Why Your Startup Needs An Offsite Document Storage Solution
Secure document storage is crucial because while some digital forms of storage have become increasingly accessible for most, not all documents can be saved digitally. Remember that some businesses are legally required to keep physical business documents for some time before discarding them. There’s nothing wrong with keeping digital copies, but physical copies will still be a requirement.
Now, there isn’t always an abundance of storage space. Sometimes business premises don’t have much storage space, especially for smaller businesses and startups. If you’re short on storage space, you’ll thus need to devise alternate strategies for safely storing your physical documents. In this situation, offsite document storage may be worth considering.
Documents are fragile and should be handled and stored with care. Therefore, storing essential company documents in temperature-regulated environments would be best. Offsite document storage services can provide an insulated shipping container to safeguard your confidential and relevant files. These containers will protect your documents from harm. That said, here are some reasons why your startup needs offsite document storage.
- It Creates More Space
It is perhaps one of the most obvious reasons to have offsite document storage. As previously stated, most startups may not have ample office or warehouse space. In such instances, offsite document storage solutions can free up a lot of space that you can use to store other things or for other purposes. Other branches in your business can occupy these freed-up spaces while your documents can be stored offsite.
- It Ensures Document Security
While cybersecurity may be a major concern for any company using IoT-enabled devices, note that data breaches aren’t just confined to digital channels. For example, the probability that a dishonest employee could obtain sensitive documents, leading to a data breach, still exists. You don’t want any sensitive data to leak. Document protection is therefore necessary.
This possibility of internal document breaches is eliminated by offsite document storage. It offers safe, regulated, and controlled storage spaces with monitored access. The likelihood of security breaches reduces by restricting access to these facilities or containers to those with authorization. A barcode system allows you to track your documents’ movements.
- Cost-Efficient
Offsite document storage is better than options like self-storage, where you must rent a storage container. When renting a self-storage unit, you must pay a set rental charge for the entire container, even if you only use a portion of the available space. However, you only pay for the additional storage you use when you store documents offsite. As a result, you might be able to save some money.
- Improves Employee Productivity
Documents will inevitably accumulate over time, and employees occasionally need to search for older records. Searching through many documents can be time-consuming, especially when looking for old files. As a result, the workers’ productivity may reduce due to inefficient document retrieval processes.
However, you may get back all those wasted minutes and hours by streamlining the document access procedure using offsite document storage solutions. With the use of a very sophisticated inventory management system, all of your records are barcoded and easily trackable. a
Additionally, because of the system’s transparency, you can always see where each document is located. Plus, you may monitor when and who has accessed the document. A file’s barcode must be scanned before it can be viewed or sent to you once you request it. Offsite document storage facilities allow your staff to be more productive by reducing the time they spend retrieving documents.
- Promotes Business Continuity
Business continuity is essential. In light of this, remember that disasters rarely make themselves known before they happen. So, let’s say, for example, that there’s a workplace fire that finally burns practically all of your records. Or, suppose a flood occurs and, regrettably, your business premises sustains significant damage. Your company may be particularly susceptible as a result of such unanticipated circumstances.
Although you could attempt to recover any leftover documents later, there is no assurance that they will survive a fire or a storm. It could be a serious problem if your company’s files are damaged, lost, or destroyed. Even if a business has insurance, it may take time to recover if it loses all of its crucial papers.
Therefore, you might need to consider offsite document solutions for company continuity. Offsite storage enables disaster recovery because, for the most part, these facilities are already secure. Offsite document storage ensures that your documents survive unexpected disasters, thus ensuring business continuity. Remember that the majority of these offsite document storage options are climate controlled. So, in the event of a major catastrophe, your records will likely survive.
- Ensures Compliance
Specific sectors, like the healthcare industry, usually have tight regulations regarding how they should store their documents. These businesses must abide by federal or state compliance regulations to meet legal requirements. Thankfully, offsite storage companies have tight guidelines for maintaining offsite files, making compliance more manageable for clients in the healthcare sector.
It’s no secret that companies offering medical services produce a staggering volume of documents. As a result, they also require a lot of storage space. Plus, depending on federal or state rules, these medical care providers might have to keep these physical records for a certain period before being allowed to discard them.
Similarly, most financial institutions are usually expected to adhere to legal requirements and keep physical records on file for a certain period. It is no surprise, then, that most banks choose to take advantage of offsite document storage options.
Conclusion
There’s a good chance that startups’ workplaces will be messy and chaotic. A company that generates a lot of physical paperwork may find that it increases the rate at which disarray can happen. However, for all the reasons listed above, offsite document storage is an excellent idea. For firms that don’t have much storage space, offsite document storage is a plausible solution. Additionally, compared to other forms of storage, it is a very secure and relatively affordable option to store your valuable documents. Conduct a thorough search for a reputable offsite document storage service provider.
