Are you a business owner in Massillon, Ohio or North Canton, Ohio looking for a document storage solution? Stop searching! The answer is right in your own backyard at Advanced Storage Systems in Canton, Ohio! Advanced Storage Systems can protect your important files, complete with convenient file indexing and affordable document shelving! So basically, everything you need will be right at your fingertips! But where to begin? Advanced Storage Systems has some basic steps to follow when selecting documents that need stored. Not sure what to keep and what to store? Let’s begin!

Advanced Storage Systems advises people to first invest in a paper shredder or a service that shreds important documents. The hardest part in preparing your documents for storage is determining what you need, what you can get rid of, and what you should keep handy. By following these simple guidelines, your documents will be weeded through and ready for storage in no time!

First, any documents that are at least two years old should be easily accessible at your North Canton or Massillon business facility. Papers that are three years old or older can usually be safely stored at Advanced Storage’s facility in Canton. (Remember, these are just helpful ideas—you know your business better than anyone and you know what you need on a daily basis.) Start by investing in a filing system. Cardboard filing boxes, totes or bins are ideal if you want to protect important files. Make sure there is writing somewhere on these storage bins that allow for identification of documents. Labeling the storage containers with the documents that are inside, as well as corresponding dates, will allow for easy access once the containers have been stored.

Distinguish between an actual document and memos, notes and non-business paper. There is no need to keep memos, lists, meeting notes, outdated worksheets and the like. If it is irrelevant to your business today—shred or discard it.

There are, however, documents that need to be kept! Business records like tax returns, payroll, year-end statements and financial records should be kept in house from the previous two years. Records dating past two years can be stored at Advanced Storage Systems using their convenient file indexing and affordable document shelving.

The ten year rule applies to important business documents like bank statements, cancelled checks (though these days those are usually stored electronically), leases, invoices, contracts, accounts payable and receivable documents, and any legal documents from court cases or law suits. As a rule, documents that are stored for less than ten years like employee agreements, litigation records, expense reports and inventory information should be kept for at least seven years. The three year rule applies to insurance policies that have expired, general written correspondence, employee applications and benefit policies. These can all be stored as soon as the document has expired or an employee has been terminated.

Now that you are done sorting and filing, don’t be tempted to set these boxes in the corner of the garage or in your damp and moldy basement! Advanced Storage Systems has document storage right at your fingertips! Not only are their units climate controlled, but they can protect important files from the elements and the prying eyes of those who have no business with your business. And with convenient file indexing along with affordable document shelving, finding what you need when you need it is a snap! So, don’t let your Massillon, Ohio or North Canton, Ohio business be overrun by outdated documents—call the document storage solution, Advanced Storage Systems in Canton, Ohio at 330.492.0955 or go online at www.advancedstoragesystems.com.