Creating a filing system can be painless for even the most disorganized musician if you follow these 11 easy steps.
Materials
1. Establish whether you want to file alphabetically or by category. Alphabetically is easier when multiple people use one filing system. Categories keep like items together. "Right brain" people who think in terms of concepts may prefer filing by category.
2. Throw out as much as you can, shredding or thoroughly ripping up documents which contain account numbers, credit card numbers, social security numbers, tax ID numbers, or passwords. Certain documents, such as documents supporting tax returns, should be kept for seven years. Also, save receipts and warranty information for any musical or office equipment still in use. You may need it for insurance purposes.
2. Group papers together by category. For every piece of paper you plan to keep, look at it and ask, "what is this called?" The first thing that pops into your head is usually how you’ll be able to find it later. Write it on a sticky note and stick it to the piece of paper to be filed. Replace any paperclips with staples. Keep going until everything in your stack of papers either has a sticky note or is in the trash or recycle bin. If you get stuck, set the mystery paper aside and do it last. The title will come. There is no "miscellaneous" file-- you already had that in a big pile of papers!
3. Once you have all the papers labeled, start labeling your hanging folders. If you use a label maker to make labels, you can stick them directly to the plastic file folder tabs and toss out the obnoxious cardstock inserts that go with them. We at musicbizadvice.com find this faster and neater than the inserts. And this way, the labels can’t fall out of the tabs. (If you’re using P-Touch model PT-65, size 3 type fits perfectly. If you need more room, hit the key that makes the type print on two lines.)
4. To make it easier to see each file in the filing cabinet, put all the file label tabs in the far left slots of the hanging folders. Regular folders can be "staggered" inside the hanging ones.
Now that you’ve labeled all your papers and folders, (all this labeling makes it easier for someone to help you by the way) the filing part is easy.
5. If you have a thick stack of papers in the same category, use regular file folders to divide it into sub-categories. You might have for example, "website: layout and graphics", "website: technical" and "website: content."
6. If you’re a gigging musician, follow the lead of agents and concert promoters and create a show file for each booking. Attach a metal fastener to a regular file folder for each show, then hole-punch and stack all the paperwork for each show (except receipts you need for tax purposes) on the fasteners’ spindles. (The papers for each show should be in chronological order, with the earliest piece of paper on the bottom and the latest on the top.) Label each folder with the show date, time, and venue and keep in a special "show files" section of your filing system. If there’s a problem with a show, all the information you need is together.
7. Tax receipts for the current year should be kept in a large envelope on your desk, or wherever you’re likely to see it first when you do paperwork or unpack after a show. One musician we know keeps his tax receipts in a decorative box on top of the piano. Or you might try a box next to where you usually drop your keys and incoming mail. Keep a pen in the envelope or box so you can write the purpose of the expenditure on each receipt.
8. Current projects can be kept at the front of your filing system. We separate ours from the rest of the files by hanging an empty hanging file folder of a different color between the "current projects" files and the rest. We put the label tab for this folder in the middle slot of the folder so it stands out even more.
9. If someone else may need to find something in your filing system, make a list of each file folder and a description of what’s in it. This is especially important if you file by categories instead of alphabetically. Keep this File Log in the front of the filing system, right behind the "Current Projects" files.
10. Make your in-basket work more effectively by creating folders labeled "To Do" (bills to pay and errands to run go here) "To Call", and "To Read." Keep these three folders in your in-basket, on top.
11. Every time you pull out a file, look through it and discard any items you no longer need. Go through the whole filing system at least once a year. Update the File Log then, too.
- Filing cabinet or file boxes
- Recycle bin or trash can
- Pad of smallest size sticky notes
- Pen
- Stapler and staples
- Label maker (We like the P-touch PT-65.)
- Hanging file folders (we like all one color, as it makes the files easier to find)
- Plastic tab-type labels for hanging file folders, all one color.
- Regular file folders (for visibility in the filing system we like all one color, in a color that contrasts with the color of the hanging folders)
- Metal file fasteners (optional)
- Hole punch (if you’re using metal file fasteners)
- Paper for taking notes
- In-basket tray
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