Gilmore Blog https://www.gilmoreservices.com/blog

Every small business owner knows that keeping track of essential documents is a must. In the event of a disaster, your ability to access those documents can help you stay in business even if you can’t get to your office.

Records and Information Management, or RIM as we call it, is an essential part of keeping your valuable business records and data secure. It’s not uncommon for companies to make mistakes when managing their records due to carelessness or inexperience.

Regardless of your industry, data breaches are a serious threat. Your data (and data you store on behalf of your clients) is vulnerable to attack. It’s your job to do whatever you can to protect it.

Planning a move can be stressful and time-consuming. For many people, hiring a moving company is the solution to alleviating some of the stress.

Everybody who lives along the Gulf Coast knows that it pays to be prepared for a weather-related disaster. In recent years, hurricanes have ravaged both southern Florida and the panhandle, destroying buildings and causing extensive flooding.

Managing business records can be a full-time job, especially if your company is required to comply with HIPAA, FACTA, or Sarbanes-Oxley regulations. For that reason, paying for secure business records management may actually save your company time and money.

Storing sensitive documents yourself might seem like a cost-effective and smart thing to do. You won’t need to pay a professional storage service and you’ll always be sure that you know where your documents are.  However, document self-storage is not as safe as you might think.

If you’re moving from a house to a condo, you might be wondering what to do with your belongings. Downsizing from a large space to a smaller one may require you to make some difficult decisions about what to keep and what to sell, recycle, or throw away.

All businesses create documents to record customer and client interactions and maintain employee records. While it’s important to store those documents for some time, both government regulations and personal preferences may make it necessary to destroy them.

You swear you saved that .GIF to your hard drive for a reason — you know, that one of the cat playing checkers — but newly refreshed in the New Year you just can’t remember why.

All good things must come to an end, and business information is no exception.

Even if destroying physical and electronic information isn’t at the top of your priority list, that doesn’t mean it isn’t important. Destruction is a crucial part of the information lifecycle, which protects against fraud, identity theft and ensures security of business and client interests.

Whether your files are in unorganized disarray — crammed into the storage closet for “safekeeping” —  or you actually face the threat of legal penalties, there’s no better time than now to do some document housekeeping. The new year is around the corner, so why not make document storage and compliance your company’s 2018 resolution?

Why partner with a shredding company when you can just buy a shredder yourself? I mean, document destruction is as easy as grabbing some files, putting them through the shredder and calling it day, right? Well, not exactly.

So you need to move your office but don’t know where to start. No problem! That’s where I come in — I am the moving boxes you need for your next office move. Moving is often a painstaking and time consuming process, but it doesn’t have to be.

I’ve got a few tips to streamline your Pensacola move and make the process as painless as possible for you (and me).

As most of us know from first-hand experience, moving can be one of the most stressful experiences in life. In fact, moving is high on the list of stressors next to divorce, death of a loved one and job loss. There are many reasons we move to a new home, like a new job, a nicer or bigger home to be closer to loved ones, or even out of necessity from a natural disaster. Whether you’re moving across town or across country, the anticipation of planning, packing, and the disruption of your routine is enough to make anyone feel stressed.

As your business grows, a filing cabinet is often not enough to contain all of your important records. Threats like theft, prying eyes and environmental dangers like mold or water damage can seriously harm your important documents and put your business at risk.

Packing a storeroom with boxes or renting a storage unit may seem like an easy fix, but is it the best way to keep your important records, and business, safe?  

When it comes to the safety of business documents you should hope for the best but plan for the worst. This is especially true if you live in an area prone to natural disasters. A backup plan is a must to protect documents and avoid compromising sensitive information.

For some, document management might seem like a luxury and not a need. You might wonder the reason for seeking records management services when organizing, storing and disposing of documents could take place in-house. To answer this question, business owners don’t have to look much farther than a colleague's cluttered storage closet, or, even worse, their own disarray of boxes and loose papers.  

Document storage might not be the most exciting part of your job as an office manager, but that doesn’t mean it’s not vital to your company’s operations. Privacy, security, and compliance are all at stake when you decide where and how to store company documents.

The adoption of computer and mobile technology has revolutionized the delivery of medical care over the last two decades. While new technology helps caregivers and medical administrators operate more efficiently than ever before, it also increases security and privacy risks.

As a business owner or facility manager, you probably associate the concept of “bigger and better” with the idea of moving your business to a new location. But sometimes, even for companies that are doing just fine financially, opting for a smaller location offers even more benefits as far as streamlining, simplifying, and cutting operating costs.

Whether you’re moving into your family’s dream home, downsizing, or relocating your growing business, across the country or just across town, moving is both exciting and stressful. With the right preparation and professional help, it can be a wonderful experience. But some common mishaps can make an already difficult experience even worse.

As a small business owner or office manager, you take security seriously. Following a retention schedule and destroying documents when the time is right are just two ways you can protect your business and your customers from identity theft and other crimes. But, these steps are also critical to remaining compliant with federal, state, and local laws.

Believe it or not, the third quarter is around the corner. As a business owner or manager, now’s the time to finalize your business plan for the quarter so you can work toward meeting your financial goals in the second half of the year. That could mean ramping up your marketing efforts, making any necessary cuts, or increasing process efficiency.

When it comes to office organization and processes, sometimes it’s smarter to trust the experts. Sure, you could handle your own document storage and compliance responsibilities, but it’s often inefficient and, ultimately, costly.

The rapid development of technology means the road to obsolescence is shorter than ever. While many businesses wait for computers to break down before replacing them, that’s not always the most efficient policy. Once computers start to slow down, productivity and employee morale begin to suffer.

You’ve probably heard of this compliance regulation before, but do you really know what it means? Sarbanes-Oxley Act compliance is a critical step in the accounting and auditing processes of public companies.

However, some of the Act’s provisions also apply to private companies. Even accidently destroying documents required under the act can lead to repercussions, so every business needs to take steps to ensure proper compliance.

If you spent the winter debating whether or not it’s time to move, spring is the season to get serious. Before you know it, you’ll be dedicating your weekends to driving around the area’s most desirable neighborhoods in search of your next home.

If your company is committed to adopting modern records management trends, it’s time to convert some of your paper documents to digital files. Doing so is not only environmentally conscious but this simple process can save money and improve your reputation with clients.

Whether you operate a small, single-physician family practice or are an administrator in a large hospital, records management is one of your primary responsibilities. Efficient records management is critical, not only for day-to-day operations but—most critically—for patient confidentiality and compliance with federal mandates like HIPAA.