The war on paper. part two

​I shared last time about how I scan papers and why that is  important.  You might have be asking about what do I do with the scans?  I categorize everything by time and title.  For example: A file could be called " 030721 TBT War on Paper 2".  I recommend categorizing by months first.  In the old days, I had a ticklar file that I used to put physical papers in to get them off my desk. For me it is easier to remember things by time and title.  Using a storage system that is online is a great idea.  You may already use some the below examples: 

• Dropbox: it costs a bit over a hundred bucks a year for two terabytes.  I recommend this is you have lots of videos you want to archive.  
• Office 365:  If you a subscription it comes with and I think about one terabyte.  It does keep your files within the Microsoft ecosystem (mostly).
• Apple:  Apple comes with a small amount if you have a phone for free (and email address).    They have tiered pricing for storage.  I believe you get about 20GB free.  This adds up fast if you have an Iphone with a bunch of apps, podcasts, backups, and pictures.  
• Google Drive:  If you have a Gmail account you get 15GB free. I recommend as a starter that this amount of storage can hold a ton of documents.  Photos used to be unlimited and free.  I think that is only true now if you have a Google phone.  

I know others like Yahoo and other email accounts have free storage plans.  In a nutshell if you have a device, you have some storage.  Like I shared in the last post, most phones and tablets will scan papers in a way that is searchable.  Another bit of advice is to get a shredder.  Do not have old sensitive documents or cards lying around.  ID theft is real.  So any paper that is something with information on it (like an insurance policy for example), should be shredded. Other papers I put in the recycling bin..  You will be amazed hope paper you can recycle once you start to segment.  In the final part on the war on paper, I will talk about is becoming a dreaded word, "Printers".  

Does you or your organization need a productivity makeover?  Email me at tbt@winstonawilson.com.  

"Your time is your life!" -Winston