The basics
Decide how you want to store your important information. Do you want to store it on the cloud, local to your computer, or a mix? This is essential as you should understand the pros and cons of each case.
Once you have a dedicated place to put your things, you can make a folder called "YourBusinessName". From there, you should separate the folder into subfolders for different areas of your business. Things like "Marketing", "Sales", "Inventory", "Contracts", "Legal Forms", and even an "Other" should each be a separate subfolder.
You can also subfolder your subfolders if need be, but be careful not to lose any important documents.
The advanced
Now that you have basic folders set up, it's time to learn how to organize your information.
1. Multiple copied documents should be properly named so as not to lose your info or have to search through documents named "Employee Timesheet (1)", "Employee Timesheet (2)", "Employee Timesheet (3)", etc. If you have a lot of documents that are copied, having subfolders for times of the year may prove useful. For example, last week's employee timesheet should be placed under this subfolder structure: "YourBusiness" > "Staff" > "Timesheets" > "2023" > "August"
2. You should always have a backup. One of the pros of having your files on the cloud is that you don't need to worry about creating backups since most cloud providers do this for you. But if you are solely using your local computer, then you should keep a flash drive or other external hard drive backed up with your business folder and subfolders. Doing so is essential in case something happens to your computer.
3. Use the correct mix of software online and downloaded onto your computer. Not all software is created equal. Knowing which applications you should install on your computer versus which ones you should use the online version of can be helpful when it comes to allocating your computer's resources. Programs like Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel might be more useful downloaded onto your computer when using a local folder or hard drive whereas Google Sheets, etc. might be more useful to use online when you are using a cloud-based folder. In any case, it is essential to know which tools to use on your local computer versus online as things can become quite messy when you have tons of programs downloaded onto your computer, weighing it down.
4. Do not be clumsy with security. Everything from your computer, to your email, to your Wi-Fi network, can be hacked. Be sure to use strong passwords for all your accounts and do not overuse passwords. Another issue is keeping passwords in your file systems. Many businesses have so many passwords to keep track of that they misuse how to store them. The best possible case is to keep a physical piece of paper with your passwords on them (we have a professional looking print out that you can get on our shop for $0.99). This is not always doable so managing secure storage of passwords is essential when giving your employees access to accounts.
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