Emails
A colleague I once worked with used to store absolutely everything in his deleted items - forever! As you can imagine this is not really a good idea. Get a simple system going and stick to it.
5 Tier Bookcase
Emails are usually:
Rubbish - press delete For info - file, printing if necessary Need action - that won't take long- do the action - then file Need action - but will take longer or needs thinking about - store in your Action file for the time being (see below)
Keep it Simple - Don't make folders for absolutely everything or you risk making your filing system too complicated and everything will remain in your inbox just as before OR you will file things and still not be able to find them! You might want to create a Clients folder, and then create sub-folders for all your clients under that, likewise for suppliers. You don't want to have a set of sub folders with only one or two emails in them - create a folder called Dealt With or similar and put the more one off type stuff in there. You can have outstanding actions but still keep a clear inbox. Just create an Action folder and store everything there temporarily until you have dealt with it. Once you've got your system in place it will be easier to deal with junk and delete it as it comes in, and put things in your Action folder until you can deal with them, keeping your inbox clutter free and streamlined. Remember your Sent items - a lot of them can be deleted but if there are any you want to keep file them in your Dealt With or client folders, or whatever, as soon as you have sent them. Remember that you can search for emails using your email or system software if you are stuck. Delete your deleted items every now and then, if your mailbox is not set up to delete them on exiting.
Electronic File Storage
Again, your folder structure can be very similar, or even echo, the one on your email system. This will make things much easier to find. Avoid getting into the trap of just saving documents where your computer wants to save them - take a few seconds to navigate to the right drive and folder and put the document in the right place. You could try putting the document file path in the footer of the document (obviously you can only do this for certain documents eg letters). You can do this using the Insert Footer tool. That way if you get stuck you can see where you filed it! It also helps to get into good habits when naming your files. Decide on a format for naming your documents such as: "Letter to D Smith of Parkinsons Ltd 23 June 2011" or "Report Parkinsons Ltd June 2011". It will make things easier to find (and use your computer's search facility on) should you lose it. The main message is consistency!
The Dreaded Paperwork
Did the paperless office ever arrive!? A lot of us are still printing out emails willy nilly. If you are confident about your backup system, you may decide not to print copy letters, reports or emails for files, and only file incoming stuff. However, if it's really important you may want to print it out, or you may need to pick a file off the shelf with everything in it to take off to a client meeting. Decide on what suits you and your business and again, stick to it. Needless to say, junk mail can go straight in the recycling bin. Keep your paperwork in one place; not some on the stairs, some on the desk and some on the bookcase! That way, you have one place to go to, to find something. Get a 3 tier filing tray for In, Pending and Filing. Once you have dealt with a bit of paper, bin it or file it! If you have a filing cabinet use one drawer for Business (accounts, receipts, invoices, contracts etc) and another for your client work. How long should you keep everything? Business Link and HMRC have guidelines on how long to keep your financial records but it's generally six years for VAT or 5 years from the latest date for filing your tax return. Have a purge every now and then and shred everything that definitely does not need to be kept. If you have room you can archive some things away to make more space for current work.
Remember:
Keep it Simple Where things can be dealt with there and then, do so.
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