to paper clutter in the office. Paper Tiger Filing System Software is the perfect tool to get 2013 started off on the right foot if you were planning to be more organized this year.

Here are three reasons Paper Tiger can help you keep your new year’s resolution to get organized this year:

-       Efficient: Paper Tiger can help one file and organize all paper and digital files. Once you really catch on to the concept of indexing paper files and setting up locations in your database, you won’t know how you were able to organize without Paper Tiger. And since Paper Tiger isn’t just for paper, imagine all the other rooms of the house that you can organize. Paper Tiger’s basic concepts will help you master the software in a matter of minutes; bringing your organization troubles to an end, making it easy to keep your resolution for the entire year.

-       Versatile: Paper Tiger not only helps you to organize and actually find paper files, but with Digital Tiger, powered by Google Docs, you can also find digital files! Using Google Docs as your digital file storage location, you can access scanned documents such as PDFs and also other types of documents. Google Docs gives users five gigabytes of storage free to store your digital files that you want in the cloud. Using Google Docs allows users to easily share digital files and even access them from mobile devices. Digital Tiger is a free add-on with a paid Paper Tiger Online Basic or Pro account for now, and is the function that connects your Paper Tiger Online account to your Google Docs/Google Drive account, then you will be able to search from Paper Tiger to find your paper/physical items that you’ve indexed into Paper Tiger’s database and your digital files that you’ve created, scanned or uploaded to Google Docs format through a Gmail or Google account.

-       Practical: Paper Tiger may be one of the best investments ever as far as time is concerned. How much time do you think you waste on average looking for something? Each year people waste hours and entire days looking for something. Experts estimate that people waste 150 hours per year searching for lost items. Calculate your cost of disorganized here. A small investment in Paper Tiger will save not only time but also money. How many times have you paid a bill late because you lost it? Every time a document is filed and indexed  into Paper Tiger, you can feel sure that you will be able to find it again quickly and easily.  The days of trying to figure out where a document was left are over! With Paper Tiger’s search engine like feature, a few keywords will help you find exactly the document needed.

If organization was at the top of your New Year’s Resolution list, look no further; Paper Tiger is here to help. Its resourceful system will be so easy to use, it will be hard to stop organizing! The ability to organize both digital and paper files will not only clear up clutter on the desk but also inside the computer.

During this “Get Organized Month,” take advantage of the expertise of one of the productivity consultants that are Paper Tiger experts who can help you work more efficiently in every area of your life. They will work with you either virtually or in-person, whichever you need, and will help you to get organized and create a customized system for the way you work.

Finally, all the time and money wasted from disorganization will be returned on your simple investment in Paper Tiger, and you’ll be able to keep at least one new year’s resolution.

This article from the blog of Denise Landers, founder and CEO of Key Organization Systems Inc. and a Paper Tiger Expert, is helpful as it relays a few tips to us on storing electronic files. With an effective filing system in place, finding electronic files are an easy task. Denise also suggests Paper Tiger Filing System Software and Document Management for your paper files and proficient organizing.

Managing Electronic Files

Just because paper is becoming less of an issue for filing does not mean that a good filing system is unnecessary.  You may now store electronic files instead of paper files, and these also need to be organized for quick searches.  A few simple tips can be really useful in managing your electronic or digital files efficiently. We’ve also provided additional helpful hints within Denise’s article as it relates to how Paper Tiger and/or Google Drive might assist you in managing your electronic digital files.

• Save all the digital documents in one place

Save and place your digital documents in one place, preferably in the My Documents/Documents folder. All of your text files, spreadsheets and presentations should go in one main folder. Note: if you use Gmail, you can now download Google Drive as a folder to your harddrive that will synchronize everything between this folder on your harddrive and your Google Drive location in the cloud from your Gmail account.

• Make subfolders

My Documents is like a closet where you need to have various drawers and sections to categorize or arrange things.  Creating subfolders will act like drawers of that closet.  Choose meaningful names for these.  As a simple example, if you have a main folder with a name “Reports”, make subfolders with “2010”, “2011”, and “2012” for quicker searching.  These subfolders can also contain more subfolders. Note: You can do the same thing with your Google Drive folder from your Gmail account.

• Be consistent with file names

If you start some with dates, then continue that practice.  If they all relate to a specific project, you might put the project names or initials at the beginning of the name.

• Assign detailed labels

Your file names must be specific and so relevant that you can tell what is in the file without opening it. For instance, if it is an invoice to a company named ABC sent on Oct 2, the file name could be “invoice1012abc”.  Giving generic names like “invoice” will make it extremely difficult for you to track and use it for the next time.   As above, relating to consistency, you might start all invoice files with that word before adding more description. Note: When creating or uploading a scanned or other digital file to Google Drive, you can choose to have it converted to Google Docs format which will OCR up to 10 pages, which will allow you to search for words throughout your digital files.

• Put it in the right place when creating it

It is wiser to make a habit of saving your file in the right place at the time of its creation instead of storing it on your desktop for quick access now.  The desktop ends up becoming cluttered and another task to clear off later.  When you have faith in your filing system, you won’t worry about keeping on the desktop to be sure of finding it.

• Arrange  according to frequency of use

If there are some files which you use often, force them to arrange on the top. You can add an asterisk or other symbol that will keep them above the other files.  When you know longer need this file on a regular basis, take off the symbol so that it drops down to alphabetical order.

• Delete unwanted files regularly

Plan for a time annually where you clean up your files.  Get rid of the ones that are no longer pertinent.

• Create Backups

Periodically it is smart to create backups of all your files. You might consider both local storage devices and an automatic online process.

Keeping your business documents organized is another step to a success. Windows has strong search features to find your files in the system, but if your file name is too generic, even the search feature will not be helpful.

The ideas for this guest post were contributed by Lewis Edward, one of the owners of The Office Providers.

Denise Landers
Key Organization Systems Inc.
Author of Destination Organization

productivity@keyorganization.com

Have you ever tried to “get organized” only to be frustrated after a day, or a week, or a month?  Destination: Organization recognizes that reaching your organizing goals is a journey, not a one-time event, as you develop processes to cope with daily demands that constantly change. For help, call Denise at (281) 397-0015

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During this webinar, Anne discussed the basic concept of Paper Tiger to organize both paper files and other physical items of which you need to keep track so that you can find them when you need them, and the concept of Digital Tiger, powered by Google Docs to organize and find your digital files. She demonstrated how to use Digital Tiger more effectively for digital filing, in addition to the following to show how to use Paper Tiger with Digital Tiger, so you can get organized and be more productive.

