Having your office taken over by paperwork is not something that is good for your business. Oftentimes, having papers and files strewn all over the place means that you will have to sort through those when you are trying to find specific forms and information. One option that you have for getting the paperwork under control is hiring shredding services in Houston to get rid of the papers without putting the information at risk of falling into the wrong hands.
How often do you need shredding services?
One important factor that you have to consider is how often you will need shredding services. This is important because you will need to choose between a one-off shredding or a regular shredding.
The frequency of shredding is something that you can decide. If you do not have a lot of paperwork or have a large storage area, you might be able to have biannual or annual shreddings. If you go through a lot of paper or do not have a large storage area, it may be a better idea to choose a monthly, quarterly, or weekly shredding.
One-off shredding might be appropriate if you don’t have a lot of paperwork and are not likely going to have enough to require regular disposal. This would also be the case if you do not have confidential information that must be destroyed.
How much do you need shredded at each session?
The amount of paper you are going to need shredded is another consideration. The more paper you are going to need shredded, the more time it will take. This can have an impact on the scheduling for the shredding services. For example, you would not want to have a four-hour project starting at 4 pm if you need to close your business at 5 pm.
How many locations require shredding services?
If your company has more than one location, you need to decide if you need shredding services for each location. In some cases, you might need to have each location serviced separately, while other cases may allow you to transport all the paper that needs to be shredded to a central location and have the shredding take care of there. If you choose to use a central location, make sure that you take great care in handling sensitive documents. and that your handling adheres to the standards of the law.
What laws must you follow in order to maintain document security?
Some industries are bound by laws that govern document security. This means that you will have to know what laws pertain to your business. In some cases, these laws dictate how long documents are kept. They can also dictate how the documents must be destroyed.
Some example laws that might apply to your company include:
- The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act
- The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
- The Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act
Working with a shredding company that is familiar with the laws that pertain to your case can help ensure that you are covered. The last thing you want to have happen is to find out that your company’s documents have not been destroyed in an appropriate and legal manner.
Why do you want shredding services in Houston?
The purpose of the shredding services is important. If you are hiring a shredding service so that you can just do away with excess paper, security might not be a factor in your case. If you are hiring a shredding service so that you can ensure the information on the documents isn’t getting into the wrong hands, security will be a huge factor.
Hiring a paper-shredding company can also help you to get ready to go paperless. Instead of hanging onto all of the paper copies of documents, you can scan those into a computer. They will be easy to search for and find if they are in computer files.
Is your budget prepared for the shredding services?
Your budget is another factor that can impact your ability to hire a shredding service. Getting an estimate for the job that you need done can help you to ensure that you are prepared to cover the costs.
If you get the quote and find that the budget is tight, you should consider how important it is to shred the documents and whether your budget can sustain the cost of a shredding service. Ultimately however, your company’s security and the security of your client’s information is well worth the cost of having the documents shredded — even if that means having to adjust the budget.
Do you need on-site or off-site shredding?
The answer to this question depends on your needs and/or preferences. If you choose the on-site shredding services, a mobile shredding truck will come to your company to get the job done. If you choose off-site shredding, we bring secure containers to your company. Papers that need to be shredded are placed in these. When those containers are full, we pick them up and transport them securely to the off-site shredding facility. The documents are then destroyed in accordance with laws that pertain to your business.
How concerned are you about the environment?
What happens to the paper after it is shredded is a consideration for some people. Knowing that the paper will be recycled is one point that helps companies to choose a paper shredding company in Houston. When the paper is recycled after destruction, it is environmentally friendly.
Sources:
https://www.angieslist.com/articles/confidential-paper-shredding-tips-businesses.htm