Tag Archives: files

Tax Time Cleanup

There is almost no better time to clean up your financial files than at tax time. You are already pulling tons of information together for yourself or your accountant. Before you file it all back… take a few minutes to look at what you got. Saving is better than throwing away when it comes to bills, receipts and statements. Until you have accumulated so many that, you no longer can find what you need. Then it is time to stop and re-evaluate. Your tax forms are the most critical documents to keep track of. The IRS recommends you keep the … Continue reading →

Does Anything Feel Better Than Throwing Away Old Files?

I wrote earlier today about the organizational binges I go on just before leaving for a business trip. While organizing, cleaning and binging, I also experience the joy of cleaning out old home business files and recycling paper, cleaning things up and freeing up plenty of hard drive space by deleting files. Is there anything that feels as good in a home business operation? Okay, I admit that a boost in profits or cutting expenses in a painless way feels pretty darn good so maybe that would rank number one. More money is always nice, especially if one does not … Continue reading →

Deleting Old Files and Copies

I know I am not alone (although I also acknowledge there are far more organized and efficient people than I) when I confess that I tend to get a “backlog” of computer files and paper files. As I make changes and adjustments to projects, I might make more copies and forget to delete the old ones. This can create problems when I end up with several slightly different versions of one file or project and can’t remember which is the most recent! E-mail inboxes can get bogged down with e-mails that are no longer relevant, and file folders saved on … Continue reading →

Is It Still Important to Keep a Paper Trail?

I still occasionally hear people refer to keeping a “paper trail” of an agreement or project or correspondence. I have written before about the “paperless” office movement, and it seems like deciding whether or not to keep a paper trail of things in our home businesses is definitely related. Is it still important? And what is the best way to keep a paper trail of customers/clients or other business issues? I confess that I really don’t have a lot of hard paper files anymore. This might sound strange for someone who makes a big chunk of her living writing, but … Continue reading →