• Get started with Paper Tiger Online.
• Created a Database, created a Location, created Items, and print labels for items.
• Demonstrated a work-flow example by filing items from her inbox.
• Discussed the importance of the file Cleanout Report and how to use it.
• Demonstrated searching in Paper Tiger, and how easy it is when you need to find something, whether paper or digital files.
• Demonstrated indexing other physical items, such as jewelry and books.

Find Anything In Your Office In 5 Seconds or Less…Guaranteed! Watch the webinar to learn more.

As information, Anne is a professional speaker, productivity expert, professional organizer and author. If you want to learn more about Anne and her services, please visit her website at www.StrategizeAndOrganize.com.

She may be in Colorado (and sometimes in Arizona!), but she’s nationally recognized as an expert and works with people throughout the US in person and virtually.

You can contact Anne at amcgurty@strategizeandorganize.com or by phone at 303 881-0174.

See more information here on Paper Tiger Filing System Software for Document Management

Filing System Q&A from the Webinar

Q: How do you start when all of your files are in drawers and on your desk? It would be helpful to have ideas for where to start – baby steps.
A: We always recommend starting with the files on your desk to get your desk cleared. If you already have files set up, you might start with the drawers in your desk and index each file. We recommend starting with naming your Paper Tiger locations as Action Files, Reference Files, Archive Files. Then you can add other types of files later, such as Binders, Books, CDs, DVDs, etc. Locations could also be an actual physical location, such as File Room, Library, Garage, Basement, Storage, etc. Please take a look at this blog post that we created to help those needing a little guidance that you might find helpful: Customize Your Filing System with Paper Tiger’s Indexing Method

Q: Is there any way to search all of your databases or can you only search them individually?
A: You can only search within the individual database that you’re in at the time. You cannot search across all of your databases. Having different databases is only advantageous if you want to keep different filing systems separate and do not want to search for all files in all databases at one time. For example, if you have an Office database and a Home database, you do not want items to pop up from your Office database when conducting a search for an item in your Home database.

Q: I have several “side jobs” for non profits etc. Do you recommend setting up locations for each type of side job? For example, I have several clients that I work for from home. Should I set up a location for each client? Perhaps it depends on what the physical location is?
A: It does depend on how you want these filed, but think about if you need to have a location for each client. Do you have several manilla folders for each client or do you simply have 1 hanging file folder per client? If you only have 1 hanging file folder per client, create a location named Clients, then 1 item per client. However, if you have several manilla folders for each client, and you don’t want to itemize each manilla folder into 1 item, then you might consider naming a location per client. In this latter case, you might only have 5-10 items in each location, but it would give you more flexibility in differentiating between clients.

Q: If I use the cloud version, vs the desktop version, I could access from multiple PC’s, is that right? e.g. access from home and work
A: Yes, you would be able to sign in from wherever you are with an Internet connection. Paper Tiger Online works on any computer with an Internet access including Mac.

Q: Where do I find the area to change the setting to include digital search? I checked database preferences, but it doesn’t give me that option.
A: You will first need to connect Paper Tiger to your Google account. From the Dashboard, click on the Accounts tab, then find the option to Connect to Google Docs. Please see this blog post that has step by step instructions that you might find helpful: http://www.thepapertiger.com/blog/started-digital-tiger-paper-digital-filing-solution/

Q: Can I attach a picture to an item, specifically, I want to inventory fabric for a small sewing business, pictures or links to pictures in the notes would be helpful.
A: Paper Tiger is an indexing system, and doesn’t allow you to attach an electronic file, however you would be able to upload the picture to Google Drive and title that digital file with keywords. Then with your Paper Tiger Online account connected to your Google account, you would be able to search from Paper Tiger Online and search results will return for both your physical items that you’ve indexed into Paper Tiger and your digital items that you have in your Google Drive. You can also paste the link into the Notes section if you like, however it will not be hyperlink, but you can copy from there if you wish later.

The doors to the Fall Semester are groaning towards a close. One of the few times a year that forces most college students to start thinking about the dreaded F word; FINALS. You remember all the essays and term papers you wrote while in college, right? Four or five classes a term meant about ten papers if there were midterms and finals. It’s a liberating sensation to turn in fifteen and twenty page papers after a few fidgety nights chained in the library, but what does one do with the masterpieces after they’ve been graded and returned? Certainly not trash them, at least Shakespeare never did!

How many times have you searched for an old essay, rummaging through countless papers with no success? What are the benefits of keeping term papers following the semester? One might need to glance at that paper next semester for a prompt review. Whatever the reason, it’s often a good idea to keep projects and papers from the previous terms. One never knows when these term papers will come in handy in the working world.

Saving ten papers a semester unquestionably adds up. Reminiscent of a leech, these papers suck up memory on a hard drive and are dispersed throughout a tiny dorm room to add to all the other clutter. After a few weeks of severe procrastinating and searching for last’s semester’s Economics paper, all hope may vanish.

Renewing all hope, both Digital Tiger AND Paper Tiger will eliminate endless stacks of papers as well as the forever-growing pile. The pursuit for past essays will be a trouble-free, effortless and painless one.

With Digital Tiger, powered by Google Drive, digital files are stored in Google Drive. Students will have a variety of options; a hard copy, a digital copy and free space on their hard drive. Google Drive offers the most economical storage options for a college budget, with 100 GB of storage for less than a hamburger and fries! Sharing docs with friends working on the same project will be a cinch. The reliable Google Cloud will store all documents securely. Finally, with the way the zombies — *ahem college students — are glued to their tablets and phones, Google Drive works with mobile devices allowing virtual access to documents anywhere!

And for all the hard copy documents, an online Paper Tiger account takes less than fifteen minutes to set up. Once all the term papers are sorted and ready to be filed, Paper Tiger’s indexing system allows for:

- Organization by subject
- With the keywords section, there’s no need to worry about what name to file under nor do you have to worry about remembering the file name
- Both physical & digital file location search functions
- Printed labels for document identification

After mastering those easy tasks in Paper Tiger Filing System software, Digital Tiger will work just as fast. Have you filed away last semester’s theory essay? Paper Tiger will still allow for physical filing of these final papers, and with the Digital Tiger function, be able to locate both hard copy and digital files relating to the same subject.

