Your Cell Phone – The Unsung Hero of Financial Organization

 

You already rely on your cell phone for things like messaging, e-mail, marketing and, of course, posting videos of your puppy finally learning how to roll over (so cute!).

 

But did you know that your cell phone can also help you organize your business’s finances?

 

Now, you might be thinking, “Oh, great … now I have to put ANOTHER app on my phone!”

 

Actually, you can start right now with something that’s already installed:

 

The camera.

 

Your cell phone’s camera can capture an image of the paperwork that you can’t easily get electronically, such as all those quick trips to the office supply store or the service person who still uses a spiral notebook with carbon paper.

 

Just follow these steps the next time you are handed a piece of paper for a business transaction:

 

1. Write explanatory notes on the receipt (especially if the purpose is not clear – a trip to the grocery store could be for office supplies, janitorial supplies, or a “thank you” gift for an employee)
2. Open the camera app on your phone and take a photo of the annotated receipt.
3. At least once a week, transfer the receipt photos to a dedicated electronic storage folder (cloud-based is the most efficient, but you could also use a PC’s internal hard drive or an external storage device such as a USB).

 

(IMPORTANT CYBER-SECURITY NOTES: ALWAYS research the security procedures and protocols of any cloud-based storage service, software, or app before signing up and ALWAYS back up your phone, hard drives and storage devices on a regular basis.)

 

That’s it!  No more crumpled receipts crowding your wallet or the bottom of your purse!  All the records are in one place for you or your bookkeeper to review and use to keep your business finances up to date.

 

Just a few minutes of time using a tool you already carry with you can help get you on the road to better financial organization.

 

Questions or comments?  Let us know below or contact us here!