Use your shredder to reduce paper clutter
(myorganizedbiz.com) – It seems like many small business owners are drowning in paper. We just don’t know what to do with all of it, do we? Sometimes we’re afraid to get rid of something because we might-possibly-maybe need it at some indeterminate time in the future. Or it has confidential information on it: someone’s credit card number, account number, or personal information. So we file it away. It’ll be safe in our files, right?
But it adds to our already burgeoning file cabinets. And deep down we know we probably don’t need it. So to keep dumpster divers from grabbing it, just shred it.
There are some great shredders out there now. I started with a little one that would only shred 3 pages or so at a time. But when I had a big pile of stuff, it would overheat. So I bought a heavier-duty shredder. It can handle up to 12 pages, credit cards, and CDs. And it makes confetti, which I sometimes use to pack things away in boxes.
So I’m getting rid of confidential information in a safe way AND I’m recycling. But right now I have a pile of shredding to do. That’s another thing – don’t let it pile up too high or you’ll suddenly have an hour’s worth of shredding waiting on you.
There’s a caveat to all of this. Make sure you are keeping important records like taxes and employment files for the proper amount of time. Check with your accountant or attorney if you need help deciding how long to keep records.
And for things like receipts? You can always scan and then shred them. (That’s especially a good idea if your receipt is printed on thermal paper – some of them fade within a few months.)
Do you regularly use your shredder to keep on top of paper clutter?
Image: morgueFile