Start here Why this matters Every new employee, vendor, shared mailbox, shared folder, and administrator role adds another access decision. Without review, access grows until no one knows who has what. Use this resource when You are not sure who has access to important systems. Former employees may still have access. Vendors have long-term accounts. Administrator permissions have not been reviewed. What to review Current employees and former employees. Vendor and contractor accounts. Shared accounts and shared passwords. Administrator roles. File and folder permissions. Application access by role.
Step by step Practical checklist Start with the systems that hold the most sensitive information. Export or document the current user list. Match each account to a current employee, vendor, or approved purpose. Remove access that no longer has a business reason. Document access owners and approval steps. Schedule the next review.
Avoid these issues Common mistakes Assuming small teams do not need access reviews. Using shared passwords instead of named accounts. Leaving old vendors active. Giving administrator access for convenience. Not connecting onboarding and offboarding to access control.
What Office Managers Should Know About Account Permissions Account permissions decide what employees can see, change, delete, share, or approve. For small businesses, permissions often become messy because access is added quickly but rarely reviewed later.
Employee IT Onboarding Checklist for Small Businesses A good onboarding process helps new employees start work without delays while keeping business systems organized and secure.
How to Organize Employee Passwords Safely for a Small Business Employee passwords should not live in text messages, notebooks, spreadsheets, or personal browser profiles. A safer password process helps protect business accounts and makes access easier to manage.
