To Shred or Not to Shred - That is the Question

Records management is one of the most important elements of good business management, and there are several instances when you need to destroy your records for the good of your customer and for your own protection.

1. You Don't Want To Break The Law, Do You?

Your business or organization must comply with regulations and laws. These regulations require that your business or company protect vital information when it is discarded. HIPAA and the GLB act needs certain physical safety measures such as shredding or proper document destruction to be done to meet this requirement.

2. Make Your Clients Happy

Oftentimes, individuals are afraid of identity theft and invasion of privacy through those pertinent information that your company's records database contains. It is your sole responsibility as the records manager to destroy these documents for them since you are entrusted with information that they deem to be very confidential. Many clients know that you are supposed to protect all their confidential information through destruction. If your employees' (current or former) privacy that is at stake, you should not wonder if they know that it is your responsibility to protect their personal information.

3. Document Destruction in Its Many Forms

- Shredding
- Physical Destruction
- Incineration

4. One-time or Often?

It is important that before you even consider hiring a document destruction service you have to identify first whether your company needs one-time shredding only or a regular shredding service.

5. How Should It Be Destroyed?

The type of shredding method - plant based or mobile - will be further decided on as you go through these steps.

6. How To Choose A Company

- Ensure they are certified

- Do they provide a schedule to shred documents?

- References and past clientele

- Do they provide shred bins?

- Will bins be locked physically?

- Are any extra services provided, such as for non-paper destruction?

- Will products be recycled, or destroyed? There is a huge difference!

- What will the total cost be? A high price tag does not guarantee service.


Feb 19 2010 Record Keeping and Your Home Office by BMA Editorial Team A People are generally not sure about how long financial record retention should last? So let us constitute a document retention policy that works best for you!
Jan 14 2010 Keeping Records of Your Work from Home Business by BMA Editorial Team A When you are working from home, there are several things that you should always be doing. One of these things is to make sure you are keeping the right records for your business. What are these records? Read on.
Jun 15 2009 Internet, An unavoidable source for real estate buying and selling by anthony church With internet usage growing day by day, internet really has become an indispensable source of buying and selling real estate properties. This article discusses some of the advantages
Jul 11 2007 Record Keeping for Daycare Centers II by BMA Editorial Team B . If you take the process of record keeping one step at a time and do one thing every day you will stay on top of the work and benefit from the wealth of knowledge that can be derived from that information.
Jul 11 2007 Record Keeping for Daycare Centers I by BMA Editorial Team B . The key to record keeping is to simplify, simplify, simplify. As with any other repetitive task you want to make it as easy as possible so the main goal is achieved. This information will give you some insight.
Jul 5 2007 My Indispensable Mortgage Notebook by Tom Domin A few years ago I came to the realization that if you're running a mortgage business that's computer and Internet based, you need to supplement all of that high technology with something decidedly simple and very old fashioned. This article explains all...
Jun 18 2007 Ease Record Keeping Using Affiliate Tracking Software by James Lowe Here is how affiliate tracking software can make your dreams of having an affiliate program a profitable reality
Jun 16 2007 Messiness has Hidden Benefits by Suzanne Holman Is it really better to be organized and structured than to have free flow and flexibility? Six key benefits of messiness.
May 16 2007 Tips on How to Stay Organized in the Workplace by Susan West Staying organized at work will help people get everything accomplished that they will need to during the day. The tips in this article will help people organize their files, phone records, and calendars.
Apr 12 2007 To Shred or Not to Shred - That is the Question by BMA Editorial Team B . Records management is one of the most important elements of good business management, and there are several instances when you need to destroy your records for the good of your customer and for your own protection.
Apr 12 2007 Top Filing Systems: Go Digital by BMA Editorial Team B . If you are one of those people who have ever accidentally lost or spent far too much time rifling through drawers for that particular file, you may be interested to know that modern technology can change your unorganized drawers full of paperwork into digital format, with many added benefits.
Feb 25 2007 Why Businesses Need to Start Archiving Email Now by Stuart Crawford Electronic communications is the standard for many business transactions in today's small business organization; however, many small businesses still do not have adequate mechanisms for archiving correspondence with vendors, team members and customers.
Nov 7 2006 How To Create An Organized Filing System by Ilene Drexler How to Create An Organized Filing System
Aug 29 2006 Record Management by Aweng Moral-Basco Record Management is the field of management responsible for the efficient and systematic control of the creation, receipt, maintenance, use and disposition of records.

Feb 19 2010 Record Keeping and Your Home Office

by BMA Editorial Team A

People are generally not sure about how long financial record retention should last? So let us constitute a document retention policy that works best for you!

Jan 14 2010 Keeping Records of Your Work from Home Business

by BMA Editorial Team A

When you are working from home, there are several things that you should always be doing. One of these things is to make sure you are keeping the right records for your business. What are these records? Read on.

Jun 15 2009 Internet, An unavoidable source for real estate buying and selling

by anthony church

With internet usage growing day by day, internet really has become an indispensable source of buying and selling real estate properties. This article discusses some of the advantages

Jul 11 2007 Record Keeping for Daycare Centers II

by BMA Editorial Team B .

If you take the process of record keeping one step at a time and do one thing every day you will stay on top of the work and benefit from the wealth of knowledge that can be derived from that information.

Jul 11 2007 Record Keeping for Daycare Centers I

by BMA Editorial Team B .

The key to record keeping is to simplify, simplify, simplify. As with any other repetitive task you want to make it as easy as possible so the main goal is achieved. This information will give you some insight.

Jul 5 2007 My Indispensable Mortgage Notebook

by Tom Domin

A few years ago I came to the realization that if you're running a mortgage business that's computer and Internet based, you need to supplement all of that high technology with something decidedly simple and very old fashioned. This article explains all...

Jun 18 2007 Ease Record Keeping Using Affiliate Tracking Software

by James Lowe

Here is how affiliate tracking software can make your dreams of having an affiliate program a profitable reality

Jun 16 2007 Messiness has Hidden Benefits

by Suzanne Holman

Is it really better to be organized and structured than to have free flow and flexibility? Six key benefits of messiness.

May 16 2007 Tips on How to Stay Organized in the Workplace

by Susan West

Staying organized at work will help people get everything accomplished that they will need to during the day. The tips in this article will help people organize their files, phone records, and calendars.

Apr 12 2007 To Shred or Not to Shred - That is the Question

by BMA Editorial Team B .

Apr 12 2007 Top Filing Systems: Go Digital

by BMA Editorial Team B .

If you are one of those people who have ever accidentally lost or spent far too much time rifling through drawers for that particular file, you may be interested to know that modern technology can change your unorganized drawers full of paperwork into digital format, with many added benefits.

Feb 25 2007 Why Businesses Need to Start Archiving Email Now

by Stuart Crawford

Electronic communications is the standard for many business transactions in today's small business organization; however, many small businesses still do not have adequate mechanisms for archiving correspondence with vendors, team members and customers.

Nov 7 2006 How To Create An Organized Filing System

by Ilene Drexler

How to Create An Organized Filing System

Aug 29 2006 Record Management

by Aweng Moral-Basco

Record Management is the field of management responsible for the efficient and systematic control of the creation, receipt, maintenance, use and disposition of records.

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Records Mgt Articles

To Shred or Not to Shred - That is the Question