Save the Earth; Embrace the PDF – Cyber Storage
Ok, day three of my “Save the Earth; Embrace the PDF” series. And today I want to share with you a little bit of knowledge about keeping records using the fantastic portable document format.
So far we’ve learned how to save files as PDFs and I’ve given you some ideas of what to send out as pdfs to save paper. Now I’m going to impress upon you the need to keep records as pdfs instead of always printing out “hard copies” for your files.
Like most of you, I have a LOT of file folders in my office with information in them ranging from projects to purchases. And while it’s good to know that if I ever NEED that information, it’s here in my space. They sure do take up a lot of space in the mean time.
As much as we like to have our records with us, they are just that… RECORDS. They are piece of past information. And I’ve learned that if I’m not currently working on that project or with that client, it’s probably best to bundle it up the files, scan them in, and send them out. Let them junk up someone else’s office.
Want to save space and resources? Here’s what you do:
- BUNDLE – Gather up all of your old paper, documents and sketches and separate them into easily recalled bundles. You can categorize by client, project, month, type of document – or whatever works for you and your business. Include with it files from past emails or online receipts.
- SCAN – Take time to scan in all of the data and save as pdfs. If you have receipts, scan them in together. And save all like files together in corresponding folders.
And I know what you are thinking. I don’t want to chance my records to a computer that could crash or get stolen anytime. Not to worry. I don’t want you to weigh your computer down with past records and your head down with worry.
- SEND – Upload your folders to a cyberspace storage unit. Yes, the internet has these. You pay roughly $50/yr to have an account (some accounts are even FREE) and upload however much stuff you want to this secure site. You can access the data whenever you need it, which If you’re like me, is probably never. My video blog is using the site box.net for an example. Check out this article full of lots of storage site information.
Now. I know this takes a lot of work to do, but I promise it’s worth the time and effort. You can clear out some of your old file cabinets and get your space back! Put a tree is that corner instead of that rusty old piece of metal.
The great thing about using the pdf and cyber storage to free up space around the office is that once you do it, you’ll find yourself printing less and saving files as pdfs to begin with… more. You’ll find yourself uploading information to your cyber unit daily… which will mean less paper waste and more office space for many years to come!
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