Why Opt for Business Storage Off Site?
As your business grows and develops, there are important documents and information that need to be physically stored. Storage in your workplace will only stretch so far. Thus, off site secure storage units become essential.
Your business is constantly growing and evolving. Space is vital to its development. Although you may electronically store and archive information and data, there is also a heap of printed information, documents and statements that are generated. And these need to be stored safely.
Chances are, you store these items in a forgotten cupboard. Or maybe you have them in boxes, neatly stacked in the corner. But as your business grows, the store cupboard will no longer be big enough, the tower of boxes will grow ever taller, becoming more unsafe with every box added to it.
The time has come to consider cheap storage units. And here are five reasons why off site storage has distinct advantages;
It Maximises and Enhances Efficiency of Your Workplace
Who wants to work in a space surrounded by ‘stuff’? How can you be creative and professional in a space hampered and cluttered by things that are no longer needed on a daily basis, but must be kept?
How can you find things, innovate, change and evolve if you have things hanging around from years ago?
A cluttered workspace is not a creative workspace. It is not pleasant to work in. It can feel small.
Remove the clutter, open the floor space, stop the overhead space crowded with boxes and you will find your ‘poky’ office is big, and light – the perfect place to be productive.
It is also a waste of space and that means you are not using it to its full capacity. Stop wasting space: put boxes and things in offsite storage units.
It offers Better Security
Your work premises may be secure. You may have a fire alarm system, a regular nightly patrol of security guards, a burglar alarm… or maybe not. And this means there is a weak link in your security chain.
Losing financial and other sensitive information will bring your business to its knees.
Off-site storage units are provided with a whole raft of security measures that are not compromised. Rooms and units are secure; some units are air conditioned to prevent paper and other materials spoiling from damp or from becoming too dry.
Access is not an issue. You can access your things as and when you need to and in a secure, well-lit environment too.
You’ll have Improved Access with a Filing and Inventory System
There is a temptation in your excitement of clearing the office space to move everything to the storage unit. But, by de-cluttering first, you can create a much better system.
There are some pieces of information that must be kept. Some documentation must be kept for a certain length of time – such as staff files – but, once this keep-by-date has passed, you must safely dispose of this information.
By hanging on to information, such as other people’s details, for longer than you need to, you could be breaching the Data Protection Act. ‘Not realising you still had the information’ is not a defence in law.
And this means, de-cluttering, then filing what remains and having an inventory system so that when you access the secure self-storage unit, you can put your hands straight on to what you are looking for.
You’ll Save Money (and Make More Money, Possibly)
It is a puzzle, in some ways, how spending money on self-storage units could actually save you money in the long term.
Rather than seeing the rental of a storage unit as another overhead, see it as an investment. As you remove and clear your workspace, you staff (and you!) will have more room, a far more pleasant working environment and this equates to one thing: more work.
Improving productivity is not just about encouraging staff with kind words and generous bonus schemes, but about creating the environment they want to work in;
· Improved layout – how and why we work batter in some situations and settings is the subject of many scholarly articles. By removing clutter and unneeded items you have more space within which to work. And this could lead to improving the layout and locations of work stations.
· Air quality – you may not work in a dirty environment, but dust will settle on items, including boxes. Some pests could also be attracted to your premises and this means expense. But clearly, not having dust mite-laden air swirling about your employees’ heads is an improvement by anyone’s standards.
· Lighting – by removing clutter, you let light pour forth across the workspace. It may also be that electric lights get switched off and this saves you money, as well as reducing your impact on the environment.
· Create a completely different ambience – you may find that the mood lifts too. People have the space to move, and this leads to improved interaction, all of which has a knock-on effect on productivity.
You’ll Remain Compliant
There are certain documents that you are required to keep.
For example, all financial documents you will need to hang on to, starting from the moment your business came into fruition. Certain additional financial documents and receipts will need to be safely archived and stored for a period of time.
Other information, such as employee information, medical history, addresses, contact details, contracts, job descriptions and so on, will also need to be safely stored and accessible, if needed. Once a certain timeframe has passed once an employee has left your company, you will need to destroy this information.
And of course, there is the question of who accesses this information. In a self-storage unit, you control who has access to the information contained within it. Nominated key holders will be the only authorised people to gain access, and this ensures compliancy too.
In Summary
As a growing business, a time will come when you will need to take the step of acquiring storage and archiving facilities for physical documents and printed materials. And self-storage is the answer.
