Are you striving to go paperless in your office? It’s a noble goal, and within reach for nearly every type of office communication. One result of going paperless is that the few business documents left on paper tend to be the most important.
It feels good to convert that filing room to an office space or meeting room and see the one small file cabinet that you have left. Let’s take a look at what’s left in that last remaining file cabinet.
Contracts and Legal Business Documents
Anything your business has agreed to in writing and expect others to conform to as well. These include:
• Your lease or your mortgage
• Loan agreements
• Stock purchase agreements
• Website TOU agreement
• Service contracts
• Official documents from your company to other businesses and employees. These include Non-Disclosure Agreements and employment offers. You can utilize engagement letter software as an easy way to handle contract signing from one dashboard.
Stationery
Yes, you can design a perfectly good word processing file with your logo and contact info on it to serve as your digital letterhead. But you really should have one professional set of stationery to use for those printed official documents.
You should make employment offers by mail so that the recipients have a hard copy. Business letterheads make companies look polished and professional, and your prospective employees will appreciate the effort.
Matching envelopes and business cards complete the set and act as your first impression to the world.
Company Mission and Values
Print these on your stationery, give them to all your employees, and hang them in your office. It’s a reminder to you and your workforce what you’re about and gives context to your business.
If you don’t have one, try and think of one. It’s interesting how focused your intentions become when you know your mission. This is an example of a paper document carrying importance.
Tax Records
Even if e-filing has been your tax filing method, take the time to print out the forms and keep them handy. You can refer to them quickly if necessary, and provide quick copies if you’re in a hurry and need a hard copy.
Emergency and Logistical Plans
In the event of a network interruption or computer hard drive crash, you should have a hard copy of emergency plans such as evacuation routes and post-fire drill meeting spaces. You should also have a paper record of emergency contact information handy.
Permits
Any permit that allows your business to do what it does should be accessible at any time. These include certificates of occupancy, liquor licenses, and building permits.
They also include licenses and inspection documentation such as liquor licenses for restaurants, elevator safety inspection documentation, and health department permits and inspections.
About That Cabinet
These business documents are essential, so they should be protected. The file cabinet in which you store these papers should be fireproof, waterproof, and light proof. It also needs to be lockable–the contents are confidential and personal to your business. You should have a file cabinet at home as well. If you liked what you read about business papers, here are some tips to keep your important documents safe at home. Visit our site and read more.
