Many of us, whether at the office or working from home, have papers we keep filed away. Those filing cabinets we get can add up in terms of cost, take up space, and, over time, accumulate more papers than necessary.

While going digital sounds like the logical, effective approach in handling businesses today, it does take work. Moving toward, a paperless office requires work both in archiving the files you have and in setting up your office to receive digital documents from there. So what would be the most cost-effective approach for your business?

Why Are Filing Cabinets So Expensive?

If you’ve ever had to buy filing cabinets you know that the prices range from hundreds to thousands of dollars. This happens for multiple reasons. While metal is common, it can also be made of wood or composite materials. Filing cabinets tend to have anywhere from two to five drawers and are either vertical or horizontal. They’ll also have features such as more sophisticated locks and resistance to fire and water damage. When you’re looking to store important documents in shared workspaces, you often can’t afford to risk having a lower end and easily tampered with filing cabinets.

What Are Pros and Cons of Paper-Based Documents?

Paper documents have their pros and cons as do digital storage. One of the pros with paper-based documents is security. Many less tech-savvy business owners and managers may not be aware of all the ins and outs of online security; opening up your sensitive documentation to hackers. You also run the risk of your employees having access to documents they shouldn’t have. If paper documents are locked away in a filing cabinet, it could be easier to limit documents to only those who have access to the key.

The biggest cons to paper-based documents, which are a clear advantage for electronic file storage, are physical storage space and retrievability. In New York, you need to make every square foot of your office space count. Filing cabinets and on-site storage can quickly add up both in the space it takes up and the amount of money your business is spending. Keeping track of which documents can be disposed of and which ones to keep can, over time, become a job all on its own, too.

How Much Does It Cost to Store Records?

Record and document storage varies greatly with the needs of your business. You may have physical documents that don’t need to be on-site that you could utilize a storage facility. If you’ve decided that moving toward a paperless office is right for your business, scanning and shredding services are available that will vary in cost based on the volume of documents needing to be processed.

Storage Quarters Are Paper and Digital Storage Experts

Storage Quarters of Garden City has been serving the New York City metro area for more than 35 years. We have the experience and know-how to help declutter your business and regain value space through a combination of secure document storage in our facility, document digitization, and mobile paper shredding. Our services are convenient, highly secure, and cost-efficient. Contact us today for a free quote. You may also reach us by calling (516) 794-7300 or by emailing us.