How To: Document Storage | Tips to Storing Documents

Tips to Storing Documents

Paper, paper, paper, from TPS reports to Karens who require carbon copies. Paper is still alive and well in the age of technology. There is only so much office space with so much paper going around. Often businesses turn to self storage operations to help alleviate their need for space. Here are a few helpful hints for document storage.

1. Recycle What’s Not Needed

Before storing your documents, recycle the items that you don’t need. There is no reason to store unnecessary or duplicate records, no matter what Karen says.

By eliminating what you are storing, you can cut down on the storage unit you need. Rather than having a large 10×10 storage, you can now fit all your documents in a small unit like a 5×10. So play it smart!

2. Buy Quality Containers.

First, the people who will be moving the documents to the storage unit will love you forever. Second, a quality container will enable them to store them all uniformly. We recommend an excellent banker’s box.

3. Label and Date

There is nothing worse in personal or document storage than looking at a wall of boxes and not knowing what is inside. Take the time to plan out how you will store your documents. It is not the wild west. Carefully think and organize how you will do it. People will praise your name for years to come.

After you have devised your master plan, make sure you label each box extremely carefully and clearly. Take time to do this with a sharpie marker or another method that won’t fall off over time.
There’s nothing more demoralizing than staring at 20 blank boxes and having no idea what documents are where.

To avoid a complete unpack, draw up a plan for what documents are going in what box. As you pack each box, write an inventory and attach it to the side.

Try and keep the same labeling system going across all your boxes so other people can understand it too.

4. Create Order

When you are finally ready to store your boxes, it might be tempting to toss them in and call it a day! Don’t let all your hard work be for nothing.

Find the documents you are most likely to need and move them to an area that is easily accessible. The least likely box goes to the rear of the stack.

Like any move, little things seem to go a lot smoother when you plan! Good luck with your move, and let us know how to help!

Read more about our how-to in FAQ’s other Tips here!