Staying Organized

The sole proprietorship scenario:

You are busy working on a pressing new project for one client when another calls you on the telephone. She wants you to send a copy of the latest report you did for her ASAP. You open your existing files window and a stream of folders, documents, spreadsheets, and other file formats, arranged in no particular order on your computer, floods your window. In which folder did you save the document? What did you name the file? You promise to get it to her as soon as possible and spend the next thirty minutes trying to locate the file.

Creating folders and sub folders go a long way in keeping your files organized on your computer. Create folders for each of your client, then for each assignment or month. Store files in corresponding folders. Name files appropriately. Add the current date at the end of the name, as this helps when you have to update documents.

Organizing you paper file folders is equally important. Here too, label your files appropriately. Use hanging folders to separate categories, such as clients, accounting, et cetera, and then folders for each client labeled alphabetically. Make time often to file documents in your filing cabinet instead of leaving a pile of paper on your desk or in baskets.

Staying organized helps you operate more efficiently while saving you time and money.