5 Tips for Organizing Your Business Paperwork

Operating a business can be complicated and if you have several employees, it can become quite challenging to keep all your important files organized. It is important to be proactive with your filing, however, because unforeseen events can occur, such as fires, natural disasters, etc. If you have a poorly organized filing system, it can be difficult to recover from such events and get back to running your business.

There are several steps to take in organizing files for your small business, these include:

Use a Uniform Filing Protocol: When you need to quickly retrieve a file for an employee or customer, it is not helpful to have some paperwork filed alphabetically, some filed numerically, some filed by geographic location, etc. The best approach is to have uniform naming conventions for each group of files, so you can locate the files you need without wasting too much time in the process. This also applies to files and folders you keep electronically; be sure you have a standard naming convention and do not have files and folders with random names that will not easily come up in a document search.

Keep Files in a Common, Secure Area: In many offices, there is paperwork lying around on desks, in drawers, in boxes, and in personal filing cabinets. This type of system causes offices to become cluttered, and greatly increases the chances of important documents becoming misplaced. The best method is to have a common area of the office with one or more filing cabinets where all files can be kept. In addition, be sure there are security procedures for this area; such as not allowing cell phones that could take photos of sensitive data and keeping filing cabinets locked.

Train All Employees on Secure Filing Procedures: Once you have set up a uniform protocol and secure filing system, be sure everyone in the office is fully trained on the correct procedures to keep things safe. And once they are informed, have your employees sign written agreements stating that they fully understand the procedures, so you have this in writing.

Shred Sensitive Data you No Longer Need: Some files need to be kept for a long period of time, while others can be disposed of fairly quickly. Still other types of files are printed for temporary use and later thrown away. One of the most overlooked ways sensitive data is exposed is when employees throw confidential documents into standard garbage cans. Be sure you have document shredders in your office for important papers to be shredded. And if your company accumulates large amounts of confidential paper data, it may be best to hire a professional document shredding service.

Keep Digital and Paper Copies of Each File: When it comes to important business files, redundancy is always a good idea. Smart businesses keep paper and digital copies of all-important files. However, this may not be enough in the event of a disaster. You may also want to consider keeping another copy securely in the cloud. This way, you can quickly retrieve these files for insurance claims and other important tasks if/when your company experiences an adverse event.

Protecting your business in important and there are many steps you can take to help ensure your business doesn’t suffer losses due to unexpected events. Having enough of the proper insurance is crucial but also making sure your business paperwork is in order will help mitigate potential losses for your business. Speak to a business insurance broker for more information about the right insurance coverage for your business.