6 Reasons to Use Storage Units for Archiving

Think your business could benefit from off-site storage units?

From receipts and invoices to contracts, lease agreements and more, the average business has thousands of pages of important documents that need to be kept in safe, reliable storage.

While filing cabinets have long been the go-to storage solution or most businesses, their large size can make them an annoyance, especially if your business only has a limited amount of office space to make use of.

Thankfully, it’s possible to store your business’s documents safely and securely in an off-site storage unit. Off-site storage offers a number of benefits, from its security to its great affordability, even for small businesses with only a few documents to store.

In this post, we’ll share six reasons – from convenience to security – to store your business’s important documents and archives in an off-site storage unit instead of letting them take up valuable space in your office.

Your documents are kept safe under lock and key

Does your business have valuable contracts, documents and communications that need to be stored securely? Today’s storage units are supplied with high security locks with only one key – a key that’s issued directly to your business.

This means that you’re the only party with access to your stored documents. From important business process information to confidential contracts, your documents are kept safe and secure in a place where only you can access them.

Since you can visit your off-site storage unit whenever you need to, accessing your confidential documents is a simple process. Just bring your key and access letters, contracts, archived emails and other documents with ease.

CCTV and an on-site security presence is provided

Do you need to store sensitive information with confidence? While the thought of an intruder breaking into your office and stealing company secrets might seem silly, it’s not that far fetched.

A great deal of corporate theft is internal, with employees and contractors often the source of leaks and other information issues. Storing your documents off-site gives you peace of mind and security that they won’t be seen by anyone but you.

This peace of mind is amplified by the presence of CCTV and on-site security, which are present in off-site storage centres. This gives you an exact record of anyone that tries to visit your storage unit, guaranteeing full security and confidentiality.

Storing documents off-site guarantees confidentiality

When you store documents off-site, you can choose exactly who has access to your storage unit – and, more importantly, who doesn’t. Since you control who can use the storage unit, you can guarantee confidentiality and information security.

Even the world’s biggest companies slip up from time to time when it comes to info security. Apple’s iPhone 4 blunder is a classic example of an employee accidentally giving confidential information – in this case, a prototype – to the press.

If confidentiality and information is vital to your business, it’s important to give it a high level of respect and importance. Store your documents off-site gives you peace of mind that only the people you choose to have access will be able to see them.

Accessing important documents is quick and simple

Do you need to access documents stored in an off-site storage unit? No problem. If you need to review a certain contract, invoice or receipt from your office, getting it is as easy as turning up to your storage centre with your unit’s key.

Scanning and photocopying facilities are provided, making it easy for you to copy an important item and take it back to your office while leaving the original safe in your company’s storage unit.

Accessing documents in a storage unit is so simple that, in many ways, it’s easier to keep them there than in your office. Instead of dealing with a fragmented office file system, all of your important documents are kept in one easy-to-access location.

Storing documents off-site frees up valuable space

The cost of office space is rapidly increasing, particularly in major cities like London where even a small office for your business can cost tens of thousands of pounds to rent every month.

At the office. Need to go to the storage unit to put a couple of things in it. We use it mainly for storing boxes of files.

— Ted Jernigan (@McKinneyTexas) February 9, 2009

With office rental costs so high, what business wants to take up a large amount of its workspace with bulky filing cabinets? Storing documents off-site doesn’t just give an additional level of security – it also helps you free up valuable office space.

How many extra desks could you fit in your office if you removed its filing cabinets and stored documents in a document storage unit? How many extra staff members could you add to your space without making it feel cramped and uncomfortable.

Open, spacious offices are productive offices. Give your staff members the working space they need to work efficiently and achieve your business’s goals by freeing up floor space with off-site storage.

Could your business benefit from off-site document storage?

Storing documents off-site has a huge range of benefits, from increased security and extra peace of mind to a greater amount of free office space to use for work desks or conference tables.

If your business has lots of paper documents that need to be archived and organised, what’s stopping you from storing them in an off-site unit? From cost to convenience, the numerous benefits of off-site storage make it an obvious choice for any business.

If you're interested in finding out more, email info@storefirst.com or call 01282 330 330.