It’s that special time of year! Taxes! Digging through your files to find all the business receipts or medical expenses can be bothersome. That is why it is so important to purge through your files at LEAST once a year. If you own a business, it’s recommended to purge your files once every quarter. If it overwhelms you to think about it, at least look through your files from time to time just to stay familiar with what files you have.

Filing Tips

• Your files should be extremely accessible and close to where you sit at your desk.
• The file drawers should open easily and smoothly.
• It should be easy to open a folder and drop a paper in without cramming.
• Label folders with bold clear labels.
• For hanging folders I recommend keep your tabs lined up in a straight line vs. the zig zag, in order to avoid having the tabs becoming covered by bulky papers.
• Try to create broader categories vs. smaller specific categories in order to find your papers quickly. Ex: Create a folder titled “Banks” and then create subfolders of all your banks. Instead of trying to search all through your folders for different bank names. It’s easier to find a paper in 30 folders vs. 100 folders.