This article by Denise Landers, founder and CEO of Key Organization Systems Inc. and a Paper Tiger Expert, will help you get ready for tax time, get your filing system in order, and help you decide what you need to keep. Denise also recommends The Paper Tiger Document Management and Filing System software to help keep track of all your paper files throughout the year.
What do I have to keep and how long should I keep it?
It’s the perennial dilemma as you survey the year’s accumulated stacks of papers, miscellaneous receipts, and overflowing paper files. You want to get organized and use good document management, as well as time management skills, but do not know where to start. Whether it is for office organizing or home paperwork, you face the challenges of making a decision.
As more and more becomes available through the internet, the quantity of accumulated paper should be diminishing. After all, you can view your brokerage reports, reconcile monthly bank statements, and pay your bills without ever handling the actual paper. However, even if you have been switching to electronic transactions, it is often tempting to print out these transactions and reports, adding them into your paper filing system.
Start now to make decisions on what does not have to be stored. Get ready with a good cross-cut shredder and begin the clean-up process. You can toss:
1. Receipts from banks deposits and ATM transactions. Once you have reconciled your monthly statement and all of these transactions are accounted for, the slip can be discarded.
2. Bills, such as utilities, cable, and telephone. If your check has cleared, why are you holding onto the actual invoice where you recorded the check number and date of payment? The canceled check itself verifies receipt of your payment that month.
3. Canceled checks. Store only the ones that relate to tax items you will be declaring. For example, if you are claiming a home office deduction, you do want to keep a record of utility payments for which you will be claiming a partial deduction. However the personal Wal-Mart check for miscellaneous household items does not need to be kept long-term.
4. Brokerage statements. If your annual statement summarizes all of the year’s activities, you can eliminate the monthly and quarterly ones from the past.
5. Pay stubs. Once you have verified the end-of-year amounts with what is shown on your W-2, toss the monthly stubs, retaining just the final one of the year with the totals.
6. Receipts for purchases. If the item is not under warranty or is not for a major purchase that you will include with a household inventory list, you can let those go. For example, if you bought two shirts in June and have been wearing them on a regular basis, why would you want to file that receipt?
When you just want to retain something for a short period rather than placing it into your permanent files, you can create a monthly system with file folders for January through December. Use this as a temporary storage place. Once the next January comes along, toss all those “temporary-hold” items.
Following this process makes it easy to do an annual review and get ready for the upcoming income tax tasks.
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.
More time management articles by Denise Landers
Copyright © 2007-2008 by Key Organization Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.
Contact Key Organization Systems, Inc. for written permission to reproduce an article.
This article by Stephanie Calahan of Calahan Solutions and a Paper Tiger Expert, gives us some of the reasons we procrastinate, but also some great secrets to keep us from procrastinating so we can be successful with our goals. Filing is one thing that is a big reason for procrastination! If you don’t have a filing system that will help you get the job done, try Paper Tiger Filing System and Document Management Software. This filing system will not only help you file better, but will also help you find the files when you need them!
Learn 5 Secrets to Put Procrastination Off Until Tomorrow!
“I can’t help it! I was born to procrastinate.” That was the statement I heard when talking with a new client about a week ago.
So I asked her, “Are you happy with your procrastination? Does it serve you well?”
“No!” she exclaimed. “That is why I called you. I’m missing important deadlines and my co-workers and family are fed up with me.”
Do these statements resonate with you? If so, then keep reading. You can overcome procrastination if you learn a few simple secrets. Sometimes procrastination (putting an activity off until a later date) is necessary — like when a higher priority item comes up that you have to work on. However, if procrastination becomes a habit, trouble often follows. Start by understanding that there is nothing genetically or inherently wrong with you. So far, scientists have not found a procrastination gene! That is good news because it means it is a habit you can kick.
Why do we procrastinate?
There are a number of reasons we procrastinate. Let’s go over a few and how you can overcome them.
1. Not understanding your priorities will have you spinning in circles
Do you know if you are working on the right things? Do you find yourself jumping from one project to another? Often we procrastinate because we waiver on what we should be focusing on. One day it is one project and then the next day a different “bright shiny object” comes into view and we switch off to that. We are so busy jumping from project to project that we never really complete any of them.
Try This Instead: When a new activity or opportunity comes up, evaluate it against the other things you’re doing and determine how it fits into your overall plan. Ask yourself the tough question: ‘will you really take action on something right away’. ACTION is the key! Only take on those projects that you can DO something right away.
