Handy Tips to Putting Away Your Business Documents At a Self-Storage Facility
Posted on: 19 September 2018
The moment your office premises starts to become overrun with paperwork, it is time to keep your old records in order. And if a majority of these old documents are still pertinent to the running of your business, it is best to eliminate them from the commercial property and put them into storage. Nonetheless, some people may not know how to make the most of an off-site unit. Rather than just placing the paperwork into cartons and hauling them off to the unit, there are several things that you should bear in mind. Read on for handy tips on efficiently putting your business documents away at a self-storage facility.
Only hold on to essential paperwork
Just like decluttering a home, getting rid of paperwork can be overwhelming. But if you cannot discern what is essential and what is merely taking up space, you will quickly find your self-storage unit as clutters as your office space. The types of important paperwork will vary from one industry to another. Furthermore, how essential the paperwork is will also depend on the legislation in your area.
Keep in mind that document retention also comes into play when deciding what you should hold on to. For example, receipts on large purchases or building renovations should be kept indefinitely in case you need to show proof when claiming warranty. On the other hand, financial and tax-related records will be relevant for a specific number of years, and then you can get rid of them.
Get rid of duplicates
Every business owner will either make duplicate or triplicate copies of documents so that they are always on the safe side in case paperwork goes missing. While this is a good habit for necessary paperwork, you should not store all these documents in your self-storage unit. The more copies that go into your unit, the more space you will be wasting. Therefore, when sorting your records to determine what needs to go to the off-site unit, you should elect to either recycle or dispose of the duplicate copies.
Exclusively utilise archive boxes
Lever arch files may be a staple for most businesses, but these files do not offer the same convenience to a self-storage unit. Lever arch files are quite bulky, and all they will do is take up extra space in your unit. A better solution for your paperwork will be storing them in archive boxes. If you need to separate certain documents, employ dividers that will sort the paperwork for you. Fill the archive boxes fully and stack them to use the vertical space in the unit.
For more information, contact a company that offers business documents storage units.
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