Gilmore Blog https://www.gilmoreservices.com/blog/topic/records-storage

People are often at one end of the spectrum or another – they either keep tax records forever or throw them away as soon as they do their taxes. If you're in the former category, it's time to go through all of those old records and shred those you don't need to keep. If you're in the latter category, you need to keep your tax record for up to seven years.

Data protection is a priority for small businesses. A single data breach can cost thousands of dollars in revenue and do irreparable damage to your company’s reputation.

The new reality created by the COVID-19 pandemic has led many businesses to embrace the idea of employees working remotely. As the crisis continues, we expect to see more business consolidating their workspace to reduce overhead expenses.

It’s easier than ever to save digital information. Most of us have thousands of files between our email inboxes, cloud storage, social media sites, and our phones. And while it can seem like a good idea to save everything “just in case,” the opposite may be true.

Do you have too many things or too much space? If you do, then you may want to consider becoming a minimalist. It’s a big step but one that can bring a great deal of harmony and peace to your life.

Managing a big project can be stressful, and it can also present an organizational challenge. In addition to bringing groups of people together, you also need to share access to important documents and other resources.

Complying with HIPAA law is a requirement for all companies in the healthcare industry as well as all medical providers. If you’re starting your own business and HIPAA law affects you, you might be feeling overwhelmed at the thought of adhering to HIPAA regulations.

Storing customer data puts you in the position of being responsible for protecting your customers’ personal information. Whether you’re storing financial data such as credit card numbers, bank account numbers and Social Security numbers, or personal healthcare information, you have a moral and legal responsibility to act responsibly.

HIPAA privacy policies exist to protect patients’ personal health information. The responsibility of complying with HIPAA regulations falls with healthcare providers, insurance companies, and any other organization that collects and stores health records.

Do you have important paper documents and electronic storage for your company? If you do, then it’s essential to have a disaster recovery system in place to ensure that your documents are protected during a disaster and accessible after the fact.

Storing business documents is a concern for every company. Without proper storage, you run the risk of misplacing documents or losing them to water damage and other environmental hazards. And, if your company stores financial or health records, improper storage can lead to regulatory infractions.

How do you back up your valuable business data? Every small business needs to create regular and reliable backups and then store them in a way that protects them.

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.

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.

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.  

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.

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.

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 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.

In today’s highly regulated business environment, responsible business owners need to carefully manage and monitor who handles important business documents and when. If your records management plan includes offsite or digital document storage, a specific process, known as the “chain of custody,” needs to be a key part of your security considerations.

Storing business documents on “the cloud” has become an increasingly popular -- and critical -- way for companies to ensure comprehensive access to and security over their files. While cloud storage has come under criticism in some circles for its perceived vulnerability to hacking, the cloud is, in fact, one of the most secure ways to store your documents, especially if you work with a reputable storage partner.

As a business owner or manager, knowing the location and security of important business records should be a top priority. Not knowing where and how your critical documents are stored risks identity theft, compliance fines and damage to your company’s reputation.

Identity theft is a common concern for both businesses and consumers, and not without reason. A recent study found that $15 billion was stolen from 13.1 million U.S. consumers in 2015. In the past six years, identity thieves have stolen $112 billion.

The New Year is a great time for your business to look ahead and put in place needed changes in key areas, including records management. While the implementation of new processes can be confusing and unorganized, it doesn’t need to be, and improved processes can ultimately benefit your business in the long run.

Hard drives hold your business’s most valuable information, including proprietary data, financial statements and employee records. While the use of hard drives are widely prevalent and often necessary, the value of this information can create a problematic scenario when it comes time to upgrade your company’s hardware and increase technological efficiency.

Unfortunately, you can’t simply throw a hard drive in the trash at the end of its useful life and hope the information it contains will remain safe.

Modern companies understand the importance of reliable document scanning and digital conversion of records for remote access capability and information backup. They also realize that managing physical document storage in-house can tax even the most resource-rich businesses.

As your business grows, managing documents in-house becomes a time- and resource-consuming task. Growth means increased responsibility across business verticals and with that increased responsibility comes a reduced capacity to internally manage the storage of your documents.