Admin overload? 5 ways to cut down on your paperwork this year
Everyone knows the feeling of being swamped by paperwork, and the resulting feeling of relief when you come out the other end clutter-free and organised. Although these feelings are enjoyable in the end, the amount of paperwork you receive or are expected to complete can stack up quicker than you can complete. This not only causes delays in your work, but environmental issues, too. Here are five ways you can cut down on paperwork this year.
Go online
If your business isn’t doing most of its work online in 2019, then you really need to make some changes. These days, it’s simpler than ever to complete documents on your desktop or even your smartphones – so there are no excuses when it comes to ensuring that important documentation, contracts, and other correspondence is kept within the confines of your computer. Although you’ve still got to access the documentation, it reduces the physicality of completing paperwork and keeps your documents naturally more organised.
Streamline your processes
One thing that’s come with the increased digitalisation of our offices is the difficult transitions that need to be made. In some businesses, many roles have been made redundant by computers, and there’s simply no need to have an archivist or a crack team of admin assistants. Where possible, look to streamline your business and improve communication across departments. If your processes involve multiple steps and a delayed sense of beurocracy, then it’s vital you look to make some changes.
Hire an admin assistant
As is the case with many start-ups and small businesses, the CEO is often left to complete a lot of the admin tasks, in addition to the more important decision making processes that come with being a CEO. In retrospect to the previous streamlining tip, it’s always a good idea to hire an admin assistant to help you with any day-to-day paperwork and general adhoc duties. This will allow you to focus on making those important business decisions.
Deal with it before the pile becomes too high
Nobody likes doing paperwork, which is why we allow our mounds of the stuff to grow bigger and bigger, until the summit of the mountain seems too difficult to conquer. Why not assign yourself an hour or two each week to reduce your pile of paperwork, and ensure your workload never gets too unmanageable. Not only will this reduce your paperwork, but it will also improve the efficiency of your business and the decision making process.
Organise
Organisation is the key to the success of any business, but a lot of paperwork often comes with disorganisation and confusion. By taking advantage of all the above tips you’ll be able to develop a strategy to deal with paperwork that is both organised and efficient, while improving the efficiency of your business and the job satisfaction of your employees.
In conclusion
Hopefully, these five tips will help you revolutionise the way you view paperwork and make 2019 a year filled with exceptional business growth and a complete lack of clutter. There’s no need for an abundance of paper in these digital times, and there’s a reason why papercuts have reduced in recent years. And you don’t want your customers getting a papercut, do you? Let’s hope you’ve got your public liability insurance sorted, too. Plus, insurance is now available to buy, and organise, entirely online – so look into making this aspect of your business both streamlined, and entirely paperless.
