When it comes to running your business effectively, you need to make sure that all of your sensitive records are taken care of. Storing old documents can cause a high risk to your company but also to your clients and employees’ identity. Having your documents shredded and properly destroyed will make sure that any information in your sensitive documents doesn’t get into the wrong hands. This article outlines some of the most important reasons shredding should be a priority for your business.
Legally, you have to – Anything considered a confidential record, such as salary information, medical records or personal addresses, have to be destroyed appropriately according to the Data Protection Act. Shredding documents helps ensure that any data you have remains confidential.
Reduce the risk of identity theft – Identity theft crimes are on the rise and if your confidential records are left in a bin that is accessible, a criminal could do many things with that information.
Efficiency – Shredding your documents is a quick and easy way to dispose of your records opposed to cutting or ripping them up manually, especially if you’ve got a large number of documents regularly to destroy.
Keeping green – It’s important to be as environmentally friendly as possible. Shredding and recycling your documents will help your business prove that you care about the environment. Shredded documents can easily be recycled, whether it be collected by a recycling company or just taken to a recycling point.
Stay confidential – Most businesses document everything they do, including minutes from meetings, employee details, sales numbers and future ventures and developments. If this sort of information were to get into the wrong hands, whether it be a criminal or a competitor, your business will suffer. Choosing to shred your documents eliminates the risk of your information being leaked or stolen.
No corporate espionage – If you’ve put time and money into research developing a new service or product, that information could be incredibly valuable to your competitors. If this research were to be stolen from your records and a competitive business developed your work themselves, your business could suffer. Shredding your documents will make sure that your information doesn’t leak and your work remains yours.
Make the most of your space – Depending on the number of records that you have, they could be taking up a lot of space in your office that could be used for numerous other activities. By shredding your records, not only do you free up the space that these records were taking up, but you also tidy your office space and allow that space to be used for other ventures.
Fire hazard risk reduced – Having a large number of paper records spread around your office can increase your risk of a fire. Shredding those documents and then having them recycled lowers the risk.
The benefits of shredding are impressive, and such an easy change to implement into your business plan. For more information, please visit https://ontimeshred.co.uk/our-services/secure-shredding/.