With the Digital Tiger and/or Paper Tiger, college students can start the next semester always armed with those valuable papers and projects from the past. With a tidier dorm and more desk space, students can organize essay after essay each semester until graduation. Who knows, maybe grad school is calling their name.

The paperless office has been a myth up until just recently but does going paperless mean having no paper at all in your office? Of course, that depends on your office and the type of documents you have. Legal, accounting or medical offices would probably have a harder time going paperless due to the types of records in these offices.

There are lots of questions to ask and your answers to these questions would determine if your office should go paperless. So would you say that a paperless office might mean less paper instead of no paper? It may be very hard to go to a ‘no paper’ environment for any office, and there are pros and cons.

Pros of a Paperless Office

Cost Effective: If your office and workflow does not have to have a printed copy for every document, your printer ink and paper budget will decrease. Think about how you process your mail and if you could possibly distribute via email instead, which will also cut down on your postage. Simply rethinking about how you print and distribute from your office will be a great savings to you.

Environment: It goes without saying that reduction of paper will help the environment in reducing landfill waste, all that goes into production of paper, greenhouse gas emissions, energy used by printers, and production and disposal of ink cartridges.

Easy access: If you decide that going paperless would mean that you put your digital files in the cloud, Google Drive is a great tool to use. Google is a secure cloud environment, and it is included in your Google or Gmail account so every time you sign into your Gmail account, you also have access to your digital files. Google has also priced the digital file storage to be very economical.

Cons of Going Paperless

It takes time: As Sherry Borsheim of  International Association of Business Organizing (IABO) says, “going paperless is a process.” It is not an overnight process, and it will take time. Depending on the amount of paper files you have in your office will depend on how much time it will take you to transition to a more paperless environment. Time to make a plan for transitioning, and time to implement the changes in your staff workflow.

Changing current processes: The first step of transitioning to a paperless environment will mean that you’ll need to review your current processes and systems. Think about the types of paper files that can be switched to working with digital files instead of printing them out. Is there a way to work with some types of files digitally instead of everyone in the office printing the same document? Do we need to keep receipts for accounting and tax purposes? And what about contracts and other legal documents that need to be kept in the original format?

Cost of digital storage: There is a cost for digital file storage whether you decide to back up all your digital files to Google Drive as mentioned previously or in-house to CDs or Flash Drives or external hard drives, or other cloud services such as Carbonite, or Dropbox. You will need to decide what is best for your office. There are always concerns about cloud service security, but also think about how safe your in-house back up situation may be because you would be responsible for thinking about loss of these devices, system failure or crashes, in addition to weather circumstances such as flood, fire, tornado, etc. In addition, you have to think about digital formats that are no longer supported, such as moving digital files that you had on the old floppy discs to Flash Drives or external hard drives, and upgrade your older files from time to time to make sure they remain usable; or again decide to go to the cloud with your digital filing. Do you have a business continuation and back up plan?

Some things to think about to go paperless:

Decide on your target goal. What is your objective in reducing paper in your office? Do you have a records retention policy? What types of documents do you need to keep and how long should you keep records? You and your staff needs to agree on a records retention policy for the types of paper and digital files you retain to use as a guideline for how you want records kept and how long certain files should be kept. We have several articles at records retention guidelines that you might find helpful.

Remember not everything needs to be switched to digital at one time. Some of your old records may not need converting to digital at all, and just simply discard them when they reach a certain age. It may not be efficient for you to scan every document in your office if you won’t need to keep them or retrieve them later. Then start with your current workflow processes, and you’ll most likely see what can be converted during your daily activities. Make a policy for these workflow processes that you can easily identify. Get comfortable with one daily activity at a time, then move on to another.

Deciding on your filing system

Decide what files will need to be kept in paper hard copy format and what files can be digital format. Be sure to decide on a naming system for filing both your paper and digital files. If you use Google Drive, decide if you want every digital file in Google Docs format, which makes the contents searchable.

For the paper files that you decide that you need to keep in hard copy format, index them into Paper Tiger Filing System software so that you’ll have a system to keep track of where they are. You can file with ease of mind that you’ll be able to find them later. Paper Tiger allows you to put an item name on every document, but also allows you to input all keywords relating to the documents in each hanging file folder, because as you know some files could have multiple item names that just won’t fit on the file tab. You will be able to search for any keyword that you’re thinking about on any given day for the file that you need.

Paper Tiger Online connects to Google Docs/Drive to activate Digital Tiger. To further explain, Digital Tiger is a free add-on with a paid Paper Tiger Online Basic or Pro account, and is the function that connects your Paper Tiger Online account to your Google Docs/Google Drive account, then you will be able to search from Paper Tiger to find both your paper/physical items that you’ve indexed into Paper Tiger, and your digital files that you’ve created, uploaded or scanned into Google Docs format.

Google Drive is an extension for Google email account holders that allows an account holder to download a Google Drive folder to their personal device(s), such as, your desktop PC, Mac, Laptop, Mobile Phone, iPad, etc., in order to save/store digital files into the folder which are then synchronized into your Google Drive account within Gmail. Google Drive is compatible with the Mac and Windows operating systems. So if you have multiple computers that you have documents saved to, you’ll now be able to synch those digital files to one cloud location and be able to access from any computer where you sign into your Gmail account. Click here to see more information about Google Drive.

See one of our previous articles Not Just Any Filing System to Get Organized! that might help you see how Paper Tiger and Digital Tiger, powered by Google Docs works. Whether you use Paper Tiger together or separately from Google Drive, using these two software tools is a great way to organize your paper and digital files so that you can get organized and find what you need, when you need it!

One of the most important parts of being a small business owner is being organized. No matter what type of business you have, you are going to have records to maintain. Some small businesses require much more than others; it just depends on whether you also have to keep things on file such as client records. Regardless of what your small business is, you will have to keep records even if for just things like your income, expenses and other data for tax time. You also have to keep these organized in case you are ever audited.

If you are thinking about opening a small business, you are probably not even aware yet of how much paperwork goes into the behind the scenes part of the business. You have to keep your business license on file first and foremost. Take opening and managing a yoga studio, for instance. You will have papers for the copies of your yoga teachers’ certifications, the liability waivers of each and every student and receipts from all of your purchases that are related to the business as part of your expenses for tax time. This is just a fraction of the types of documents you will need to manage.