2. Perfection is the enemy of progress
No one is perfect and the desire to be perfect will derail your progress – you loose the focus to be successful. Don’t get me wrong. Having a detailed focus and an attitude for a “job well done” is excellent. However, there is a line we should draw when things are “good enough” to be tried. When you spend too much time on a particular task, it never gets completed and other activities suffer too. Taking action is better than not taking action. If you take action you get feedback and know where you can alter for improvements. For example, if you wait until you have a perfect plan for working out and eating right, you will never lose the weight you want to lose. If you don’t lose the weight, you may experience greater health issues.
Try This Instead: Use the 80/20 rule. Be “good” for 80 percent of the time. The logic: If you follow the new exercising/eating plan 80 percent of the time, then you’re 80 percent closer to your goal than the previous day! (The glass half-full focus.)
Remember – life is full of imperfection. Yes, it is important to give your best to achieve the possible best. But, not everything has to be perfect to produce the best outcome. Imperfection is better than perfection if something is actually getting accomplished!
3. Fear of failure only frustrates
This one ties closely to the item above. Taking action means making a change and possibly failing. Most of us don’t like change. In fact, most of us are terrified of change either consciously or unconsciously. “Failure is not an option” is a phrase we have heard all too often. But then, if we never tried, how would we know whether our effort has paid off or not, right? Exactly! Fear can be good when it helps us think though alternatives to a difficult problem. However, frequently we take it too far and this is where procrastination comes in.
Try This Instead: “Its Not Change it is an Experiment” – I love this concept. By thinking of your project as an experiment, you can get past your analysis paralysis and get your projects live. Then, as you learn things, you can make modifications. Now, go take action and let me know how it goes!
4. Understand the real time it takes to do tasks
We often put things off because we think something will take longer than it really will. “I just don’t have time!”
Try These Instead:
Play Procrastination Attack! Beat the Clock. Pick a time frame – let’s say 15 minutes – where you know you can focus on a task and get as much done as you can in that time frame. You’ll be amazed at how much you can accomplish!
Sit in a chair and do nothing. Sit still —- very still! Do not read. Do not listen to music. Do not watch T.V. Do not talk to anyone. Do not do anything! Just sit very still and do nothing. After about 10 or 15 minutes, you will get very uneasy. You will start to be aware of each precious minute passing you by while your goals are not being accomplished. Before you know it, your motivation will be reactivated and you’ll be off and running!
5. Eliminate the excuses that are holding you back
A few days ago I wrote a post on re-writing your own story. Many of us go through life with set beliefs about ourselves that are just not true. We so strongly believe in those stories that we make excuses for not getting things done.
Try This Instead: Take a long, hard, realistic look at the reasons that you are telling yourself and make sure that they “hold water.” If someone else told you the same reason, would you think the reason was sound? If you have stories that you tell yourself that are not really valid, rewrite them!
The Final Word
When dealing with procrastination it’s important to realize the difference between a rational decision to postpone a task and an irrational one with no rhyme or reason. Most people get confused between these two and then they procrastinate. You can easily end procrastination when you see that in most cases your decision to postpone an important task carries no logic at all.
Whether it is writing a chapter in a ‘how to’ book, cleaning your kitchen, or doing a blog post, you should try to do something each day. This is action. These small actions will bring big results overtime. Acknowledge your feelings. Even if you’re afraid of putting yourself out there, it doesn’t mean you have to allow these feelings to take over. Just allow them to be there and focus on what you have to do. This is powerful if you learn to use it.
What do you do to beat procrastination? Where do you struggle? I’d love to hear your thoughts and tips! Share them in the comment section below. Like what you have read? Please share it with others!
To your success!
Steph
About the Author:
Stephanie Calahan is The Business Vision Catalyst and founder of Calahan Solutions, Inc. She works with purpose-driven entrepreneurs, visionaries, coaches, consultants, health practitioners, authors, speakers and all sorts of remarkable service professionals who are experts in their field, to help them embrace their brilliance, leverage their business and get their message out with power, ease and joy; so that they can make a powerfully positive difference in the world, exponentially grow their income and enjoy a highly-successful and meaningful business… while working less. Learn how you can have more freedom in your life! http://www.StephanieCalahan.com
See the full Press Release.
The Paper Tiger Document Management and Filing System Software Announces “Windows 7 Compatibility”
Modernizing your document management system has never been more compatible…now The Paper Tiger Document Management and Filing System Software is compatible with Microsoft’s new Windows 7 operating system.
Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) December 9, 2009 — The best document management and paper filing system software (http://www.thepapertiger.com) product is now compatible with Microsoft’s new Windows 7 operating system. The new version 4.1.24 of The Paper Tiger document management and filing system software is the most complete solution available to better manage paper files in the office. The update of the software is shipping to new customers now and is available as a free update to existing 4.x current Paper Tiger customers.
