by Pete Simpson

Created on: April 12, 2010

Storing documents is a headache for any business as the legal requirements for keeping financial, tax and sales records increase every year.

Many businesses struggle to find the space in their trading premises to archive documents  - and moving just to stack papers is an expensive option.

The best place to keep archived business documents safe and secure is in a rented self storage unit.

Because the tax or VAT man can call to see financial records for up to five years after any accounts or return based on those records was filed, businesses need to keep vast quantities of paperwork.

Not only do documents need looking after to make sure they stay in good condition, they also have to be kept secure to comply with data protection laws.

Another worry is criminals stealing information in identity theft fraud.

Self storage centres solve all these problems for business.

A professional storage facility offers climate-controlled storage rooms with racking for document archive boxes.

Climate control is important and well worth paying for because documents will be kept in pristine condition because damage from damp or condensation is eliminated.

Businesses can also rest assured document archives are secure as storage centres have first class security, including CCTV monitoring the site and state-of-the-art alarms.

Self storage facilities will also have precautions in place to deal with fire and other hazards.

Cost conscious businesses can keep expenses down by managing the storage space and removing records that are no longer required for shredding and secure disposal.

Self storage archiving is convenient because the records are stored safely, but easily accessible, especially if the archiver clearly labels and organises the documents.

Most self storage units are open during business hours – and many for longer hours as well.

Access to a storage rooms is also easy for staff carrying heavy document bundles.

Wide, well-lit corridors, plenty of trolleys and accessible loading bays make shifting document archives straightforward.

An added bonus is archiving documents off-site frees up valuable space at business premises.

This saves a business money because more cash flow is generated from available space and the cost of renting storage space is cost-effective against the cost, time and effort involved in moving to larger premises.

Another money saving tip for business document storage is to take the smallest unit first - and then upgrade each year as more paperwork needs storing.

Also  maximise the use and cut costs by disposing of unwanted documents every year - there's absolutely no point keeping paperwork sitting around just for the sake of it.

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