by Julia Paulus
You pay for every square foot of your office. So you’re using the space as best you can and creating an organized environment that’s conducive to productivity. But when your files and records start to take over your office, it’s hard to say you’re making the most of what you’re paying for.
If this situation sounds familiar, it may be time for you to consider other storage options. Record storage warehouses can not only help you clean out your office and best use your space but also protect your most important documents.
“Business owners need to take several things into consideration when they are thinking about record storage,” says Sean Phelan of St. Louis Record Center. “If you are located downtown, in Clayton or in Westport, you need to think about the amount you are paying per square foot of your office space. You want people to be working in that space rather than storing records in it. You should put the records where it costs less to keep them per square foot.”
Another key consideration is how often you access your records. If you need to keep them but don’t use them regularly, they most likely belong in storage. “If you have a large volume of records and you are not accessing your records regularly, get them out until they can be destroyed,” says Phelan.
The length of time records should be kept varies from business to business, but Doug Wismann of JS Express, a record storage and delivery company, agrees that if you are not using certain files, you should get them out of your office.
“Usually clients choose to store boxes when files are more than two years old,” says Wismann. “These business files are called ‘nonworking files.’ Right now someone might want to hang on to their 07 files.”
If your employees are concentrating on record maintenance and management instead of what you hired them for, you have another reason to move to professional record storage. “Efficiency and how effectively your records are being managed is another point to consider,” says Phelan. “If you are spending more time and money paying an employee to manage your records than it would cost a professional to do it, then you should store the records.”
Wismann says that usually the employees who are handling the records are the ones who point out it may be time to outsource. “When office personnel feel that there is a need for additional storage, then you know you need to look into record storage,” he says.
Once you have determined you need to store your files, you should look into your storage options. “Any full-service record storage center is going to offer you the same basic services, including computer indexing, pickup and delivery, bar code tracking, file retrieval and refiling, fax service, file purging, data destruction, and emergency and consultation services,” says Phelan.
The storage center you work with should help you come up with a plan and determine which options are right for you. “Everything is dependent on what the client is looking for,” says Phelan. “Some clients are service-intense, while others are just storing boxes until they can be destroyed. When we meet with our clients, we determine what their individual needs are.”
Even if your needs are minimal, record storage can save space and help you keep your documents secure. “Basically, with record storage we work with all size clients starting with small clients with 10 boxes on up,” says Wismann. “Clients can bring in their boxes. Then they go on a rack in a professional storage environment with 24-hour burglar security and fire protection. We also offer destruction services, or shredding, which are very important for security reasons today.”
Record storage does not mean, however, that you lose access to your files. Most record storage companies offer courier services, so you can quickly access your documents. “We are tied to a courier service, so we can usually get boxes out of storage and delivered within four to six hours,” says Wismann. “You can call, and we will pull the box. We will never pull a file because with business files, confidentiality is key.”
Indeed, record storage companies provide confidential service, and with 24-hour security they often keep your documents safer than they would be if you stored them yourself. “If you are storing your records in your office or basement, it’s not safe or secure,” says Phelan. “Record centers provide you with safety, security and confidentiality, taking the risk out of self-storage.”
David Biernbaum, owner of Biernbaum and Associates, a business development and consulting company, is a big believer in outsourcing his storage. “The main reason that I like to use outsourced storage is to keep our office environment very organized, very clean and very conducive to effectively working,” he says. “It is worth the expense and effort to get as much stuff moved out of the office as possible. The rule of thumb that I use is anything we are not using or that our clients are not using within any given 14-day, or two-week, period should probably belong outside of the office.”