In an age where more and more companies are creating and storing their documents electronically, document retention has become more important than ever. More than 99 percent of all company documents are created and stored electronically. Each day there are 60 billion emails alone that are created and sent. It’s much easier to store electronic data than physical data, but that doesn’t mean that you should hold on to it forever.

Medical offices have hundreds and hundreds of patient records. Even in a digital age where more records are stored online each year, the storage needs can get out of hand very quickly. What do you do with all of this paperwork? How do you know when it’s okay to get rid of old documents? Medical practices are careful to keep detailed patient records and don’t want to get in trouble by getting rid of them sooner than they should.

Each year a legal firm builds up hundreds upon hundreds of files pertaining to their clients. You want to do right by your clients and keep appropriate documentation on hand. However, you also don’t want to get buried under mounds of old paperwork. The following guidelines will help you determine what to keep, how long to keep it, and how to dispose of it properly.

As a CPA, you acquire a wealth of client records. From basic contact information to complex tax returns, it is easy to get buried under paperwork. You want to make sure that you comply with the law, but you also want to keep your business files organized. The following guidelines will help you implement and maintain a company-wide document retention and destruction schedule.

All licensed veterinary practices must adhere to relevant record keeping requirements for veterinary medicine. In order to comply with these guidelines in full, you must stay up to date on the various veterinary record keeping laws and practices.

Lowering the amount of paper used in your office is not only about helping to save the environment, it also helps to reduce costs for your business. The whole goal is to use less paper and to reuse when possible. Here are a few tips on how to cut down on paper waste and reuse paper.

Many companies aren’t sure how long they should hold onto important tax paperwork. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by piles of papers. However, you don’t want to end up throwing out something that you may need to refer back to down the road. Bankers, accountants, lawyers, and government agencies all have differing opinions about how long you should retain tax documents, which makes the process even tougher. The following guidelines will help you make educated decisions about your tax documents and related paperwork.

There are many benefits that your business will see if you work with a reputable document destruction company. From scheduled shred days to yearly document purges, these companies can help you save and stay efficient. Before you sign on with a document shredding company, you should be familiar with some questions you can ask them.

When you are getting rid of hard drives, you may wonder what the best methods are. Because business hard drives store so much private data, you shouldn’t throw them out whole. Even if you are able to take them apart, they still need to be wiped before being destroyed too. Here are some basics about destroying these devices that can help you protect your business data.

In-house document shredding may seem like a great option, but it often comes with hidden costs. These include financial costs as well as reduced security and efficiency. The following are some of the issues that can happen with do-it-yourself document destruction and how to solve those problems.