5 Common Document Storage Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

When it comes to document storage, even the smallest of mistakes may contribute to inefficiencies, damaged documents, and lost time. If you don’t know how to properly store important documents, you run the risk of losing important information. Here are the top five common document storage mistakes and some tips to avoid them.

1. No Retention Schedule

Having too many records is never a good idea. If you don’t have a solid retention schedule, you may wind up mixing up business and/or personal documents, and those that should be discarded. A retention schedule ensures that only the records that are needed to follow the law or best practices are kept. You can start by separating business and personal documents and then dividing each of these categories into three piles: Keep, Shred and Recycle.

• Keep – These are the important papers you should keep, either forever or until it’s time to throw them away.
• Shred – These are sensitive documents and materials that you no longer require but should be destroyed to protect your privacy.
• Recycle – These are documents that are not sensitive and can be taken to a recycling facility.

2. Not Planning Your Storage Space

There’s nothing worse than having to spend hours hunting for a single piece of paper in an unprepared and unstructured document storage area. Payroll records, for example, may be easily located by knowing where to search in the unit. A good rule of thumb to remember is that important documents should be kept in more accessible areas, while less important ones can be kept in less accessible areas. It’s also a good idea to have the right size for your storage space for convenient access. Below are some ideas on how you can plan your storage space:

• Make a master content inventory – Number your file cabinets and/or boxes and make a master list that shows how many documents you have stored and what kinds they are. This seems like a lot of work, but you’ll be glad you made this list when you need to find a specific item or file a claim with the self-storage insurance company for damage.
• Map out your space – Make a map of your boxes, filing cabinets, and what’s inside them. Put it on a clipboard and hang it somewhere in your unit where it can be seen. No need to get too technical, a hand-drawn sketch will do. This will make it easier to find things that are “buried” in the back.
• User tracker – It’s not a bad idea to keep an in/out record on a separate clipboard if the unit is being used by more than one person. This allows everyone to see who has a certain document.

3. Not Using Proper Storage Materials and Processes

Cheap boxes, damp papers, and mislabeled boxes will cause you future headaches. Moisture will spread, causing damaging mold and mildew and destroying valuable information. If certain papers have been exposed to moist conditions, be sure they are thoroughly dry before storing them. To avoid damage, use high-quality packing boxes, which will prevent stacked boxes from collapsing. Lastly, proper labeling that accurately describes what’s in each box can save a lot of time when you’re trying to locate a specific document. Don’t forget to date each box.

4. Not Keeping Up with New Laws and Regulations

Failure to maintain the confidentiality of documents as required by law may result in costly and time-consuming legal action. Make sure that you or your business adheres to the law when it comes to handling sensitive and confidential information.

5. Not Keeping Documents in Climate-Controlled Storage

Important documents should not be kept in your home or office due to changing temperatures. Mold and mildew may also ruin your papers if they are exposed to too much moisture. Renting a climate-controlled self-storage facility is an affordable and flexible solution if you want to protect your documents from being damaged by extreme temperatures. The temperature of a climate-controlled unit is usually between 55 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit at all times.

Don’t waste time, money, and the risk of legal action if documents are stored incorrectly. Handy Storage provides cost-effective and safe document storage. Get in touch with us today to learn more about our document storage options.