As you begin to embark in the start up of a new business, your documents are a valuable asset to your company. Not only do they document your business transactions and activities, they contain vital records which are crucial to the recovery of your business in case of any disaster. Other documents may have a legal, fiscal or historical value and must be kept for certain periods of time. Companies must be responsible for access to their documents and must be compliant with legal recordkeeping requirements , no matter the size of the company.
It is important to consider organizing your documents as quickly as possible if you are to access the records effectively, in a readable format and in a timely manner.
Paper records continue to thrive in most offices. Even though many companies work with electronic records, paper documents are a result of documents which originate in hard copy for various reasons or are printed from electronic records.
When starting up, many of us do not realize how quickly we accumulate records. A record is recorded information in any format. This can become a serious problem even within a year of the start up of your business.
Tracking and easy access to your documents will depend on the system you implement. It is important to identify the documents according to your business functions, select a classification system suited to your industry for filing purposes, either for paper based and/or electronic records, and store your documents, onsite or offsite. More to come on storage in the near future.
Francine Renaud
Records Management Consultant
http://www.timeouttoorganize.com/
Tel: 250-763-3988
Toll Free: 1-888-763-3988
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