In addition to announcing Windows 7 compatibility, The Monticello Corporation, the makers of The Paper Tiger software, is also reminding everyone to sign-up for the free drawing for a 7-day Caribbean sailing vacation (http://www.thepapertiger.com/contest.php) in the British Virgin Islands aboard the 51 foot sailing vessel named the Mañana Maybe with a private captain. The Monticello Corporation has teamed up with Sail With Terry, LLC, in the British Virgin Islands, to provide this once-in-a-lifetime vacation. The drawing will be held during halftime of Super Bowl XLIV on February 7, 2010. The winner of the Caribbean sailing vacation will be immediately posted on The Paper Tiger website. To enter the drawing, simply go to The Paper Tiger website and enter your name and email address. The sailing trip, valued at over $4,500, can be used by the winner or given as a gift. Everyone is eligible and no purchase is necessary.
“After months of development effort, we now have an even more robust software product to help customers with filing paper, document management and getting organized,” says James D. Grady, President & CEO of The Monticello Corporation, the makers of The Paper Tiger document management and filing system software. “As the weather turns colder, the prospect of going on a free7-day sailing trip to the Caribbean with a private captain, has our clients pretty excited!” says Stephanie Calahan, owner of Calahan Solutions (http://www.calahansolutions.com), a Paper Tiger Expert located in Bloomington, IL.
The Paper Tiger Document Management and Filing System software is a very powerful, yet simple indexing system for office files. It works like a search engine for paper files to help companies get and stay organized! Individuals can waste over 150 hours per year just 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 is a great alternative to costly scanning and document imaging solutions.
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 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 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 (document management solutions) 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 Software Decision Guide (http://www.thepapertiger.com/decision_guide.php).
For more information and to download a 10-day free trial of The Paper Tiger document management and filing system software (http://www.thepapertiger.com/free_trial.php), visit their website.
Founded in 1995, The Monticello Corporation’s mission is to enhance its customers’ business effectiveness by providing the training, tools and motivation to help them solve their problems with document management and filing systems. The company’s main product, The Paper Tiger document management and filing system software, was created to provide customers interested in document management systems an easy and low cost way to automate their paper workflow, thereby overcoming many of the problems with old fashioned alphabetic filing systems.
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
thepapertiger.com (http://www.thepapertiger.com)
About Sail With Terry LLC, owners of the 51’ sailboat Mañana Maybe.
Founded in 2006 in Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands (BVI), Sail With Terry LLC’s mission is to offer safe and personalized private sailing vacations that far exceed the expectations of our guests. Specializing in customized yacht charters in the British Virgin Islands, with private captain and if desired, a private chef. We offer incredible sailboat vacations. Our guests work directly with Captain Terry to design the luxury vacation-of-a-lifetime…be it a BVI vacation of total relaxation or high voltage-high activity adventure sailing. Both types of Caribbean vacations are available or a blend of each. So, whether it is your honeymoon (honeymoon sailing), your birthday or any other occasion, we will work together to make your sailing vacation truly unique and memorable. To get you started, we have prepared a free Caribbean Sailing Adventure Travel Planning Guide (http://www.sailwithterry.com/contact.html).
Contact:
Captain Terry Clark
President/CEO, Sail With Terry, LLC
sailwithterry.com (http://www.sailwithterry.com)
Toll-free Phone: 888-679-7245
###
To eliminate procrastination with your filing, always make sure to have empty hanging files with numbered tabs already set up. Then you can just enter the information into The Paper Tiger document management software and drop your documents in the appropriate numbered file.
Before you begin using The Paper Tiger document management software and filing system, you need to identify the locations of your physical files. Follow these three simple steps:
Place your In Box, Out Box, and To File Box on your desk or close by. You should be able to reach them while you are seated at your desk.
Locating Your Action Files
Action Files are either temporary or permanent. Temporary Action Files contain projects or events that are currently active, but will eventually end, such as “Atlanta Project.” When your actions are completed, they can be moved to Reference, Archives, or tossed (recycled). Permanent Action Files are for ongoing specific actions, such as “call” or “pay.” The pre-printed labels that are provided with The Paper Tiger are suggested labels for your Permanent Action Files. Choose labels with appropriate actions for you.
Setting Up Temporary Action Files
Temporary Action Files are usually placed within easy reach—such as a desk drawer or a portable file box. Follow these steps:
Setting Up Permanent Action Files
Permanent Action Files can be placed in the desk drawer with your Temporary Action Files, or on top of your desk in a separate container. Since these are the files you will use most often, choose a location convenient for you. For these files, use the pre-printed labels appropriate for you.
Follow these steps to set up your Permanent Action Files:
Locating Your Reference Files
Reference Files are files you need to refer to from time to time, but which do not contain currently active information. Your Reference Files will probably require more space than your Action Files. Follow these steps:
Note: If you have Reference Files that you use frequently, you may choose to leave your text labels on the files.
