To reduce costs, many businesses cut down on their office space. Unfortunately, this means that they have less room on site for the storage of various business papers that are not currently being used, but cannot be destroyed. These papers may need to be stored for extended periods of time for various reasons, including tax purposes or laws that govern that type of business. Some types of businesses in various parts of the world may actually be required to keep documents for as long as forty years and that can add up to quite a bit of stored paperwork. A solution to this lack of space is to use a self storage unit for off site archiving of the business paperwork.After finding a self storage facility with controlled climate units, it is important to choose a unit that will easily accommodate the current and future load of papers that need to be archived. This can take a bit of planning, but the manager and staff of the facility will help. Some businesses choose to rent several neighboring smaller storage units instead of the largest one possible because it makes retrieval of documents a bit easier.
The documents should be placed in containers that seal tight and the containers should be labeled using a system that is easy for any employee to understand. The containers should be arranged in special document shelving or placed on pallets to protect them from moisture. In addition, the oldest papers should be placed at the back of the unit and at the bottom if the containers are being stacked. All of the labels can be made visible by leaving walking paths between the stacks or shelves of documents.
