Regardless of what business you’re in, documents have an important part to play in the day to day running of your firm. Even those businesses that have gone over to almost total digital records and might seem a thousand miles away from a sheet of paper in an office regularly have need of business documents for a wide range of purposes. No matter how hard we try, we’re still a very long way away from the truly ‘paperless office’.
Often it’s important that your documents are absolutely correct and 100% watertight, particularly in the case of legal documents. Before we look at what you can do to ensure that your documents are up to scratch, let’s examine some of the different types of documents you might encounter.
Employment documents
Modern employment law can be a real minefield for the unprepared, and if you don’t have the right legal documents in order you could get into trouble later down the line. Documents you’ll undoubtedly need if you employ others to work for you include employment contracts, job descriptions, statutory sickness forms and disciplinary documents.
Business communications
Whether you’re communicating with clients or suppliers, you’re going to need a wide range of business documents to ensure everything is proper and above board. Service agreements, licenses, terms and conditions, invoices and agreements are all part and parcel of the modern business world.
Corporate documents
For corporations there is an extra level of complexity, and a range of additional legal documents that are required. From the incorporation of the business to the sale of shares, the appointment and removal of directors and everyday administration, business documents are the lifeblood of the corporation.
Health and safety documents
In order to comply with health and safety law in the UK there are certain things you must do, and these generally need documents as evidence. Common health and safety documents include fire safety policies, risk assessments and COSHH (control of substances hazardous to health) documents.
With so many documents to produce and keep track of, it can be a substantial challenge for small businesses to literally stay on top of their paperwork. While larger firms may opt to hire a legal professional to create all manner of business documents for them, for smaller businesses with limited resources this may not be an option. The responsibility may well fall to you as the business owner, and this can be a laborious, time consuming and often confusing chore, particularly if you’re not the type to usually concern yourself with small print and written details.
There is however an alternative that can save you substantial amounts of time and ensure the quality and accuracy of your documents. Some online businesses such as Simply Docs provide a short-cut for small and medium sized businesses by providing access to a wide range of business document templates, legal contracts and other related documents. Generally you pay for access for a set amount of time, and in that time you are able to download any document templates you need. These documents are usually prepared by legal professionals, but work out much more affordable than hiring someone to work for you directly.
