Filing Files - A How To

Filing Files is one of the most important jobs of any secretary, bookkeeper, or entrepreneur. It's what keeps all of the customers, invoices, expense reports, banks statements, and other important business documents organised. But with all the different document types out there, not to mention filing systems to store them, it can be hard to chose what's best for you. Fortunately it's realy not very difficult at all, and you too can get to filing files in no time!

Choosing a Filing System

Having the proper filing system for your unique work or business situation is key to proper file filing. There are a number of factors to consider when choseing a filing system, and it can be confusing to somebody new to this form of organization. Just ask yourself a couple simple questions:

• How much room do you have to store all of your files? This is very important to consider when choosing a filing system. Some times vertical space is at a premium and large filing cabinets, which are basically filing drawers stacked on top of one another, can't be used. Small filing boxes, which feature dividers for increased organization, can then be ideal.
• How many files do you have? Office filing can require the use of sever large filing cabinets to store all the different types of files and documents. However small home businesses can utilize only one filing box or even an accordion file!
• How many different kinds of files do you have? This is an incredibly important question to ask yourself when choosing a file system. The level of organization required for a large company is far different from a simple home office. Most large scale filing jobs will utilize the filing cabinet for it's ability to a large amount of files. Many small businesses and households however still prefer the filing box, which can easily be stowed out of the way.

File Filing Tips and Tricks

File filing can seem like a pretty simple task at first. However, it's easy to fall into the pit of over or under organization. If you over organize your files, it will take a very long time both to file your files, sand to find them after you have filed them. If however you under organize your files it may be difficult to find the file you are looking for. Here are a few filing tips and tricks that may help you get your files organized:

• Consider buying colored file folders instead of the plain manila. With colored file folders you can more easily recognise the file type you are looking for and go from there. A filing system such as red for bills, green for money owed to you, and so on can really speed things up around the office or home.
• Always take advantage of the label tabs on your file folders. By writing clearly in large letters, such as with a sharpy, you can easily track down the file you are looking.
• When filing at home, don't discount the filing cabinet completely. There are many, smaller home versions of the filing cabinet to chose from. The same goes in reverse for large companies and the filing box or accordion file.
• Keep what ever filing system you use free of dust and debris. An accumulation of dust can fall into and foul important documents, to say nothing of the allergy hazard. Check your less used files every so often to make sure there's no dust build up. Filing cabinets can be very prone to dust.