Documentation is a living, breathing, evolving science. Each century, decade and year brings changes and new challenges in the needs for documentation and retention requirements and guidelines.
Governments, organizations and businesses struggle to keep up with the ever changing flow of paperwork. Paperless systems are implemented and fail. Pre-paperless records are left to languish. Fear of loss and over taxed workloads hinder progress as the paperless war wages with the influx of scanner systems. The looming questions of what to retain and for how long, continue to consume untold resources.
With the onset of electronic communication, even more retention is becoming necessary. Everything must be backed up from fragile devices and paper to even more fragile devices and more paper. Where do we begin to determine how to implement a system of document retention guidelines? We begin by determining the purpose for retaining each document.
Litigation
With lawsuits and public scrutiny becoming increasingly popular, the need to substantiate actions with physical proof has grown dramatically. Notes and emails, which were once discarded, are now needed to prove the validity of corporate and government decisions. Subordinates should consider retaining any correspondence from superiors that may point to the rationale behind their decisions. With a simplified filing system in place this becomes an easy task.
Client Records
Many businesses base their customer retention on superior customer service. This includes maintaining easy access to copies of client records. Clients, just like the businesses that serve them, have the same problems as large corporations with document retention, and often find it simpler to request another copy of documentation from its source than to keep it on file, or to locate that file. Determining which documents are most often requested, as well as their age, will simplify the process of creating client record retention guidelines.
Financial Documentation
Financial documentation is retained for a multitude of reasons, taxes, efficiency, profitability, growth, tracking, accounting, etc. It seems obvious that these documents should be retained indefinitely; however, guidelines as to their storage location must be determined. Financial documentation must often be reassigned a new location with the passing of time. While this may seem futile, an indexing system such as The Paper Tiger document management software and filing system, utilizing both computer files and hard copies makes the process simple.
Efficiency
Retaining documentation for efficiency and duplication is well worth the effort. There is no need to reinvent the wheel once a system has been proven. Retention of system models should stay in place until the system is in use longer. Upon retirement, these files may be archived for historical purposes that may prove useful in future advertising. Decision should be made when files are archived as to if and when they should be destroyed.
Accountability
Almost all documentation falls under the category of proving accountability. Once the purpose of accountability for each document has been determined it will be easier to decide on its association and to create a retention guideline. The value of accountability proof of many documents is not worth their retention; however, they may have many other uses.
Archives
Certain archives are kept indefinitely, while others are eventually discarded. Tax documentation is archived indefinitely because of its association with the government and financial accountability. Of course, the documentation to support all tax claims holds the same importance. Systems that have been updated may also fall into this category. Once the future pertinence of archived items has been established, retention guidelines can be set.
History
While many historical items may be relegated to company archives, they may still retain a certain exclusiveness. Care must be taken to preserve historical data that may prove useful to future generations. Business and organization anniversaries are good times to utilize historical data as a means of advertising. Government history is of the utmost importance, and mundane events can often give astounding insight when viewed by futuristic eyes.
Once the retention purpose for each document has been established, its retention life and location can be determined. While document retention and creation of guidelines may seem overwhelming and even futile, they can be made much easier with a computer software program combined with hard copy retention files.
An innovative indexing system such as The Paper Tiger document management software and filing system, allows companies to maintain their hard copy files and achieve near paperless efficiency, while providing the ability to adapt with the ever-evolving science of document retention.
It isn’t necessary to discard old files to implement an updated filing system. Nor is it necessary to maintain all files on computer equipment that often crashes or disintegrates. By combining today’s technology with computer indexing, a higher level of filing efficiency and document retention can be achieved.
By Meggin McIntosh, “The Ph.D. of Productivity”™ and Paper Tiger Expert
Meggin also recommends Paper Tiger Filing System Software for document management to get everything in your life organized — it’s not just for filing paper.
How about this (and see if it doesn’t ring true for you): For the average professional, at least ½ (i.e., 50%) of what comes into your email inbox is immediately delete-able. (new word, I think). So, using that statistic, take careful note of the ideas in this article.
When you open your email (only limited number of times each day), have in your head that you are probably going to quickly delete at least 50% of them. Some, you can delete without even having to open them (ads, spam, silly things that people send that you could care less about, and so forth). Those are the easiest ones and you can just highlight those and hit delete. If you want to permanently delete, then most email programs allow you to hold down the Shift key and hit delete and then the items don’t even show up in your “deleted items” folder. But either way, press delete.