Getting Your Filing System in Order

Don’t let the thought of all of this records keeping startle or scare you off. Just knowing this is the reality should simply prepare you to make sure you have a good organizational system in order from day one. This may seem obvious for businesses such as Certified Public Accountants or even doctors opening their own private practice office. The truth is all businesses have a better chance for success and survival by making sure to have a good record management system set up before the business even opens.

More than likely your record management system will consist of filing cabinets of some kind. The problem is the alphabetical filing system alone is just not efficient. For example, unless you are dealing with just sorting files by clients’ or patients’ last names, alphabetizing can actually make things more confusing. What you may label one document, someone else may not think to call it when trying to look it up. In fact, you could honestly forget what you called the file in the first place.

Utilizing an Indexing Filing System

The best manner in which to organize your record management is using an indexing system like Paper Tiger Filing System Software for document management. You number your files, enter the data into the software relating to each document or set of documents such as the item name and additional keywords that you might relate back to the files, and never have problems retrieving your data again. By inputting multiple keywords into the software database for each document, you can also rest assured you or someone else will be able to find the file at a later date.

For example, you can enter key search terms such as “taxes,” “expenses,” receipts,” or “write offs” all entered for the same file. Later you can use any of these terms and the search engine will inform you of where the file is located. No more searching because you can’t remember if you filed it under ‘T’ for taxes or ‘E’ for Expenses or ‘R’ for receipts, etc. You owe it to yourself and the future success of your business to get and keep your record management system organized from the very first day.

Paper Tiger is an indexing system for your physical files that has an easy-to-use search engine built in so that lost information is virtually eliminated in your office. You would simply type in the information into the database relating to your files or other physical items to get organized so that you can find what you need when you need it, without time-wasting searches.

You would keep your paper in its original form (you do not have to scan it) and use the power of the computer to index the paper that you need to keep in hard copy format, and also index other physical items. Paper Tiger can index anything! Some things just can’t be scanned, i.e., passports, contracts, binders, books, CDs, DVDs, etc. That cannot be done with systems that require scanning into an electronic file.

For paper filing, you would first set up all hanging file folders in your file cabinets at one time using the numbered tabs that you print out from the software and they never change. You input information relating to each document in the database’s digital file location. You can give the document any name you want without any worry about finding it later. This is because the system will allow you to add as many keywords as you want that describe all documents that you put in your hanging file folders. For documents that you want to add to the same file, simply edit the Item and add additional keywords necessary for the new document(s).

Because the hanging file folders are already setup and waiting for your information, you eliminate the time-consuming hassle of having to find and create a file folder each time you want to file something.

When you’ve indexed your paper files to Paper Tiger, and you need to find a file, you simply conduct a Google-like search in the database to find where your file is located.

This solves problems with filing such as:

-       You can’t decide what to name something;

-       You don’t like making new folders when you need to file;

-       You can’t remember where or what name you filed something under;

-       Staff sharing files in the same filing cabinets, everyone thinks differently and anyone can search a keyword;

-       Staff turnover or the one person in the office that knows where everything is gets sick or on vacation.

If you haven’t already, please view our videos on our Paper Tiger page, which may help you understand better. Please also see our Not Just For Filing Paper page for ideas to index other items in addition to paper files. You might also check out our article Customize Your Filing System with Paper Tiger’s Indexing Method for additional helpful tips in how to set up your filing system.

Keeping Up With Paper and Digital Files

Some people are trying to set up their filing systems to a more paperless environment, and scanning incoming paper files that is not necessary to keep in hard copy format. In the case where you’re going to keep some hard copy files, but you also want to keep up and be able to find your digital files, we recommend Google Docs through a Google or Gmail account for your digital file storage. Google Docs is great for storing the digital files that are scanned and those files that you can upload from your computer.

With the addition of Digital Tiger function in Paper Tiger Online filing system software Basic and Pro plans, you can connect to Google Docs for a combined document management software solution. Digital Tiger, powered by Google Docs, is a free add-on with a paid Paper Tiger Online (Basic or Pro plan for now). You can still index your paper files that you need to keep in hard copy format and other physical items such as books and manuals into Paper Tiger Online, and use Google Docs for your digital file storage. Google Docs is the lowest cost digital file storage system available, and is more convenient than storing your digital files on your hard drive (or multiple computers) that would take up valuable memory, or keeping up with CDs or Flash Drives.

Combining Paper Tiger’s indexing method, there’s a way to organize and index all those items that simply cannot be scanned, i.e., passports, contracts, binders, books, CDs, DVDs, items in safe deposit box, etc. Then by using the Digital Tiger function in Paper Tiger Online, you will be able to search and find both your paper/physical items that you’ve indexed into Paper Tiger and your digital files that you’ve uploaded or created into Google Docs format relating to the same keyword search from one software system, Paper Tiger.

The bottom line is, when you get organized it makes it that much easier to stay organized. Start your business off the right way with Paper Tiger Filing System Software for document management to help keep your records management organized.

As you will read in this article, Russell Moran’s filing system at his home after he retired was a nightmare, costing him too much time. Now Paper Tiger saves him time because he implemented a filing system that works!

Do You Waste Time Looking For Files?

Nothing wastes time more than a bad filing system. Say, for example, you need to look up a file on an insurance claim. Do you look under “I” for insurance, “A” for Allstate, or “C” for claim. After 15 minutes, you have finally retrieved the document.

Everybody Has an Opinion on Where Documents Get Filed

There is no hard and fast rule that determines where stuff gets filed, although secretarial schools have recommended methods. The fact of life is that each person in your office who files things uses his or her intuition. So the person who filed the insurance claim information did so because he had a gut feeling that it should go under a certain category. That is the problem with most filing “systems” — they are not systems but whim-driven opinions. Unless the person looking up the file is driven by the same whim or thinks the same as the person who filed it, you are in for a time-consuming journey.

The Problem Filing System of the Former Employee

When a person whose job included filing leaves a company, that person’s filing system goes with him. “We have our annual meeting next week and I can’t find where Joe filed the attendance list.” Have you ever heard something like that? Former employees are often scorned because nobody can find where they filed stuff. They shouldn’t be. They were just doing what most filing systems demand: file by whim.

