How To Choose The Best Filing System

Follow steps below to choose the best filing system for you or your organization.

Step 1: Identify your setting.
Step 2: Choose your style.
Step 3: Shop your platform.

Step 1: Identify your setting.

Home

Home systems cover all aspects of personal and household administration, estate organization, and rental property management.

Self-Employed

Self-Employed systems include all features of Home systems plus support for freelance workers.

Tip: use the Self-Employed filing system if you hire yourself out, and you do not plan to sell your business.

Business

Business systems include additional files not included in Self-Employed systems, and additional business subcategories. Use for non-profit or for-profit organizations.

Compare Filing Topics For Each Setting

	Home	Self-Em­ploy­ed	Busi­­ness
Career, certi­ficates, edu­cation, gene­alogy, health, home, mem­ories, pet, war­ranties*	✓	✓
Activ­ities, bene­fits, deduc­tions, estate and direct­ives, school*	✓	✓
Action files, pro­jects, liter­ature, lists, and supplies by cate­gory*	✓	✓	✓
Re­ceipts and state­ments by month or by account, income, tax and legal archive*	✓	✓	✓
Associ­ations, insur­ance, invest­ments, loans, rental prop­erty, services, utility info., ve­hicle*	✓	✓	✓
Busi­ness exp­enses, con­tracts, licenses, intel­lect­ual prop­erty, do­mains, form­ation*		✓	✓
Com­p­any bio, build­­ing, equip­ment, furnish­ings, press, prod­uc­tion, re­leases, reports, testi­monials*			✓
Min­utes, shares, creden­tials, cont­inuing edu­cation, expos, grants, pro­ce­dures, sub­sidies			✓
Busi­ness exp­enses by month, income by quarter or by month			✓
*Addi­tional sub­cate­gories	Home sub­cate­gories	Home & Self-Em­ploy­ed sub­­cate­gories	Busi­ness sub­cate­gories

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Step 2: Choose your style.

Compare how to file insurance policies with each style: 1/5 Tab, 1/3 Tab, and Binders.

1/5 Tab Example

I. Set up each type of insurance with its own hanging file and tab, without subfolders.

II. Add optional interior file sleeves to hold documents, or to create subdivisions. Print or handwrite onto interior file labels.

1/3 Tab Example

I. Set up a main hanging file and tab for insurance with subfolders for each type of insurance. (If a main hanging file is full, add another hanging file behind to hold more folders.)

II. Use optional JUMBO 1/3 Tab file labels on the main hanging file.

Binders Example

I. Set up a binder for insurance by sliding a FreedomFiler binder spine insert into any standard view binder ½-inch or greater in width.

II. Set up a binder pocket for each type of insurance. Apply labels from any 1/3 Tab filing system to FreedomFiler 1/3 Tab Binder Pockets.

Style Benefits Comparison

1/5 Tab	Set up fast. Simplify supplies with only hanging files and tabs. Simplify search to one-level. Add optional interior file sleeves for a tidy look when subdividing files. Freely subdivide topics among both hanging files or interior files, as you see fit. Fan tabs for visibility; straight-line tabs of the same subject for clarity.
1/3 Tab	Lift out folders easily without the hanging file. Conveniently handle folders on the desktop or on the go. Search fewer main topic headings. Subtopics on folders shown clearly. Return folder to main hanging file, using subject cues. Works with either 1/5-cut or 1/3-cut hanging file tabs. JUMBO 1/3 Tab option with black-on-white subtitles improves readability in low light.
Binders	Utilize shelf space while clearing floor and leg space. Easily locate binders with outward facing titles. Browse binders for easy document retrieval. High-capacity binder pockets provide flexible storage. Conveniently label binder pocket tabs with 1/3 Tab inserts. Carry binders on the go.

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Step 3: Shop your platform.

Follow the product map below.

Shop your filing system and extensions based on your setting and style.

Filing Systems

	1/5 Tab	1/3 Tab	Binders
Home	Home 1/5 Tab	Home 1/3 Tab	Home Binders
Self-Employed	Self-Employed 1/5 Tab	Self-Employed 1/3 Tab	Self-Employed Binders
Business	Business 1/5 Tab	Business 1/3 Tab	Business Binders

Add-on Filing Systems for Self-Employed and Business

• Customer & Job File systems organize client and job records.
• Employee File systems organize confidential employee and human resources records.
• Vendor File systems organize records for suppliers and independent contractors specific to your industry.

	1/5 Tab	1/3 Tab	Binders
Customer & Job File	Customer & Job File		Customer & Job Binders
Employee File	Employee File		Employee Binders
Vendor File	Vendor File		Vendor Binders

Filing System Extensions

• The Projects extension gathers project work together with project sleeves and labels.
• Workspace extensions organize project sleeves, notes, correspondence, literature, and miscellaneous items in your dedicated work area.
• Each Rental Properties extension organizes records for two additional rental properties.

	1/5 Tab	1/3 Tab	Binders
Projects	Projects		See guide included with any Binders filing system.
Work­space	Work­space 1/5 Tab	Work­space 1/3 Tab	Use any Binders filing system with Work­space 1/3 Tab extension.
Rental Properties	Rental Properties 1/5 Tab	Rental Properties 1/3 Tab	Rental Properties Binders

Filing System Extensions for Self-Employed

• Each Self-Employed Businesses extension organizes records for two additional freelance workers or income streams.

	1/5 Tab	1/3 Tab	Binders
Self-Employed Busi­nesses	Self-Employed Busi­nesses 1/5 Tab	Self-Employed Busi­nesses 1/3 Tab	Self-Employed Busi­nesses Binders

Blank File Labels & Binder Spine Inserts

• Each assorted blank label pack includes two sheets of each FreedomFiler color, plus a sheet of letter and number tags.
• Each blank label pack in specific colors includes four sheets.
• Each pack of letter and number tags includes four sheets. Choose either confidential tags or blank tags at the bottom of the sheets. All sheets include vital record tags.

	1/5 Tab	1/3 Tab	Binders
Assorted	Assorted 1/5 Tab	Assorted 1/3 Tab	Assorted Binders
Specific Colors	Specific Colors 1/5 Tab	Specific Colors 1/3 Tab	Specific Colors Binders
Letter and Number Tags	Letter and Number Tags

Filing System Accessories

Our accessories page directs you to the best accessories for your filing style.

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