Records Storage – Do it yourself or hire the professionals?

As your business grows, you may find yourself tucking boxes of records away in a storage room or renting an off-site storage unit. But risk of theft, prying eyes, mold or water damage can leave your business vulnerable. Which option is right for you: storing your documents in your facility, in a commercial storage unit or with a professional storage company? Let’s consider the benefits, hidden costs and security of each option.

Option 1 – Do it yourself – Storing your documents at your facility or in a Storage Unit

PROS

Low financial impact
Close proximity to the documents

CONS

Sometimes “do it yourself” can be cheaper and faster, especially when you first get started. You will probably feel really organized as you put the first dozen or so boxes into storage. But as the boxes pile up, it becomes harder to find what you need. Suddenly, retrieving a file becomes a labor-intensive process as you shuffle boxes around the room. The more you move the boxes around, they become less and less organized.
If you are storing the documents at your facility, chances are, they are not in a locked room. Un-approved staff and vendors like cleaning people will have equal access to your sensitive documents. In a storage unit, you have a little more control regarding who can access your documents but it’s still difficult to track who is accessing your files and when.
Documents at your facility or in a storage unit are subject to loss such as pest, water and fire damage. In a storage unit, you don’t know who your neighbor is and what they are storing. Boxes stored on the floor or on pallets will be vulnerable to water and past damage. Not to mention dust and dirt that may be associated with storing at your facility or in a commercial storage unit.
Storing documents in your office is the most expensive option due to the high cost of commercial office space. A storage unit is cheaper but factor in the milage reimbursement for your employees to travel to the unit, the hourly rate to sort through unorganized boxes and possible workman’s compensation issue for moving boxes around and that savings may be negated.

Option 2 – Professional Storage – Storing your documents at Infoshred, a Secure Records Storage Company

PROS

On average, professional storage is 40% less expensive than a storage unit. You can store up to 200 boxes for $60 per month. The activity charges to pull boxes are less than or comparable to your labor charges to do the same job.
Gone are the days of rummaging through the storage closet and shuffling heavy boxes around. All your boxes stored with Infoshred are labeled, tracked and inventoried. With one quick call, you can arrange delivery of what you need.
Storing with Infoshred means your information is secure. The Infoshred employees who handle your material are background checked and go through an in-depth training process. Our building has a state-of-the-art security system with cameras, razor wire fencing and fire alarm/suppression system. Check out our security features: https://infoshred.com/why-infoshred/
Infoshred’s storage facility is clean, dry and well ventilated. No need to worry about moisture, mold, water, fire or pests.

The documents you are storing are a very important asset of your business. Infoshred will keep your documents secure while simplifying your records storage and retrieval. For more information: https://infoshred.com/get-a-quote/