Because most of our documents are now in digital format and are filed on a hard drive, the problem is less severe than it was a few years ago. Anything that is sent out from an office exists somewhere on the server or a local hard drive, and is therefore searchable. But the problem still exists for incoming documents. Some companies have a policy of scanning all incoming papers. The problem with scanning is that a good high-speed scanner is expensive and, for digital searching, you are at the mercy of the current state of optical character recognition—one smudge, and the document may never be retrievable.

A Filing System Solution

Attach Keywords to Paper Documents

When I owned my own company, my employees did the filing. What I never realized, because I didn’t have to, was that I had absolutely no talent for filing. After I sold the company, I still had many business interests and activities. I set up shop in my own house. Filing was a nightmare! I was so bad at it that I took the path of least resistance: I didn’t file, but just let stuff pile up in boxes. Then came the day of reckoning: I had to retrieve a document. I spent the day doing just that. This is poor time management. With the right filing system you are not just managing time, you are creating more time.

Pure serendipity saved me. As I was struggling with my increasingly chaotic office, I received an e-mail solicitation for software that promised that I could find a document in “five seconds, guaranteed.” I ordered it immediately. That was 10 years ago; the software is Paper Tiger. I use it to this day and can’t imagine doing without it.

How Paper Tiger Works

First, be assured that you don’t need to learn a new theory or philosophy of filing: it’s a lot simpler than that. Once you’re done setting up the new system, you can find any piece of paper in “five seconds, guaranteed.” They promised that 10 years ago and it’s true to this day. Here’s how to do it:

• Numbered files replace alphabetical files. First you go out and buy a lot of hanging files, along with the clear plastic file name stickers. You then open the file drawer and start with the first file. Let’s say it’s called “Abernathy Fuel Company.” You replace Abernathy Fuel Company on the hanging file folder tab with the number “1.” Now you go to the software screen where you will have already started a database, and within your database, you will be asked for the LOCATION of the file. You simply type in either the actual location or the type of files that you’ll be indexing, such as “First cabinet” or “Action” or whatever appropriate descriptive name you come up with. You then type in a name for the file, and then go to the next section—and this is the killer part of the software, and you list as many keywords as you think may be helpful in retrieving the file later. So with the Abernathy file, now known as file #1, you would type in Abernathy for the Item Name, then in the keywords section, type in: fuel, oil, and maybe utilities. When you want to retrieve the file, just type any of the keywords in the search box and you are told to go to file #1.

• Local or cloud based. You can buy the software to be installed onto your computer which is a Windows only licensed software or purchase a web-based version that is either monthly or yearly subscription.
• Does it take work setting up the new system? Yes, it does. It took me three full days converting over to Paper Tiger. For a company, depending on the size of course, it may take a week or two. It’s best done with two people. The Paper Tiger people will give you a list of consultants who can manage the project for you. But once you’re done, you’re done. If a new matter shows up that needs a new file, just pick a location and you will be told that the next file is, say, 322. If a new file comes in that you already have the subject filed, simply edit the item in your database to add additional keywords if necessary, and drop it in the previously created file folder.

• What about computer digital files? Paper Tiger now has a module that enables you to connect your Paper Tiger Online account to Google Docs. Use the Digital Tiger function in Paper Tiger Online filing system software to connect to Google Docs for a combined document management software solution. You can still index your paper files that you need to keep in hard copy format and other physical items such as books and manuals into Paper Tiger Online, and use Google Docs through a Google or Gmail account for your digital file storage. You’ll be able to search from Paper Tiger Online and see results for both your physical paper files and your digital files that you have stored in Google Docs.

In a recent article, I wrote about saving time by letting your desk clean itself, Paper Tiger makes this time management chore a breeze.

