How do you keep your files?

Question

Hello my friends so I have worked my first deal open to close step by step,

It was great!!!

Now I have all these papers...

What has been you best file system? I would like to have it all scanned and kept in a hard drive, what system works best for you?

Account Closed · Answer

I scan absolutely everything into my computer. I have Carbonite set up to automatically back up everything online. I don't have to manually back up anything at all. The only thing I keep originals of (after scanning) are leases. I have one file folder for those and that's it. No filing cabinets at all.

Thad McNair · Answer

This is very interesting topic. I think there an unlimited combinations on how to do this. I agree with @George P. in that Google Drive is unorganized. A customer service rep told me that their design is to minimize the folders and take advantage of their great search capabilities. Hard to get used to doing it that way if you have been keeping sub-folders for a long time.

DropBox is another great alternative. We use this for another business. It seems a better way to keep organized, and its free.. up to 15 GB (I think... more if you recommend friends).

Best thing I ever did was purchase a Fujitsu ScanSnap (high speed scanner). I know scan everything. I back up my originals scans to an external USB hard drive, and then I also use a backup service, CrashPlan, to back that up in the cloud. If your not doing this you are just lucky and have not lost your data YET! You will at some point! :-)

That being said, I still keep important original documents in several fire filing cabinets.

Organizing your data (be it hard copy, or electronic) takes a lot of time. However, for me, it has really paid off as I can access what I want when I need it.

Mark Gallagher · Answer

Dropbox, Google Drive, Hardcopy.

George P. · Answer

google drive is pissing me off. so disorganized and hard to find stuff. stuff disappears at times, then comes back. just weird.

i scan (fujitsu scanner) and goes into folders in the external backup drive. then once a month i back that up as well.

Michael H. · Answer

Google Drive! It's the only way to go IMO.

Bryan N. · Answer

I scan everything to an external.  Then it automatically gets backed up to http://www.code42.com/crashplan/

Matt Cramer · Answer

I love DOT Loop. Its all online and you can even get digital signature via email if you need.

Israel Campos · Answer

Great, thanks everyone? My thing about it  is recycle, I don't want to have hard copies of everything, I think I'm going to get one of the mass storage drives from wallies I have a file cabinet but I hate the thought of boxes full of files stacked up in my house or to have to pay for storage of boxes. I rather it be a click away and save in more then one drive for security purpose, like a back up.

Thank you all for your time!!!