Now, when you actually begin to open your emails for real processing, you are going to have ones that you can delete just as soon as you see what they are. Several examples below:
Now, what about the emails that you need to ‘do something’ about. Can some of them still be deleted? YES. For example:
The list goes on and on about what is delete-able. Remember, much of it can be deleted almost immediately, and quite a bit of the rest of it as soon as you’ve garnered what you needed from the email. As the title to the article suggests, delete early and often. Keep your email practices sane and sensible.
And access additional ways of getting and staying productive, then please join others (worldwide) who receive Meggin’s weekly tips and suggestions (and see what is available for download free at the following websites):
**Top Ten Productivity Tips (http://www.TopTenProductivityTips.com)
**Keys to Keeping Chaos at Bay (http://www.KeepingChaosatBay.com)
(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
Perhaps you’re familiar with the adage that time is of the essence. That means it’s important to spend your time wisely. Searching for papers that are filed somewhere can be time consuming. At worst, this could cause you to miss a deadline; at the least you’ll spend valuable time that could be better spent on more productive tasks.
Successful document management is mandatory for your business. An unorganized office can cost your company hundreds of dollars every year due to lost time, lack of efficiency, and even duplicated efforts in recreating work you can’t find. It is estimated that people waste 150 hours per year just looking for lost items. Just think about what 150 hours per person in your company is costing. Organizing office paperwork is key.
Finding and implementing a simple, effective document management and filing system is so important for your business. You need to know exactly where to find what you’re looking for when you need it. Who can afford to spend valuable time searching paper-by-paper, or drawer-by-drawer trying to find a document?
Once you realize the importance of an effective system for managing your office documents, the decision becomes what kind of system to use. There are a few possibilities, but which one is best?
One relatively new filing system is to use a Rolodex and write down each item and where it can be found in the office. For each word you might search under, you would write out a card using that word. You would then file the cards in alphabetical order based on chosen keywords. While this may be viable for some, when you have a large number of documents to manage, it can quickly become a gargantuan task to handwrite all those cards.
Another option is to scan each and every piece of paper you need to keep and file them on your computer, or on CDs or flash drives. The problem with this system is disk space. In addition, it is very time consuming and you run the risk of losing everything, should there be a technical ‘glitch’ — they happen, you know.
As such, what happens if your computer crashes? Or what happens if your computer gets one of the millions of viruses available to you (for free!) on the Internet? You could lose everything in the blink of an eye! Not to mention that, as you upgrade your computer and operating systems change, you could face the problem of not being able to view your files anymore. This is what happened with all those floppy disks that were so common awhile back. New computers don’t even come with 3 ½” drives anymore.
It could also be difficult to search for needed files since some document scanning systems do not allow much flexibility or make it cumbersome to add keywords or search terms. You could keep a separate folder for every document, but then you need an even larger amount of space to store them all. This system simply isn’t feasible for a business with a large amount of paperwork. Plus, the entire effort is very, yes VERY, time consuming. Many documents do not lend themselves to being scanned (i.e. bound documents, original signature contracts, etc.)
Of course, you can always use an alphabetical filing system, which is what most companies resort to by default, simply because it’s all they know. After over 100 years, the alphabetic methods are firmly entrenched into our way of doing business. However, the alphabetic document management system has many flaws and starts to breakdown almost as soon as it is implemented. It literally gets worse, much worse, over time. The alphabetic method requires that a person (or worse, a group of people) in the office remember how they filed the information. The problem is that people forget or they don’t all think alike. Many times, the person who sets up the filing system leaves the company and the knowledge of where things are filed goes out the door with them. (this is a BIG PROBLEM!)
The solution seems elusive.
Yet, there is a simple document management system that can be easily implemented in any size company. Converting your traditional files to this more efficient system will make you wonder how you ever managed without it.
It’s called Paper Tiger.
Paper Tiger document management software and filing system is a software program that allows you to easily categorize and organize your files based on a numerical indexing system that makes it a cinch to find what you need by allowing you to search for any keyword you choose—right from your computer! Think of it as the Google search engine for your file cabinet.
No need to scan your documents any longer, you simply index them and file them the same way you’ve always done. For those who need to keep the paper copies and originals, this is the ideal solution to document management. You avoid all the hassles and risks of using an imaging solution (paperless, scanning) and yet get many of the benefits of instant retrieval and virtual immunity from disruption due to staff turnover.
Not sure you want to commit to managing your office documents via computer? You can enjoy a free version, learn how the system works and see if this innovative document management system will work for you and your company before you buy. If you find—as thousands of others including large businesses, major universities, government agencies, non-profits, small businesses and professionals have—that this is indeed something you can’t live without, you can purchase the full product and get started on managing your files more efficiently right away. You can learn how to use Paper Tiger software in under 30 minutes – and you will never have to remember how you filed a document again!
