One of the biggest frustrations in the office is looking for files on your computer that you can’t remember where you saved.  You literally have hundreds of files that you might access every now and then, and you only have a handful of them that you access on a regular basis.

I am often asked how I do my filing, how do I remember where everything is?  Well here are my tips for creating a workable filing system and remember where you put them, every time.

Now, this is not a fool-proof system and does not come with a guarantee, however it works for me.  That said, everything can always be improved upon.  If you have extra tips, that you would like to share, please leave a comment below.

Consistency is the key just remember the K.I.S.S principle.

  1. Create a file hierarchy, if you deal with clients, create a “main” folder for each client, if you deal with projects  create a “main” folder for each project
  2. Create sub folders within your “main” folders and make them the same for all your clients. That said, not all clients are the same and you may have some that have slightly different requirements to the others so set them up accordingly
  3. Alternately create your generic folders as your main folders, ie Finance, Invoices and then create your sub folders under them.  It’s six of one and half a dozen of the other, just experiment with what will work for you
  4. Try not to create any more than 4 sub levels per folder, or you will spend forever clicking through to find what you want
  5. Make a copy of your most frequently used folders and add a shortcut to your desk top
  6. Make sure your paper filing mirrors your electronic files, don’t use two different systems
  7. It’s not rocket science, there is no need to keep reinventing the wheel