Data security is a prime concern for all businesses, which is why you need a clear plan in place to manage your online security. But people get so caught up with protecting their digital documents they forget the physical documents sitting around the office. We’ve got 3 things to consider when shredding business documents and get a shredding strategy in place.
Whether you run a home business or you rent an office space, you need to manage all document types you have and make sure your sensitive data is secure. The best way to do that is to shred anything you no longer need, so you can reduce the chances of it getting lost or being stolen.
Consider Using A Virtual Address Service
Using a virtual address service is one of the easiest ways to stay on top of your shredding. Virtual address services are also a great option for home businesses because it makes you look more professional. Services like PhysicalAddress will provide you with a separate business address you can use. All of your post will go there. They will sort and scan it for you so you can access digital copies from wherever you are. They can also shred anything you want them to, so your shredding pile doesn’t build up over time. This is a great option if you want somebody else to manage all of the hard work for you.
Don’t Shred Banking Information
There are certain things you shouldn’t shred, and banking information is one of them. A lot of people assume that you should shred all of this stuff because it has personal details that could be used to access your bank account. However, staying on top of your finances is important in business and it’s much easier to do that if you have plenty of information.
In the future, if you are audited for any reason, you will be asked to produce a lot of past financial records and if you shredded it all, you could find yourself in a tricky situation. So, keep your banking information, just make sure that is locked away somewhere secure.
Check Laws About Employee Files
You should always keep files on your employees with any relevant information, like emergency contact information, address, phone number etc. When an employee leave, you may assume you can just get rid of this, but you can’t. There are laws about how long you need to keep recruitment and employment records and they vary by state. In most cases, you will need to keep records for at least a year but it is often longer than that. Before you start shredding anything, check the laws in your state so you don’t destroy anything you are required to keep.
Shredding business documents is more complicated than you think. Make sure to follow these tips. It’s also a good idea to shred on a regular basis so it doesn’t pile up and it’s more manageable.