And since you’ll print out an index of your files, you don’t have to worry about losing everything if your computer crashes or gets the “Trojan A”, “Trojan B”, etc. or some other crazy sounding virus. With Paper Tiger, you’ll have the ease of computer document management solution and the security of a paper trail as well. It’s the best of both worlds. There is security in having the real paper, when you need it.
Paper Tiger Filing System software for document management allows you to add simple codes to every document in your office, and then add item name and keyword information to the software so you can easily track and manage your files. You can see this amazing system in action on Paper Tiger’s website. You’ll be able to search for documents and files based on keywords that you choose to input, while creating a custom designed filing solution that’s perfect for your office.
An efficient document management is a must for any size company from the smallest home based business to the largest corporation or government agency. That’s why there are varying solutions with different levels of functionality to meet your individual needs. But whatever options your company needs, you can find pre-recorded webinars with tips and all the information you need to help you create a manageable, effective filing system.
As the decision maker in your business, you need to decide which document management system will work best for your organization. To do so, you’ll need to evaluate the options and choose the one you deem most appropriate. The ability to search for files and documents using keywords you select will save time and money every day, while greatly reducing stress and increasing productivity.
The business world today is much too competitive to not be as efficient as possible. The days of using traditional alphabetic filing systems with their inherent disadvantages are quickly coming to an end. Realize as you search for a computerized solution to replace your antiquated alphabetic filing system and move to the paperless office, that there is another fantastic computerized solution available using indexing, not imaging…Paper Tiger software. Indexing is a great, low-cost, low-hassle, reduced risk way to meet your organization’s document management needs.
In this blog post, Denise Landers, a knowledgeable Paper Tiger consultant, is presenting us with an innovative idea about using erasable paper to reduce the document management chores in an office and keep paper out of landfills. One of the best ways to reduce clutter and keep your office better organized, is to reduce the amount of paper that you use. You only have 5 options with the paper in your office, for further details see The Paper Tiger Document Management Decision Guide.
************************
Paper Management Solutions: Erase & Reuse
No matter how much of your life turns digital, I’m betting that there is still paper around you. Instead of seeing a decrease in the amount of paper, the Internet is one of the biggest sources of paper growth. Why?
1. We receive more email, and we print many of those.
2. We like paper. It’s quick and convenient.
3. It is easier to compare documents and make notes.
4. We read faster on paper. Onscreen reading is 30-50% slower. That is one reason we print out longer documents.
Xerox is getting very close to giving us a new product to help with the problems of:
-Ecological damage
-Cluttered desks
Erasable paper available to all of us may soon be a reality. This new green product will save ink as well as paper. After a certain period of time the ink disappears and the page can be reused, so there is less guilt about printing out internet research and email messages.
Of course, the age-old plaint of “I know it’s here somewhere!” may no longer be true. It just may not be there. As with other areas, going green means some adjustments in how you think.
You will still have non-erasable reference filing, action notes and other office organizing challenges as you struggle with finding the best time management solutions in each day, but having one more tool in your arsenal that also helps preserve the environment is certainly worth examining.
Submitted by Denise Landers
www.keyorganization.com/time-management-articles.php
This article gives us 8 tips for organizing a small real estate office (the tips are applicable for many small offices) and controlling the chaos. The article deals with getting organized, managing clutter and setting up a paper filing system or document management system, using The Paper Tiger software. You can read below a short portion of the article and then click on the link to read the entire article. See The Paper Tiger Document Management and Filing System software mentioned under “Let your computer help”.
********************
Controlling the Chaos: 8 tips for organizing A small-office
Any association executive who oversees a single-person office will tell you that organization is key to keeping dozens of duties and tasks in order. Yet for many executives, being the sole staffer can lead to serious lapses in organization, unchecked clutter, and unique filing systems. Although everyone is disorganized in their own distinctive fashion, here are some general tips for bringing order to small office chaos.
Read the full version of the article by clicking here.
This article in the Financial Advisor Magazine gives us many tips for organizing a financial services office (and once again, the tips are applicable for many small offices) and controlling disorganization. The article deals with how to deal with the constant flow of paper coming into the office and how to get better organized. Keeping up with the client paper files alone in many financial planners’ offices are enough to cause stress. It is imperative that a system be put in place that keeps managing clutter and setting up a workable paper filing system or document management system, a very high priority. This article provides some good suggestions. You can read a short portion of the article and then click on the link to read the entire article. See Paper Tiger Document Management and Filing System software mentioned in the article.
********************
Financial Advisor Magazine
July 2004 issue
Conquering The Paperwork Mountain
Some cost-efficient ways to improve productivity–and avoid headaches.
