Many businesses end up with far more records than they can reasonably store on-site. Filing cabinets fill quickly, boxes stack up in every available corner, and before long, the only practical solution is to send them to an off-site storage facility.
While this can solve the immediate space problem, storing records with a third-party provider also comes with an ongoing price tag that can take a noticeable bite out of your budget.
Monthly storage fees add up fast, especially when records must be kept for years and the volume continues to grow. Retrieving older files can be slow and costly, and having them stored miles away makes them harder to access when needed. Over time, these factors can turn records storage into a significant, and often underestimated, business expense.
The good news is there are ways to ease this burden. In this article, we’ll share four straightforward strategies to help lower your storage costs without giving up access to the records you rely on..
Why Businesses Turn To Third-Party Storage
There are plenty of reasons why a business might turn to an outside provider for records storage. Sometimes it’s because the files need to be kept for many years and the available space has already been stretched to its limit. In other cases, retention rules require secure storage but don’t demand constant access, making an off-site facility an appealing option. For some, it’s simply about freeing up room for staff, equipment, or operations instead of devoting valuable square footage to boxes of documents.
Industries like finance, healthcare, construction, and legal services often face this challenge on a larger scale. The volume of documentation they generate can’t be disposed of quickly, and over time, these growing archives can make on-site storage impractical to put it lightly.
How Can You Lower Your Records Storage Costs?
Off-site storage can be expensive, but there are practical steps you can take to help keep those costs in check while still ensuring your records are safe and easy to access. Here are four approaches worth considering.
Revisit Your Storage Vendor
Reviewing your current storage agreement and comparing prices from other providers can sometimes lead to long term cost savings. Just keep in mind that moving a large collection from one facility to another isn’t free. Transportation, handling, and the time involved can quickly add up, so weigh the potential savings against the cost of making the switch.
Purge Outdated or Unnecessary Records
Reducing the number of boxes you store is one of the simplest ways to lower your bill. Many businesses keep files long past their required retention period without realizing it. Reviewing your inventory and removing records you no longer need can free up space and lower costs, all while keeping you aligned with retention rules. If those records contain sensitive information, be sure to have them securely destroyed by a professional shredding service.
Optimize Your Storage Practices
Small changes in how you store your files can have a big impact on cost. Consolidating partially filled boxes, improving labeling for easier retrieval, and avoiding duplicates in storage can all help you use your space more efficiently. While these steps may not result in immediate, dramatic savings, they can prevent costs from gradually increasing.
Digitize Your Records
When you need to keep all your records but want to reduce your storage fees, document scanning services are by far the best option.
The cost of digital storage is significantly lower than paying for physical space in a warehouse. That means for you wont have to spend an arm and a leg just to hold onto files you rarely use but must keep for retention purposes.
Digital records also cut down on manual labor, which directly affects your bottom line. Searching through paper piles or digging through boxes takes valuable time—time your employees could spend on more important work. Digital files can be located and opened in seconds, reducing wasted hours and improving overall productivity.
How SecureScan Makes The Process Easy
Converting a large collection of paper records into a text-searchable archive of digital files is a big undertaking, but SecureScan makes the process straightforward and stress-free. We manage every step, so you can focus on running your business while we handle the heavy lifting.
We’ll pick up your records directly from the storage facility and transport them to our secure scanning facility. Each record is then carefully prepared for scanning, removing staples, repairing damaged pages, and organizing documents so they scan cleanly and in the correct order. Once scanned, your records are indexed, and then added into a highly organized archive of digital files for quick, reliable access.
For added peace of mind, we keep your physical records for 30 days after scanning. This gives you time to review your new digital files and decide if there are any originals you want to keep before we arrange secure destruction.
From pickup to scanning to secure disposal, we take care of everything, making it easy to reduce your storage costs and improve access to the records you need. If high storage fees are weighing you down, contact us today to speak with a technician or request a free quote.