Whenever I walk into a big box office supply store, I notice the confused look on people’s faces as they stare at the myriad file folder options.
There are so many choices, including purple, green, red, blue, orange, flowers, etc. You also have to decide if you want three tabs or five tabs (tabs are where you place your label). What you end up with is a visual mess that isn’t very efficient either.
When you use staggered tabs in your filing system, and you decide to remove a file from the middle, it messes up the entire filing system. I can’t tell you how many businesses I’ve been in with a hodgepodge of perfectly good folders, but they don’t get used because the tab is in the wrong place in the sequence.
Naturally, there is a solution. It’s called straight-line filing. The tab extends the length of the file folder. You simply place your labels all down the left side or all down the right side of the folder.
The Smead Company is an industry leader in office products. Their research says that our eyes scan information much faster when moving in a straight line versus looking back and forth. So, if all your labels are down the right side or the left side, your eye isn’t weaving and bobbing back and forth. Buy the straight-line folders and you’ll dramatically reduce the time spent searching for files.
Nancy Nemitz, Create the Space Professional Organizing, can get your files in order. She’s a professional organizer and productivity consultant for small businesses. Let her help you get your office organized. For more information, visit createthespace.com.