By David L. Lawrence
If you have been in the financial services business for any length of time, you know that paperwork can become an overwhelming task. Apart from the piles of mail that must be sorted through every day, there is the unending task of filing, forms to keep track of and compliance paperwork that, in recent years, has increased tremendously. I have visited financial advisors’ offices where paperwork stretching back months is unceremoniously stacked in piles on the floor of the office. One advisor told me that when the piles get so high that it is difficult to walk to and from the desk, then all other tasks are dropped so that the piles can be dealt with.
Consider how much it costs to maintain inefficient paperwork and filing systems. If, as a direct result of not having efficient systems, it costs you and/or your staff one hour each day (this is probably conservative), and you used a $50-per-hour cost factor over the course of an entire year—the cost of inefficiency could top $12,000 in lost time ($50 x five days per week x 48 weeks).
Read the full version of the article by clicking here.
What Tools Are Needed to Get Started with your Document Management System?
• An “In Box” to place the paper you have not yet reviewed
• A place to put frequently used files – a desk drawer, a desktop file folder or nearby file drawer
• A place to put reference files – additional desk drawers or file cabinets
• Pendaflex hanging file folders with plastic tabs (letter or legal, depending on your file cabinet)
• “Box bottom” files (hanging files with a 1″ cardboard strip in the bottom) if you tend to have “thick” files
• Hanging file frames if your file cabinet does not accommodate hanging files
• Manila files for use in files you take with you, or for subdividing files
• An “Out Box” – if you send or take papers elsewhere, located within reach of where you sit
• A “To File” Box – located within reach of where you sit
• Plenty of trash bags and recycling containers
If You Prefer the Alphabet…
If you like the idea of using The Paper Tiger document management software, but find the concept of indexing or numbering your paper files impractical — or even frightening — fear not! You can use the filing system software and stay with the age-old alphabetic method of filing. You can still have the advantage of automatic cross-referencing, search your files to find a particular item, and automatically print out your file labels, a File Index, an Item Name Index, or a File Retention Worksheet.
You may have a situation where you want some locations with random numbers and others in a particular alphabetical or numerical order. That’s not a problem!
If you want all your locations in alphabetical order, you can move the grid line between Location and Item Name to the left margin and you won’t even be able to see the numbers. If you are using both methods, you can just ignore the Location field.
When you place the cursor on Item Name, a sort arrow will appear. Click once, and the Item Names will appear in alphabetical order in reverse order; click again and they will appear in alphabetical order following the “open” items. If you don’t want to see the “open” items, go to View/Quick Preferences, and remove the arrow from Show Open Items. (“Open” items must be visible when you are adding new Items.)
To add new files in alphabetical order, just enter the Item Name in any “open” field. Then use your cursor to resort your files in alphabetical order.
When you print out your File Index or Item Name Index, just ignore the numbers. Should you later decide to use the random numbering system, you can just add the numbered file tab assigned by The Paper Tiger to each file folder. You may choose to leave your text labels on as well.
Basically, you can continue to use the alphabetic method for filing but by adding The Paper Tiger software, you will be supercharging your work, making it much easier to find your information. When, and if, you become comfortable with the random nature of The Paper Tiger method, you can easily switch to it without losing any of your investment of time. The best of both worlds!
Use these Instructions for decluttering your home and use The Paper Tiger filing system software to keep track of your documents and many other things you decide to keep!
Instructions for decluttering your home
by Alex Fayle (in less than 500 words)
taken from unclutterer.com
Again we want to welcome guest author Alex Fayle, the writer behind the helpful anti-procrastination website Someday Syndrome.
One of the most frequent questions I ever get asked about organizing is the process. How do you make the decisions to get rid of things? While there are many tips and tricks you can use to ease the streamlining process, it all comes down to 5 easy steps:
1. Set yourself a goal “I am going to sort half this room before bed” or “I’m going to streamline the contents of this one box.”
2. Figure out broad categories and where you are going sort each category into.
3. Sort your stuff, moving systemically through the space, and not bouncing back and forth.
4. Purge what you don’t want.
5. Stop when you’ve reached your goal.
Use the sorting time to reminisce about the objects — don’t make any decisions at this point. Allow the emotions to come up and clear themselves out so that when it comes to the streamlining stage you are free from the emotional ties and can make more objective decisions about them.
If the idea of sorting overwhelms you, give yourself some early victories and do a walk-through of the space, choosing to remove a few large things that will open up the space quickly.
After sorting:
* Take one category and if you can, move it out of the space in which you are working, and into a clear space (like the dining room). This allows you to concentrate on the one category and not have to face the rest all at once.
* Ask yourself two questions: Need it? Love it? If you can’t say yes to either then get rid of it. Life is too short to fill out our spaces with things we’re indifferent to.
