6 Tips for Keeping Effective Filing Systems in the

Office

Effective filing systems for the office make your business run more
functionally. You can find papers easier and save time looking for them. To
keep effective filing systems in your office, try these tasks and share them
with everyone in your office to keep the system going consistently

1. Determine how you want to retrieve the files. Do you want the files to be
sorted by event, topic, or speaking engagement?
2. Label each hanging and manila folders. This way, if you take out the
manila folder, you will know what section to place the manila folder
when you need to return it.
3. Stick with the same labeling system. If you use front labels and file
behind the tab, stay consistent. If you use color folders for particular
folders, keep using those colors.
4. Leave space in the drawer for new files. By purging every year to make
room for the files, it will not only help your filing system stay current but
it will also make your system more refined with what is going on that
current year.
5. Lay the paper in the folders so you can see the tabs. Papers sticking up
out of the folders will block the tabs and make it more difficult to find a
file.
6. Find a filing cabinet that will hold all your files. Label each drawer a
broad topic to help you and others find the right drawer more quickly
and painlessly.