Small Business Brief

Productivity

5 Tips on Organizing Digital Documents for Small Businesses


Having trouble organizing digital documents? Want to be as organized as possible when storing important business files? 

If you run a business online or from your computer, then it’s essential that you understand how to use your document management system effectively. No matter how many documents you work with, you need to know a few tricks to keep things organized.

Luckily, we’re here to help. Below, we’ll give you a few of our top tips for organizing digital documents in a small business.

1. Clean up the Desktop

One of the first things you should do when organizing digital documents is to make sure that you’re keeping your desktop free from clutter. Placing too many files or folders on your computer’s desktop can make your entire system seem more cluttered as a result.

If you want to have a handful of folders on your desktop, that’s fine. However, try not to go overboard and set a strict limit for keeping files on your desktop.

2. Name Your Files Consistently

Another great thing you can do to keep digital documents organized is to put some serious thought into how you name your files. Try to find a naming convention that works for you and that is consistent with your needs.

You may want to have some set guidelines for naming files. In addition to a basic label, you may also want to add a category, a date, or even the name of the project or client to the file name.

3. Use the Documents Folder

Instead of storing important files and documents on your desktop, it’s often a great idea to stick with using a folder that was intended for storing your documents in the first place. Adding important documents to the “My Documents” folder or the equivalent folder for your operating system is a great idea.

Within this folder, you can add more folders to keep things organized while also keeping your desktop free from clutter.

4. Create More Sub-Folders

No matter where you decide to keep your files, make sure that you’re not limiting your use of folders. For each folder you make, you should usually have several sub-folders within it as well, in which you sort documents further.

For example, you may choose to add related sub-folders that correspond to different dates. Alternatively, you may want to add sub-folders to sort documents by the corresponding project or client.

5. Keep Your Files in the Cloud

If you want to have the most convenient time managing your business documents, then it’s a great idea to use a cloud-based storage system.

When in the cloud, you can then access these documents from anywhere. Your files will also be more secure in the cloud and this can help a lot if you ever replace your computer or upgrade your system.

However, while keeping files in the cloud can help you become more organized, it’s only the beginning. You may want to learn more about Management of Change if you want to implement larger organizational changes in your business.

Organizing Digital Documents More Effectively

If you run a small business from your computer, it’s important that you start organizing digital documents in a more effective way. By managing your documents well, you’ll remain much more productive and will be able to move your business forward more easily.

Looking for more organization tips for your business? Read through our blog now to find more helpful online business strategies, tips, and advice.



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