I have no business relationship with Paper Tiger: I just love their stuff. Their website is extensive and informative. Check it out. www.thepapertiger.com (Don’t forget the “the”).

~~~~~~

Russ Moran is a writer, lawyer, and blogger. He writes on a wide variety of topics, including recreational themes including boating, how-to articles, law and business. He is the author of Justice in America: How it Works – How it Fails, published in 2011. Kirkus Reviews calls the book: “A lively, brash, illuminating insider look at the law, by a compelling expert.”

Russ has recently finished The APT Principle: The Business Plan that you Carry in Your Head, to be published in the Spring of 2012. His blog is The Moran Report at www.morancom.com.

You keep meaning to get your home and office in order so you can enjoy organized living; it just keeps getting put off. The idea of trying to organize everything and de-clutter seems like such a daunting task, even though you know it will make you feel much better and less stressed in the long run.

There are all those paper files, books, training binders, DVDs and video games to straighten up. When you need to find a book, it takes more time than it’s worth to find it! There are winter clothes to move to storage and summer clothes to fetch, if you can remember which bin in the basement that you’ve put them. You also have that collection of NASCAR souvenirs or another treasured collection, some to showcase and some to store for safekeeping.

The good news is that you no longer have to put it off. By implementing Paper Tiger Online filing system software, you can now de-clutter and feel confident to put things in their own place and be able to find them again when you need them. It will be so worth the time invested to get organized, because you won’t be wasting time afterward with time-consuming searches for needed items.

“How-to” De-clutter

Paper Tiger can be used for paper files, but also for many other physical items. Anything that you can put a number onto, you can index with your filing system software. This is especially important for items that may be kept in more than one location. So, for example, if you are going to keep some collectible items on display and want to store some in your home and others at a rented storage unit, this helps you recall what ended up where. If you manage any kind of online selling of items too, this software is a must have. All those items you keep in your home because you’re afraid that if you put them away, you won’t remember where you put them, can now be stored somewhere else. This will free up so much space in your home and you can have your home back!

So, take one room at a time, and find out what needs sorting, organizing and filing. Then, decide what you would like to keep in the home, what you would like to box up and keep either in the basement, a rented storage unit or some other type of storage space. Then type in the information into the filing system database, indexing or cataloging each item with item name and keywords, including where the item will be stored, and get back to having organized living. Any changes or moves you make to your physical items can also be adjusted in your filing system database, and you’ll always be able to track your items.

After your home is organized, go through your office. Start with the top of your desk. Find a ‘home’ for everything – the right place on your desk for each item that will help you work more efficiently. Take one stack of paper files at a time, and then one drawer at a time, and index the items in your hanging file folders into Paper Tiger’s database.

Don’t feel like you have to ‘get organized’ all in one day! Make a list of each room in the order in which you want to get organized. Then schedule time on your calendar, allotting the amount of time you want to spend for each room. Some rooms, like the garage, might take more than a couple of hours in one day, so schedule a couple of hours in two different days. It might even be helpful to create a plan of action for an area that is too overwhelming – making a list of what items you want to organize first, then second, etc., in a room so that it won’t seem too much at one time.

How many times have you thought, ‘I really need to clean out the garage, but it will take so long, and I have to do this and that, before I tackle that huge job’, and it just never gets done? If you schedule an hour to sort through and organize the sports equipment on one day, then on another day, take an hour to sort through and organize the tools.

How It All Works for Organized Living

A digital filing system that enables you to index physical items, makes it easy to track things. If you had a folder for your car repairs and needed to refer to it, could you be certain you could find it when you needed it? Would you remember if you titled it car, auto, Honda or repairs? Did you put it in a file or is it in that huge stack ‘to be filed’?

By using a digital filing system, you can type in any of those keywords and be able to find it with a quick search in the software database. With the old method, all you had was an alphabetical system, which obviously has worked, as long as you could recall the name you filed it under previously – maybe not as efficient as it could be. Digital filing systems take all the confusion out of the equation, even if more than one person is using the system.

Keeping Up With Paper and Digital Files

Some people are converting their filing systems to a more paperless environment, and Google Docs is great for storing the digital files that are scanned. We recommend using the Digital Tiger function in Paper Tiger Online filing system software to connect to Google Docs for a combined document management software solution. Digital Tiger, powered by Google Docs, is a free add-on with a paid Paper Tiger Online (Basic or Pro plan for now), to connect your Paper Tiger Online account to your Google Docs account. You can still index your paper files that you need to keep in hard copy format and other physical items such as books and manuals into Paper Tiger Online, and use Google Docs through a Google or Gmail account for your digital file storage. Google Docs is the lowest cost digital file storage system available, and is more convenient than storing your digital files on your hard drive (or multiple computers) that would take up valuable memory, or keeping up with CDs or Flash Drives.

Combining Paper Tiger’s indexing method, there’s a way to organize and index all those items that simply cannot be scanned, i.e., passports, contracts, binders, books, CDs, DVDs, items in safe deposit box, etc. Then by using the Digital Tiger function in Paper Tiger Online, you will be able to search and find both your paper/physical items that you’ve indexed into Paper Tiger and your digital files that you’ve uploaded or created into Google Docs format relating to the same keyword search from one software system, Paper Tiger.

If you choose to use the combined digital software solution with Paper Tiger Online and Digital Tiger, powered by Google Docs, you will be setting yourself up for organized living so that you can find anything in five seconds or less!

One of the things that many people worry about when it comes to their computers is how safe are their electronic or digital files. After all, there are many things that can happen to cause people to lose important files, like a computer crash or a virus that corrupts your harddrive, and often, it is pretty much impossible to get these files back once they are lost. Thank goodness there is a really easy way to get around this problem; and that is to use a digital filing system that is Internet based, like Google Docs. That way, no matter what computer you are using, you can access the files you want, and if something happens that causes you to lose files on your computer, you will be able to access them through the Internet. You will never lose a file again when you are using an Internet digital filing system.

Don’t Be Afraid of Computer Crashes

Computers can be truly wonderful things, but when they are not working right, they can also be some of the most annoying machines in the world. There are all kinds of little problems that can crop up for computer users, with one of the most common being computer crashes. Unfortunately, most of the time when a computer crashes, there is no way that you can get back the information that you had stored on it. This means that you will lose all of your files, including really important things such as family photographs, or that critical presentation from the office that would take hours to recreate. Instead of waiting for something like this to happen, you can have all of the files on your computer organized, or at least backed up to an online digital filing system. That way, even if you do have a computer crash and lose everything on your harddrive, you will still have access to all of your important files.

Work from Anywhere

Because of the Internet, it is possible for many people to be able to work from anywhere they want, and they don’t have to be chained to a desk in an office all day long. If you want to do work from home and your employer has given you the go ahead, you are going to need to be able to access certain files just the same as you would from the office. If your employer is using a digital filing system, you will be able to access all of the files you need to be able to do your job from anywhere, using any computer. This means that even if you are not able to make it to work, such as on a day when there is severe weather, you will still be able to get your work done, especially if you are on a tight deadline.

