The Office Called Home – Part 1
What are you doing with all the records and paperwork you have at home? Is there a method to the madness for your own personal files and records?
Today, let me introduce you to the next section of the Family Plan called, “Office Administration”. Pamela, my wife, won’t let me call it I.S. (Information Systems) or I.T. (Information Technology). She says that stuff is way too technical. Nonetheless, your home too has information systems and technology needs that must be managed.
Since this is the introduction, let’s start with a general question, “how do you keep your records, files, and data for your family?”
Where are your records today?
Ideally you have a Family Plan binder a place to keep all your records for each year. That’s highly unlikely because it’s not normal and I’ve only recently started making the Family Plan available. So where are your records today? Are they in the kitchen drawer or in some place that only you know how to access?
Where are the files located?
In this digital age, you probably have both paper files and digital files, but who has access to either? How and where is this information stored? Is there someone other than you who know that this data exists? What happens in the event something were to happen to you? Does your family know how to get to your family’s office files?
Who has the keepsakes and precious items?
Every home has the stuff that’s irreplaceable like family portraits, legal documents and such. Where is this information maintained and who has access? What does your family do with those items that can’t be reproduced? Pictures of loved ones, journals, quilts and gifts that you never want to lose site of?
What do you plan to do with the documents that are the business of your home?
What are you doing with the kids’ school reports cards, birth certificates, and diplomas? Is there a plan for special document retention? Who’s managing the working documents for your family (like the family tree)? What about the documents no one knows what to do with?
Managing your home office can be out of control without a plan for it.
Today Is Friday!
In this section of the Family Plan, we put a plan together on how to manage the business of your home’s office needs. Everyone’s home, every family, has this problem and most suck at it. If you’re reading this, you’re going to become part of the very few who care enough to be different. You’re ready for a plan to help improve your current office administrative systems. I hope you’re as excited as I am to get into this series of web-posts.
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