← Back to the Journal Business Archives · February 2023 · 4 min read

The Starting Point Of All Business Histories Is NOW!

Why young organizations should establish archives immediately, not later.

The article challenges the outdated perception of archives as dusty repositories of old documents. Instead, it argues that organizations of any age should establish archives immediately.

The Archive Stereotype

When most people think “archive,” they picture:

Dusty filing cabinets in basements
Ancient documents in climate-controlled vaults
Something that only matters to old, established organizations
A project to tackle “someday” when there’s time and budget

This stereotype does real damage. It convinces growing organizations that archiving is something for later, once they’re “big enough” or “old enough” to have history worth preserving.

By the time they realize they need an archive, building one becomes exponentially harder.

The Reality of Organizational Life

Think about your personal life: “As time goes on, you gather more and more papers, digital files and artifacts.” The same is true for organizations.

From day one, you’re creating:

Emails documenting decisions and context
Design files showing the evolution of your product
Financial records tracking your growth
Presentations capturing your strategy at different moments
Meeting notes recording debates and decisions
Cultural materials reflecting your values and identity

Most of these artifacts remain hidden. Like an iceberg, only a fraction of your organizational culture is obviously visible. Values, beliefs, unwritten rules, informal networks — these often exist only in people’s memories and scattered communications.

The Cost of Waiting

If you wait too long, building an archive from scratch can be hard to do.

Why? Because:

People Leave

They take their institutional memory with them. The context behind that strategic pivot? Gone. The reason you chose this technology stack? Forgotten. The lessons from that failed experiment? Lost.

Systems Change

That collaboration tool you used three years ago? Defunct. The email server you migrated away from? The data didn’t come with you completely. The shared drive that got “cleaned up”? Someone deleted the “old stuff.”

Files Scatter

Without systematic organization from the start, materials end up everywhere: individual computers, personal cloud accounts, defunct platforms, email archives. Reconstructing what happened becomes archaeological work.

Time Passes

What seems recent fades quickly. In five years, “just last year” becomes “I think it was around 2021?” Context dissolves. Certainty becomes guesswork.

Start Now, Not Later

Establishing an archive early is more cost-effective than attempting to organize materials retroactively. A well-structured system from the beginning prevents future disorder and expense.

This doesn’t mean you need a full-time archivist from day one (though if you can afford it, they’ll pay for themselves). It means:

Document Deliberately

Save final versions of important documents systematically
Maintain a decisions log or meeting notes repository
Keep project documentation accessible
Preserve key communications
Capture design evolution

Organize Consistently

Use clear, consistent naming conventions
Maintain logical folder structures
Tag materials with basic metadata (date, project, purpose)
Centralize materials rather than scattering them
Document your organizational system

Review Regularly

Audit what you have annually
Identify gaps in documentation
Migrate formats before they become obsolete
Back up in multiple locations
Retire or remove materials past their retention period

Get Help

You don’t need to become an archivist yourself. But a consultation with one can:

Set up systems that work for your organization
Identify what truly needs preserving
Establish retention schedules
Prevent common pitfalls
Save you from expensive future remediation

The Payoff

Organizations with good archives from the start:

Make better decisions because past context is available
Onboard faster because institutional knowledge is documented
Meet compliance requirements without scrambling
Tell their story with authentic materials
Maintain continuity through staff changes
Avoid repetition of past mistakes

The starting point of all business histories is now. Not when you’re established. Not when you have more resources. Not when you’re facing an audit.

Now. While the context is fresh, the files are findable, and the effort is manageable.

Ready to start your archive?

The History Company offers an Archiving Briefing Session — a 30-minute consultation providing:

Guidance on retention requirements
Compliance and preservation risk assessment
System evaluation and tailored recommendations
Assurance of secure, discoverable records