There are a lot of advantages to using a digital filing system. You can access files from anywhere in the world, so even if you are traveling on business and you have forgotten an important file at the office, as long as it is in a digital system, you can get your hands on it. If your employer is not already using a digital filing system, make the suggestion as soon as you can. You may even receive credit for saving the company time and money.

How Google Docs Works

Using Google Docs, you can store your digital files, and you will also be able to work on the files in the same location that they are stored. Google Docs is part of the Google Eco System that includes Google Apps through a Google or Gmail account – there are modules to perform word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, email, calendar, to-do list, contacts, photos, music, etc. This makes it very easy to work on the files you are storing in Google Docs.

In addition, if you want to continue to use your Microsoft Office software (Word, Excel or PowerPoint), you can do that and get many of the benefits of the Google Cloud. Google’s product “Cloud Connect” allows you to continue to use your Microsoft Office software on your local computer but store, share and collaborate. This is a great way to use software that you already know but have the benefits of the cloud, including automatic backup, using Google. See Google Cloud Connect…..Sync Your Microsoft Office Documents

Google Docs makes sharing and/or collaborating your digital files very easy. Now you can scan in your paper and immediately share the PDFs with your business associates.

Google Docs (all your digital files) can even be backed up offline to your local computer, as you can see from this article at Now You Can Backup Your Google Docs to Your Local Drive!; or you can select another service that will automatically and constantly backup all your files stored in Google Docs (including your GMail – Google Mail) to another entirely different system for safekeeping.

You can now Work Offline With Your Google Account and, Google Docs users not only have the ability to easily share and collaborate with others, to view data from any web device, but also have the peace of mind of automated backups, for an efficient document management system for organizing digital files.

Keeping Up With Paper and Digital Files

We recommend using the Digital Tiger function in Paper Tiger Online filing system software to connect to Google Docs for a combined document management software solution. You can still index your paper files that you need to keep in hard copy format and other physical items such as books and manuals into Paper Tiger Online, and use Google Docs through a Google or Gmail account for your digital file storage. Google Docs is the lowest cost digital file storage system available, and is more convenient than storing your digital files on your hard drive (or multiple computers) that would take up valuable memory, or keeping up with CDs or Flash Drives.

Some people are converting their filing systems to a more paperless environment, and Google Docs is great for storing the digital files that are scanned. Combining Paper Tiger’s indexing method, there’s a way to organize and index all those items that simply cannot be scanned, i.e., passports, contracts, binders, books, CDs, DVDs, etc. Then by using the Digital Tiger function in Paper Tiger Online, you will be able to search and find both your paper/physical items that you’ve indexed into Paper Tiger and your digital files that you’ve uploaded or created into Google Docs format relating to the same keyword search from one software system, Paper Tiger.  Digital Tiger, powered by Google Docs, is a free add-on with a paid Paper Tiger Online (Basic or Pro plan for now), to connect your Paper Tiger Online account to your Google Docs account.

If you choose to use the combined document management software solution with Paper Tiger Online and Digital Tiger, powered by Google Docs, you will be setting yourself up for enhanced productivity for the future so that you can find anything in five seconds or less!

Do you work from multiple computers, such as your computer at work, your home computer and your laptop? If so, then you probably already have a pretty good idea of how difficult it can be to keep all of your digital files in order and how much of a pain it is to look for a digital file, only to remember that it is on a different computer or CD or Flash Drive.

Let’s say that you had to call in to work sick, but there are things you can do from home that will keep you from getting too far behind. Sure, you have the capabilities to do the work, but unless you have the right files, which of course are going to be on your work computer, there isn’t a whole lot you can do but wait until you are back at the office.

Then you also have to think about keeping up with technology….remember the floppy disk? Did you remember to copy files to a newer digital file storage location before getting a computer that doesn’t accept floppy disks? This can be a real problem.

Organize Your Digital Files

There is one way that you can overcome the problem of not having the files you need on every computer that you use. All you have to do is get them organized, and take advantage of a digital filing system. Sure, you probably have some sort of system on each of the computers that you use, but this isn’t going to help you when you are using a different computer and need to access a file that is not on it. In addition to having a system on each of the computers you use, why not use an Internet based filing system? Then, you can access whatever files you need, when you need them, from any computer that you are using.

You don’t have to limit yourself to just storing your business files with a digital filing system. You probably have all kinds of personal files, from family photographs to personal documents, and you can organize all of these and access them easily from any computer when you have them integrated into an online digital filing system. Only you, and anyone you share individual files with (such as employees who need access to certain files), will have access to any information that is stored in these files.

Digital Filing Systems Keep Your Files Safe

It happens all the time – a computer crashes and we lose everything that has been stored on it. You could be losing a lot of important files, from business files to your own personal files, and there is no way that you will be able to get these files back, unless you have a good back up system. When you use an online digital filing system, you will never have to worry about losing anything again.

Instead of having to wade through a ton of paperwork to get to a file, or not being able to access a digital file because you are not at the right computer, have all of your digital files organized with an online digital filing system. You will be able to get to on any file you need in seconds, no matter where you are and what computer you are using.

We recommend using the Digital Tiger function in Paper Tiger Online filing system software to connect to Google Docs for a combined document management system software solution, you can still index your paper files that you need to keep in hard copy format and other physical items such as books and manuals into Paper Tiger Online, and use Google Docs through a Google or Gmail account for your digital file storage. Google Docs is the lowest cost digital file storage system available, and is more convenient than storing your digital files on your hard drive (or multiple computers) that would take up valuable memory, or keeping up with CDs or Flash Drives.

Some people are converting their filing systems to a more paperless environment, and Google Docs is great for storing the digital files that are scanned. Combining Paper Tiger’s indexing method, there’s a way to organize and index all those items that simply cannot be scanned, i.e., passports, contracts, binders, books, CDs, DVDs, etc. Then by using the Digital Tiger function in Paper Tiger Online, you will be able to search and find both your paper/physical items that you’ve indexed into Paper Tiger and your digital files that you’ve uploaded or created into Google Docs format relating to the same keyword search from one software system, Paper Tiger.  Digital Tiger, powered by Google Docs, is a free add-on with a paid Paper Tiger Online (Basic or Pro plan for now), to connect your Paper Tiger Online account to your Google Docs account.

How to Organize Your Digital Files for Most Efficiency

Again, we recommend using Google Docs through a Gmail or Google account. Google Docs is Google’s free, web-based office suite that provides word processor, spreadsheet and slide show solutions similar to Microsoft Office. Using Google Docs, you can create and edit new documents online, upload documents created on your local computer or document attachments sent via email. (Note: the 1st GB of digital storage with Google is free. Click here to see more information on Google Docs digital file storage and at Google’s knowledge base here: http://support.google.com/a/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=1047457)

In addition, Google Docs can also be used as a reliable and budget friendly digital file storage solution for all your file types including document management for electronic files, video, music and image files.

Google Docs allows you to upload and store files in the cloud. You can upload both files and folders, including an array of file types ranging from document types to image types to video formats. Here are some of the things you can do when you upload files or folders to Google Docs:

• Access your files and folders from any computer, anywhere in the world by signing into Google Docs. The only requirement is that you have an Internet connection and a Gmail or Google account.
• Share files and folders with friends, family members or colleagues, allowing them to view the files in the Google Docs Viewer.
• Convert files to Google Docs format and collaboratively edit these files online.