* Take the things you are not going to keep out of the house as quickly as possible. The longer they stay the more likely they will come back into the house.
* Give yourself rewards – for example out of fifty childhood books you’ve never reread but have kept for sentimental reasons, keep five and store them in a place of honor where you can see them and appreciate the memories associated with them.
There are two instances in which you stop for the day even if you are not done:
1. If you find yourself hitting a “brain fog” where nothing makes sense or you find yourself holding on to everything you are reviewing.
2. If you have hit a manic state and start tossing everything without looking at it.
Simple, yes? So now tell us, what are you going to streamline this week?
Posted by Alex on February 17, 2009
Since The Paper Tiger is a software program that helps you deal with document management and records retention, we thought this article by Ramona Creel would be a helpful checklist in addition to our blog post copied from IRS.gov.
Records Retention Guidelines
By Ramona Creel
Feel free to use this tip sheet / checklist as you tackle your own “”do-it-yourself”" organizing projects. If you would like to REPRINT or DISTRIBUTE this information, please include ‘Content provided by Ramona Creel, www.ramonacreel.com.’
BUSINESS RECORDS (KEEP FOREVER)
income tax returns
income tax payment checks
investment trade confirmations
important correspondence
legal records
retirement and pension records
CPA audit reports
annual financial statements and books of account
corporate documents (incorporation, charter, by-laws, etc.)
stock records
retirement and pension records
licenses, patents, and trademarks and registration packets
investment trade confirmations
documents substantiating fixed asset additions
note: consult your accountant before getting rid of any financial paperwork
note: consult your attorney before getting rid of any legal paperwork
BUSINESS RECORDS (KEEP SIX YEARS)
bank reconciliation and canceled checks
canceled payroll and dividend checks
personnel and payroll records
purchase records
sales records
travel and entertainment records
supporting documents for tax returns
property records / improvement receipts (if tax-related)
sales receipts (if tax-related)
utility records (if tax-related)
other bills (if tax-related)
note: consult your accountant before getting rid of any financial paperwork
note: consult your attorney before getting rid of any legal paperwork
BUSINESS RECORDS (KEEP THREE YEARS)
monthly financial statements
credit card statements (for internal use)
employment applications (unless your profession requires longer)
expired insurance policies
note: consult your accountant before getting rid of any financial paperwork
note: consult your attorney before getting rid of any legal paperwork
PERSONAL RECORDS (KEEP FOREVER)
income tax returns
income tax payment checks
investment trade confirmations
important correspondence
legal records
retirement and pension records
CPA audit reports
note: consult your accountant before getting rid of any financial paperwork
note: please consult your attorney before getting rid of any legal paperwork
PERSONAL RECORDS (KEEP SIX YEARS)
supporting documents for tax returns
accident reports and claims
medical bills (if tax-related)
property records / improvement receipts (if tax-related)
sales receipts (if tax-related)
utility records (if tax-related)
other bills (if tax-related)
note: consult your accountant before getting rid of any financial paperwork
note: consult your attorney before getting rid of any legal paperwork
PERSONAL RECORDS (KEEP THREE YEARS)
credit card statements
medical bills (in case of insurance disputes)
utility records (for internal use)
expired insurance policies
note: consult your accountant before getting rid of any financial paperwork
note: consult your attorney before getting rid of any legal paperwork
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)
note: consult your accountant before getting rid of any financial paperwork
note: consult your attorney before getting rid of any legal paperwork
Copyright 2000-2009 Ramona Creel — you are welcome to reprint any article, but you MUST include this resource box and a link to www.RamonaCreel.com. Ramona Creel is a Professional Organizer, NAPO Golden Circle Member, and the original founder of OnlineOrganizing. A former Social Worker, she has always enjoyed helping people find the resources and solutions they need to improve their lives. Ramona now travels the country as a full-time RVer, sharing her story of simplicity with everyone she meets. She leads by example — having worked for more than 10 years as a Professional Organizer, and having radically downsized and simplified her own life as a full-time RVer. Ramona now considers herself a “Renaissance Woman” — bringing all of her passions together into one satisfying career. As both a virtual and traveling organizer, she can create a customized organizing plan for your home or office, put on a workshop, or educate you through one of her popular teleseminars. As a simplicity coach, Ramona provides a proven program for making every area of your life a little bit easier — perfect for those who want to make the time and space to focus on their true priorities. As a Professional Photographer, Ramona captures powerful images of places and people as she travels. And as a freelance writer and blogger, she shares organizing techniques, social commentary, travel tips, and film reviews with others. You can see all these sides of Ramona — read her articles, browse through her photographs, and even hire her to help get your life in order – at www.RamonaCreel.com. You can also follow her on Twitter, check out her Facebook profile, and subscribe to her blog feeds.
