3 Tips for Better Information Organization
84% of business owners are working over 40 hours per work and report that the top stressors are missing information (Wrike, Work Management Report, 2015). Can you find the information you need in less than a few minutes? If not, it’s time to overhaul your filing system to set yourself up for growth:
Consistent digital file naming conventions (nomenclature). This has always been a business best practice but is doubly important now that digital files constantly move between people, devices and the cloud.
Segregation of reference paper, working files and projects. Piles of paper are not necessarily a bad thing, but piles of paper should not be the primary filing system.
Beware of FOMO (fear of missing out) paper – that article you mean to read, the social media tips you printed out, the invitations/classes you may attend. Toss the paper by transferring date sensitive decisions to your calendar and use an app to store the other information. I use Evernote to dramatically reduce the paper in my office and stay on top of things.
If you’ve been in business more than 3-5 years, overhauling paper and digital files will result in tremendous productivity gains. Contact me for a free small business assessment.