[cherylbooksun]

Hello

This is my first post. I am a freelance bookkeeper, so I am not so current on office procedures. I have a client asking me how to set up their business files for vendors and customers, I have an idea on how it should be done, but I would like input on the best way. Can anybody help me on this?

Thanks,

Cheryl

[disy]

Originally Posted by cherylbooksun

Hello

This is my first post. I am a freelance bookkeeper, so I am not so current on office procedures. I have a client asking me how to set up their business files for vendors and customers, I have an idea on how it should be done, but I would like input on the best way. Can anybody help me on this?

Thanks,

Cheryl

I do not know if this is the best way, but....this is how I do it. I set up everything alphabetically. The pendeflex tab on the hanging folder has "The Company Name", the file folders inside of it consist of "Contracts" "Correspondence" and "Invoices". It depends upon what the business is, as to what the inside folders are.

If your files only consist of Vendors and Customers, you could separate those by Color or cabinet drawer.

Also, do not get caught in the trap of it has to be perfect. Once in the job for a while you'll get a better feel of what files are needed and you can rearrange them.

Good luck.

[trnnbrn97]

Great idea! Another idea (which you may already know) is to stay consistent with your company names. For example, if you have the "John Smith Company, Inc.", make sure you file it under the "j's" for John. Yes, it is a person's name and you feel like it should be in the "s'", but actually shouldn't and should go by the whole company name.

I mention this tip only because I have a mix of people here who do both. Some file the J and some file the S. When you have multiple people working in the same drawer, you need to set a foundation and let everyone know. So if you prefer the "s", use it, but let people know that is your system. With our one vendor drawer here, I have to ask the one woman first what would I look under (everytime!). With some it would be J and some would be S. What a waste of time, let me tell ya.

[disy]

Originally Posted by trnnbrn97

Great idea! Another idea (which you may already know) is to stay consistent with your company names. For example, if you have the "John Smith Company, Inc.", make sure you file it under the "j's" for John. Yes, it is a person's name and you feel like it should be in the "s'", but actually shouldn't and should go by the whole company name.

I mention this tip only because I have a mix of people here who do both. Some file the J and some file the S. When you have multiple people working in the same drawer, you need to set a foundation and let everyone know. So if you prefer the "s", use it, but let people know that is your system. With our one vendor drawer here, I have to ask the one woman first what would I look under (everytime!). With some it would be J and some would be S. What a waste of time, let me tell ya.

Oh, that would make me crazy!

I also have a master file list, which has file name and location (I have a couple of different file locations). When it comes to my subject files other than vendor and clients, I usually have a description of documents in that file listed on the master list.