• Upload photos and videos to view or share.
• Organize your digital files in folders called ‘collections’ and individual files can be organized to appear in multiple collections.

Commonly asked questions about uploading files and folders to Google Docs:

• Are uploaded files secure?

Uploaded files have the same privacy and security as any of your other documents in Google Docs. Additionally, the default visibility setting for uploaded files is “Private.”

• How big can an uploaded file or folder be?

An uploaded file or folder can be up to 10GB. If you’d like to convert a file to Google Docs format, the size limit depends on the file type. Learn more about size limits in Google Docs.

• Why aren’t my uploaded files showing in my Documents List?

If your Document List is sorted by Priority, uploaded files and folders may not show at the top. If you’d like your uploaded files and folders to show at the top of your Documents list, you should switch to the Last Modified view.

• Can I share and collaborate on a file I upload?

Google Docs also allows for real-time collaboration with other GDocs users, file sharing, and access documents on your mobile device. You can share any uploaded file with another person, and you have full control over who can do what with your shared files. If you’ve converted that file to Google Docs format, you can also collaborate on that document in real-time with other people, meaning that everyone that you share a document with can edit the document at the same time, and each person be able to view the changes real-time. So, when the shared file is updated, there is no need to re-send it as an email attachment, because it is automatically updated for everyone.

Click here to see more information on how Google Docs works.

As you can see from this article at Now You Can Backup Your Google Docs to Your Local Drive!, Google Docs users not only have the ability to easily share and collaborate with others, to view data from any web device, but also have the peace of mind of automated backups, for an efficient document management system for organizing digital files.

During this webinar, Anne demonstrated the following to show how to use Paper Tiger more effectively so you can get organized and be more productive.

• Get started with Paper Tiger Online.
• Created a Database, created a Location, created Items, and print labels for items.
• Demonstrated a work-flow example by filing items from her inbox.
• Demonstrated how to connect Paper Tiger Online to Google Docs and search from Paper Tiger to find both paper and digital files.

Find Anything In Your Office In 5 Seconds or Less…Guaranteed! Watch the webinar to learn more.

As information, Anne is a professional speaker, productivity expert, professional organizer and author. If you want to learn more about Anne and her services, please visit her website at www.StrategizeAndOrganize.com.  She may be in Colorado, but she’s nationally recognized as an expert and works with people throughout the US in person and virtually.

You can contact Anne at amcgurty@strategizeandorganize.com or by phone at 303 881-0174.

See more information here on Paper Tiger Filing System Software for Document Management

Filing System Q&A from the Webinar

Q: If I convert a file to Google Docs format can I get the file back in the native file format?
A: Yes, open your Google Docs from your Gmail account, then the file you need, then click on File and select the option to ‘Download file as’ and you can select to download the file as whatever programs are offered for that file type.

Q: Is that rebooting or resetting for password available 24 hours a day?
A: If you don’t remember your password, you simply click on the Forgot my password link, answer the question and fill in your email that your Paper Tiger Online account is under, and you’ll receive an email with a link to reset your password

Q: There is concern about the security of the digital documents…. how secure are they?
A: See information regarding Google Security information that we’ve copied from their Security knowledge base.

Q: When scanning documents, do you always use PDF?
A: We do mainly because Google Docs will OCR the 1st 10 pages of PDFs when the file is uploaded, but may not OCR .jpg

Q: Do you know if there is a limit to space available per account.
A: We’ve captured some information from Google’s knowledge base regarding digital filing cloud storage space and limits and pricing tiers.

Q: If I were to switch from the desktop version to a web version can everything I have done be transferred to the web version?
A: Yes absolutely! You can import your desktop version database or have our support team import it for you. Email support@thepapertiger.com, attach the database and let them know what email your PTO account was created under.

Q: What if you have two different Google accounts
A: Paper Tiger Online will only connect to one of your Google accounts at a time.

Do you have a small space in your house that you use as a home office? If so, no matter how large or small that space is, from time to time you have probably found that you seem to be overrun with paper files. It doesn’t really matter how big a business is, there is still going to be a lot of paperwork around, from invoices to contracts and other important documents. These all need to be kept in order, and this is not always as easy as it sounds. But, it can be made to be quite easy with an online filing system like Paper Tiger Filing System software. This type of office management software is not going to allow you to eliminate your paperwork, but it will allow you to be able to store the paperwork away and access all of the files you need in a matter of seconds.

How Does The Filing System Work?

In order to have an organized filing system for your home office or other company office, you will need to first make decisions about the paper that comes into your office.

• Does the paperwork require action?
• Do you need to keep the paper file for future reference? If so, do you need to keep it in paper hard copy form or can you scan it and then shred it?
• Can the document simply be trashed or recycled?

For those paper files that you need to keep in hard copy format, index the item name and keywords into Paper Tiger. Then for your paper files that you do not have to be kept in hard copy format, scan them, then upload to Google Docs which will be your digital file storage location. Note that some scanners will scan directly to Google Docs, so check with your scanner manufacturer to see if there is an update to allow you to skip the uploading step. For these documents that you’ve scanned, you can then decide to shred or recycle them.

Activate Digital Tiger by connecting your Paper Tiger Online account to your Google account. Digital Tiger is a free add-on with a paid Paper Tiger Online account (Basic and Pro plans for now), to connect your Paper Tiger Online account to your Google Docs, then you will be able to search from one place to find both your paper/physical items and your digital files. More information can be found on our Digital Tiger page.

To prepare for Digital Tiger, you can create, scan or upload your digital files to Google Docs format. Again, Paper Tiger is for indexing the paper files and other items that you need to keep in hard copy format, such as passports, instruction booklets, or CDs, DVDs, Books, home or office inventory and/or storage, etc. If there are some documents that you’ve scanned but still need to keep in hard copy format as well, you can also index them into Paper Tiger, so when you search for a keyword, you’ll be able to see that you have a copy in your physical file cabinet and you also have a digital copy of that file in your Google Docs.

So file your paper files as you normally would, but simply index the documents adding all necessary keywords you would relate to the documents into the paper filing system software as you file them into your filing cabinet. If yours is a business that has only one employee – you – there is a lot of work to be done, and you won’t always have the time to search through stacks of papers just to find one thing in particular.

You will be able to quickly find any file at the time you need it, whether you have the file in paper form or if you have digitized the document to a digital file in Google Docs.

Digital Filing Systems are Great for Companies of All Sizes

It doesn’t matter if yours is a small business that you run out of one room in your home or if you work in a large corporation. Businesses of all sizes can benefit from using this online filing system. This type of software is excellent for helping companies and employees with time management, because they can use the time they would have wasted searching for files to do other things that are more important. Any business owner, no matter how big their business is, loves to find ways to save time and money, and using office management software to organize paper files is an excellent time saving tool. The software is easy to set up and use, and all you have to do is make sure that every new paper document that comes into your office that you make the decision whether you need the file in paper hard copy format or if you can shred it after scanning and uploading to Google Docs.

If you need to keep in hard copy format, index the information into Paper Tiger. Then, you can file the paper document into the corresponding hanging file folder and not have to worry about where you put it when you need it later. And those documents that can be kept in digital file format instead, scan to Google Docs and shred it.

Either way, implementing Digital Tiger, powered by Google Docs, with Paper Tiger Online, you may not be completely paperless, but you’ll have less paper and you will be able to Find Anything In Your Office In 5 Seconds or Less…Guaranteed!