3 reasons to clean out documents this fall

Summer is coming to an end and some (hopefully) cooler weather is about to blow in. As the seasons change and kids return to school, it is easy to lose sight of your document management. However, don’t put off important tasks like a document shredding project until the end of the year. In fact, here are three reasons for you to clean out documents this fall.

1. Clean out documents now to avoid the end of year rush

Every year businesses and individuals scramble as the new year approaches to tie up loose ends, clean out the old, and prepare for the next year. However, waiting until November or December to work on a document clean out can make your life more difficult than necessary. Not only do you have to work around holidays, you have the added headache of employees being unable to help due to vacations. We all know the holiday season is a hectic time, so take shredding off of your end of year checklist by scheduling your document clean out for this fall.

2. Purge old tax documents

Since the tax season ends officially in October each year, fall is a great time to purge tax documents which are past the recommended retention period. Tax documents hold important information that can be misused if it falls into the wrong hands. Shredding files when they reach end of life is an important part of any document management program because it reduces liabilities. Furthermore, clean out documents so that by removing unnecessary files you will make room and take something off your to-do list for January.

3. Take time to get organized

Instead of rushing to sort through files in December, sifting through your documents this fall means you will have more time to not only decide what should be destroyed, but organize your files and prepare for the new year. Don’t just make a document clean out some task you have to get through, use it as an opportunity to take control of your files and make your file room more convenient for you and your employees.