Office organization is no joke

Creating an office is always an exciting undertaking.

Unfortunately, one aspect of office design that is sadly overlooked by entrepreneurs is office organization.

You might be tempted to put off installing your desktop until a later date. But taking the time now to identify where and how items will be stored in your office has countless benefits.

Having items organized in an office allows you to respond quickly and pivot to queries and requests, provide excellent customer and customer service, and confidently prepare for future growth and expansion .

Whether you're dealing with these points or working closely with an office manager, here are three key office organization considerations that will help your business succeed today and in the future.

>

Provide a paper deposit.

Identify the physical locations where paper files are stored in your office, whether individual desks, workstations, cubicles or desks. Files should be easy to locate and quick to access. Carefully review all confidential or sensitive information and store such items in a safe place.

Build your recovery-based paper filing system. You want to capture an accurate and specific description of an item, not an obscure, confusing, or watered down version. Take your time to think about the different categories and types of files. Write several options and modify or change elements until you find a system that suits your needs.

You should also consider a naming convention for your files. This will help streamline both the labeling and retrieval process. Use clear, descriptive language that is easy to read and understand.

Save your filing categories, file types, and naming convention in a word processing document or other file. Keep your notes in a safe place so you can refer to them as needed in the future.

Choose digital file storage.

Think carefully about how to store digital files for your business. You will refer to these documents on a regular, even daily basis, and your ability to locate information efficiently is paramount.

Decide exactly where you will store digital documents. Do your best to contain the materials in a specific location. This can be in the cloud or locally on a computer or server. Having information contained in a centralized location makes management easier. If you need to store information in different places, clearly identify what materials will be stored and where.

A digital filing system must also be based on recovery. Try to keep your digital and paper file systems as close to each other as possible. You can use your paper filing system as a starting point and expand on this basic framework based on the type and amount of digital information you need to store.

Although digital files offer more flexibility than digital files when it comes to nesting and searching capabilities, it is important to exercise caution. No search function can accurately locate documents or files if the items are incorrectly or mislabeled. Create succinct and specific naming conventions for easily searchable digital files and folders.

Remember to accurately record your digital file notes, including categories, file types, and naming conventions, and store them in a safe place for future reference.

Streamline office supply storage.

Determine where general office supplies will be stored in your office. Depending on the size of your office, this could be one or more shared office supply closets, an office nook, a dedicated cubicle, a desk, a table, or a cart rolling.