Piles and Piles...

[LostDollar]

Any organizational tips?

One, with which I have limited success, is "only handle it once".

My two success stories in that area are Income Taxes and FSA/HSA. In January of each year I make a folder for income taxes for the current year and for FSA/HSA account if I have one. Anything that comes in the mail for taxes or the receipts for purchases that relate to those categories go straight to those folders.

 

[theinsuranceman]

pile1
pīl/
noun

1. 1.
   a heap of things laid or lying one on top of another.

Had two appointments cancel on me today, so... I am attacking the paper work in my office (once again).

Been on this forum long enough to know there is some well weathered synergy out there, what are somethings that ya'll do to beat back the paper stacks, organizational ideas, work flow options... mess control!?!

Get a credit card and use it only for business expenses. Then you can give your monthly statements to your CPA.

 

[HoosierLife]

That takes one to another organizational nightmare, creating order and structure in your computer archives. That is something I haven't figured out how to do-do you have suggestions for that?

Just set up folders and sub-folders just like you would in a normal filing cabinet. Now you have a digital filing cabinet that is searchable by name, date, key word etc.

 

[djs]

That takes one to another organizational nightmare, creating order and structure in your computer archives. That is something I haven't figured out how to do-do you have suggestions for that?

Pretty simple....
Have a client folder.
Under that, have a folder for each client, by last name, same as you would a file folder in a drawer somewhere.

Then, take all the paper stuff you have in the folders in your file cabinets, start scanning them, file them in the e-files, then shred the paper.

You'll never go back to paper files again.

One big recommendation is to have a backup copy of everything. Just do it weekly and automatically and you'll be good.

Yes, your hard drive could fail. Or yes, you could lose a paper file folder. Yes, your hard drive could fail. Yes, you could have a fire and burn all the paper folders. My point being that many people don't go electronic for fear they will lose something in the event of a disaster. What they don't realize is currently, they will lose something in the event of a disaster, but in the 'e' world, it is easier to have a backup copy somewhere that you can restore.

A few other recommendations:
- Scan black and white. Unless you need color for something, black and white is faster and makes a smaller file.
- Have a naming convention for files. Health apps should have a standard name, at least prefix, so when you look in the folder, you know exactly what it is.
- Feel free to have folders inside of folders. For instance, when I did families and multiple life policies, I would have a client folder and then a separate folder for each person in the family with their stuff in it.
- Don't keep payment receipts. Okay, perhaps you don't ever take payments for anything, but I quickly realized I could get this from the carrier I processed the payment on, I didn't need to keep a bunch of extra papers for no reason.

Dan

 

[rousemark]

Just set up folders and sub-folders just like you would in a normal filing cabinet. Now you have a digital filing cabinet that is searchable by name, date, key word etc.

But then you don't have a hard copy...

 

[Allines]

How to tame the paper tiger! Most of this is taken from the Insurance Great Sid Friedman . I can take no credit other than it works.
1. In one day,Take ALL of your paper and put it into 1 stack, if it reaches the ceiling then you can start a 2nd stack.
2. Take the 1st piece of paper and employee the 4 "D's"
Do it what needs to be done to complete it
Delay it put into your tickler file
Delegate it if possible ( may not apply to everyone)
DUMP IT If none of the above apply then file 13 it .
3 tickler file can be either old fashioned files or computer file, Courts have already ruled that scanned documents are the same as the original. Use google drive, dropbox etc., Cloud storage no back ups needed. $10 a month if you exceed the free limit. Every thing safe and secure.
Take a day and just do it. If you fall off the wagon (which does happen) than take another day and deal with it. This is exactly how I run my p/c and life biz. At the end of the day...clean desk.

 

[Markthebroker]

When I go camping I always bring a box of papers I don't want anymore. Nature's shredding machine.

But I am pretty sure that's not the type of advice you are looking for.

 

[rousemark]

When I go camping I always bring a box of papers I don't want anymore. Nature's shredding machine.

But I am pretty sure that's not the type of advice you are looking for.

If you are using it for kindling, OK. But if you are using it in place of Charmin, you better have a tough butt.

 

[Markthebroker]

ha ha ha. No, I mean for the campfire. Ha ha ha.

 

[PA Bill]

How to tame the paper tiger! Most of this is taken from the Insurance Great Sid Friedman . I can take no credit other than it works.
1. In one day,Take ALL of your paper and put it into 1 stack, if it reaches the ceiling then you can start a 2nd stack.
2. Take the 1st piece of paper and employee the 4 "D's"
Do it what needs to be done to complete it
Delay it put into your tickler file
Delegate it if possible ( may not apply to everyone)
DUMP IT If none of the above apply then file 13 it .
3 tickler file can be either old fashioned files or computer file, Courts have already ruled that scanned documents are the same as the original. Use google drive, dropbox etc., Cloud storage no back ups needed. $10 a month if you exceed the free limit. Every thing safe and secure.
Take a day and just do it. If you fall off the wagon (which does happen) than take another day and deal with it. This is exactly how I run my p/c and life biz. At the end of the day...clean desk.

Sid Friedman was from Philly and used to run TV commercials. His pitch was simple, "If people have told you you can't buy life insurance, CALL ME!". I guessed it worked as he tooled around town in a Rolls Royce and owned one of the largest Phoenix Life agencies in the country. A real salesman's salesman. Matt Schmidt is doing something similar in specializing in diabetics.