Businesses Flirt With Disaster by Not Protecting Their Vital Records - Professional Organizer Fights the Battle of Haphazard File Organization in Offices

Professional Organizer urges businesses to have a plan for protecting their vital records or they may find itself in deep water when disaster strikes.

(PRWEB) April 1, 2005 -- Many file drawers crunch up year after year with stale documents and old files that will never be retrieved again. Frequently, the results are stuffed file cabinets, overcrowded file folders, worn folders, a mixture of handwritten and computer-printed or typed labels, and the lack of file guides, and a charge-out or tracking system.

According to a Reuters study, 85% of the information that businesses need to operate does not fall into structured formats. Instead, it exists in a wide range of unstructured content such as email, graphics or video. With so much diverse information, employees spend roughly 25% to 35% of their time looking for the information they need to do their jobs.

Of managers surveyed, 49% feel they are often unable to handle the volume of information received; 38% waste substantial time trying to locate information; 47% say collection of information distracts from their main job responsibilities.

"A business that doesn't have a plan for protecting its vital records may find itself in deep water when disaster strikes," says Professional Organizer Cyndi Seidler. "An enterprise without a structured, uniform filing system that allows employees to easily store, retrieve, and track their records is just one part of protecting their information."

Seidler further states, "Filing systems for paper records have evolved without much planning or ongoing management attention." She stresses the importance of proper filing, and has been on a crusade to urge businesses to make it a high priority to get control of paper records.

There are other reasons to proper management of files. According to Seidler, the key value of having organized files is it results in better decision-making. With information at an executive's fingertips, proper strategies and planning can be made in a company. However, many executives had not viewed it that way, and therefore continue blindly in their efforts to expand.

Because of the lack of proper filing systems and an approved retention schedule, companies fail to make periodic purges. The volumes of paperwork retained are more than double what really needs to be kept. This "asset liability" has proven harmful to some companies in the event of a lawsuit.

Since paper records make up 80% to 90% of the recorded information in small and large organizations, the consumption of paper in offices throughout the United States continues to increase at the rate of about 15% per year. If it isn't managed, trouble happens; it's doubtful escaping that.

National Organize Your Files Week, April 18th, encourages people to reach in those file drawers and put some order in them. This dilemma is not solved by purchasing new file cabinets that take up valuable floor space. It is solved by a reorganization within file cabinets and a clean sweep of old documents.

About HandyGirl Organizers
HandyGirl Organizers was formed in 1994 by Cyndi Seidler to service individuals with organizing problems. HandyGirl Organizers delivers a full scope of organizing services, both for the home and office.
Seidler's history enabled her company to provide the kind of knowledge and skills necessary to help executives achieve higher levels of success, and provided a solution for other individuals who wanted the kind of quality help and expertise needed to organize their business, home or life.

About Cyndi Seidler
"Organizer to the Stars" Cyndi Seidler is an author, syndicated columnist and professional organizer. She's a frequent media guest, and has been helping individuals create organized lifestyles since 1994. Her methods have helped prominent celebrities such as Sinbad, Eric Roberts, Karen Black, Tisha Campbell, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Larina Adamson, Bobbi Billard, Billy Sheehan, and Spencer Davis get a grip on their hectic lifestyles.    

Book Title : "A Manual For Professional Organizers" publisher, Banter Books, Quality Trade Paperback, 148 pages, ISBN 0-9705125-0-3. Available at bookstores. Price $32.00.

Contact: Amanda St. John, VP Public Relations (818) 686-8888, Amanda@organized-living.com.

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