Your company’s information is like the blueprint of a house. It contains all the instructions and secrets that have allowed you to create a successful business and outlast many competitors within the industry.
For that reason, it needs to be well protected. The last thing you want is for your documents to be wiped out or stolen, forcing you to start over again from the ground up.
Here are 4 document storage tips to help keep your information protected.
Use Plastic Paper Slips
Using plastic paper slips to encase your important paper documents is a great way to protect them and increase their longevity.
These slips can help prevent humidity, sunlight, and other harmful elements from deteriorating your documents.
Shred Documents When They are No Longer Needed
It’s a good idea to have a shred policy in place for old or expired documents. After they have served their purpose, it’s time for them to go. This is because, even after they have expired, they may still contain information that could be harmful if it were to fall into the wrong hands.
Be sure to regularly check your documents and weed out any that have past their expiry date.
Store Documents Off-Site
There are a number of benefits to storing your documents offsite, away from your home or office.
24/7 security – most offsite storage facilities will have cameras located at all the entrances and exits or even a security staff hired to patrol the premises. This helps provide peace of mind, knowing that your documents are protected at all times.
Environmental controls – unlike a self-storage unit, a purpose-built storage facility will likely have temperature and humidity controls that allow them to create an environment that’s perfect for storing paper (and other) documents.
Organization – a professional storage provider will have proper filing systems in place to make sure your documents are separate from others. This will ensure that you will always be able to find the files you need, when you need them.
Other than the benefits mentioned above, an offsite storage facility is a great choice because it keeps your documents away from your home or business – the two places criminals or disgruntled employees are most likely to look.
Create a Filing/Labelling System
In the majority of cases, if documents go missing it’s not because they were stolen, but rather, it’s because they were lost.
If you don’t properly label your boxes or implement an effective filing system, you risk losing them.
Western Archives – Secure Document Storage in Edmonton
The Edmonton storage facility owned by Western Archives is truly unique. It provides 24/7 security and a comprehensive filing system to make sure your documents are protected at all times and you will be able to access them at a moment’s notice if you need to.
To learn more about how we can keep your records safe at our Edmonton storage facility, contact us today!