All businesses are faced with the dilemma of what to do with the piles of paper generated by regular business operations. Many of those documents contain sensitive customer information or proprietary company data. Most businesses rely on an office shredder and have employees shred documents throughout the day, or they store them until the end of the day or week in an unsecure way. Papers often pile up next to the shredder or in the recycle bin and are not destroyed in a timely manner. This can lead to data breaches and big issues for businesses, big or small, and the customers they serve, often resulting in lawsuits.
Here are five reasons to hire a professional document destruction company:
Security
Identity theft and information fraud are among the fastest growing crimes in the world. Most often, that theft comes from improperly handled sensitive documents. Outsourcing document shredding to a reputable, on-site, secure document destruction company tells your customers, clients and employees you care about protecting their personal information. It creates a bond of trust between you and your customers. On-site shredding is the most secure method of document destruction and provides the most protection to your business.
Compliance
Any business with employees and customers collects varying amounts of confidential and sensitive information on paper. It is simply unavoidable. Businesses must follow strict destruction compliance standards. If you use an office shredder to destroy confidential documents, there is no record to demonstrate what’s been shredded, when it’s been shredded, where it has been disposed and by whom. In the event of an audit or lawsuit, your business must be able to demonstrate full compliance with the many laws designed to protect individuals’ proprietary information. Simply pointing to your office shredder will not be sufficient. Professional shredding companies provide their customers with a Certification of Destruction, which can help protect your business in the event of a breach. A reputable document destruction company does more than just shred your paper. They can provide guidance and training for your business to help ensure full compliance of federal and state confidentiality and destruction laws.
Savings
Believe it or not, hiring a reliable shredding company to provide regular service saves you money. For one, you are not buying and then replacing or repairing office shredders which can be very costly. Also, the employees you hire to do the important work for your business can utilize their time more productively. Paying an employee to sit at an office shredder is not an efficient use of their time. When you consider employee wages, the time spent and the repair or replacement of office shredders, your business can actually save money by hiring a quality shredding service provider.
It’s Green
Outsourcing your shredding needs to a document destruction company saves trees. Unfortunately, not all shredded paper that goes into recycling bins ends up being recycled. Using a shredding company with a no landfill policy will ensure your paper is properly destroyed AND recycled. Look for shredding companies who also do their own paper recycling.
Convenience
Hiring a professional document destruction business is easy. It provides convenience and eliminates the guessing game of what to shred and what to throw in the recycle bin. A good shredding company will provide you with seamless service. You won’t have to put any thought into your document management system. Here’s how it generally works: First, the shredding company drops off a locked console or container. Then, on a regular schedule, the secure shredding truck comes to your place of business and services your full container. Finally, an empty container is left in the same location. At the next service date, the process is repeated. Businesses with regularly scheduled service are usually invoiced and provided with Certification of Destruction. Secure, convenient, easy and compliant!
You may think you do not generate enough paper in your office to justify paying for a shredding service. That is a myth. Reach out to a locally owned, secure, on-site destruction company and give their service a try.
By Jen Green
Jen Green is president and CEO of Elevated Shredding, a document and data destruction company and paper/E-recycler; and Strides 2 Thrive, an agency providing day treatment and employment services for people with disabilities. To inquire about our services, call 928-522-9226, email jen@elevatedshredding.com or visit ElevatedShredding.com.
