Choosing the Right Document Destruction Company, and Why Citizens Is Such a Wise Investment

In Arizona, all official records that no longer have any legal, fiscal, historical, or administrative value must be destroyed according to approved methods: a shredder used in-house, or an outside document destruction vendor. At Citizens Business Archives, we are very familiar with all state legislation controlling the destruction of documents. Our team stays on top of the latest news and trends in the industry so that we can be sure we’re always giving our clients the most valuable services possible. When you choose us as your document destruction company in Arizona, you can be confident that your records will be securely destroyed while maintaining necessary confidentiality. Take a look at the factors you should consider when choosing a document destruction company, and why Citizens Business Archives is such a wise investment. 

Scheduled Shredding Services

Choosing a shredding company that offers scheduled shredding services in Arizona will help you maintain business efficiency and will also make it easier for employees to guarantee that documents that need to be destroyed are destroyed as soon as possible. At Citizens Business Archives, we will drop off shred bins at your location, and we have many different types of shredding bins to choose from. You can contact us for on-demand pickup services or set up a weekly or monthly schedule that meets your needs. When we pick up your shred bins, we will transport them directly to our secure facility. 

Secure Shredding Methods

Some shredding methods are more secure than others. In order to maintain compliance with record destruction legislation in Arizona, you will need to confirm the shredding methods your shredding company uses. At Citizens Business Archives, we use a cross-cut shredding method. This makes it impossible for anyone to get any information from your documents after they are shredded. 

Destruction of More Than Just Paper Records

It’s very likely that at some point in the course of business you will need electronic records destroyed. Electronic records are not printed out on paper, but are stored on hard drives, flash drives, discs, etc. You want to choose a shredding company in Arizona that can destroy electronic records safely, securely, and completely. At Citizens Business Archives, we offer secure, certified destruction of electronic records as well as paper records. 

Documented Chain of Custody

Chain of custody confirms the movement of your company records and who had possession of them at what time. If you are shredding sensitive, private, and confidential records, you may not even want your own employees looking at some of them. At Citizens Business Archives, our employees are highly trained to maintain security and confidentiality through each step of the shredding process. At no point will we look at any of the items you are giving us to destroy. We will pick up your locked shredding bins and return them to you with the lids still locked. We will then provide you with a Certificate of Destruction when shredding is completed. We also follow all HIPAA guidelines. 

Additional Services Offered

The document shredding company that you choose should be able to handle your primary record destruction needs in Arizona. However, you may end up needing additional services in the future, and choosing a company that offers services beyond paper shredding means you won’t have to shop around for another company. At Citizens Business Archives, we offer additional services that improve the convenience, efficiency, and security of our clients’ businesses:

  • Climate-controlled record and document storage
  • Media and electronic record storage
  • Computer-indexed and bar-coded records inventories

Personalized Client Services

As a business owner, you understand how quickly things can change in your company. You need a document shredding company that is responsive and excels at communication so that you can remain confident they can meet your changing needs and goals. At Citizens Business Archives, we will work closely with you to understand your needs and create a personalized plan that makes your life easier and makes your business run more smoothly. 

Schedule a Consultation With Citizens Business Archives Today

If you have questions about our record storage or document shredding services in Arizona, contact us today. We are happy to set up a consultation to discuss our services, and we have a ‘no appointment necessary’ policy for potential clients who want to visit our facility and learn more about our process. To learn more or request an estimate for document shredding services, call us today at (520) 882-4434 or contact us online.

Keeping Your Company’s Data Safe by Housing It Off-Site

In some industries, it’s crucial to store confidential and sensitive records off-site in a secure storage facility. Local, state, and federal laws also provide protocols that should be followed for protecting specific types of information like social security numbers, credit card information, private health information, and more. At Citizens Business Archives, we understand how important it is to safeguard our clients’ private data, documents, and records. Our 18,000 square foot warehouse is inside a locked facility, and is only accessible by select authorized individuals. Learn more about how we keep your company’s data safe by housing it off-site in our secure warehouse in Tucson, AZ.

Access-Controlled Storage Facility

Only those with approved authorization can access your files in our storage facility. It is in a fenced, locked facility with 24/7 security, and access is controlled to ensure your records remain safe. We can pick up and deliver your records at any time, and you can access information about them through our secure computerized inventory system at any time as well.  

Fire Protection

A structure fire can strike at any time and moves fast. The last thing a company wants to worry about when having to evacuate is whether or not their records are safe. Our storage warehouse is fire protected to protect your documents and records from damage or destruction and allows you to keep your records off-site in the event of a disaster.

Archiving and Indexing

We offer a state-of-the-art computerized index system to organize, track, and manage your stored records and documents. Each box of records will get a barcode that links back to its electronic record in our system. This makes it fast and easy to find exactly what is in a box at any given time. You can access this system at any time to see which documents are in storage or request that documents be delivered to you or safely destroyed.


Secure and Confidential Document Destruction

Eventually, you will no longer need certain records. If any of them contain sensitive data or private, confidential information, they must be destroyed. We offer secure document destruction services using cross-cut shredding. Even if someone gained access to the shredded documents, there is no way that they could gather any information from them or put them back together again. 

Customizable Shredding and Storage Plans

We understand that every business is unique and their needs are different. That’s why we don’t use a ‘one size fits all’ plan for document and record storage and document shredding services. We will work closely with you to identify your needs and goals, and create an individualized plan that works for you. We can schedule continuing document pick up for archiving and storage or shredding, or you can contact us as needed for on-demand services. 

Learn More About Secure Document Storage in Arizona

If you’re ready to learn more about our secure document storage in Arizona, call us today at (520) 882-4434 or contact us online. Our team at Citizens Business Archives will work with you to design and implement a records management, storage, and records destruction plan that works with your needs, goals, and protocols.

Why Your Business Should Use Offsite Data Storage

Investing in outside or third-party data storage can free up space in your office. You also won’t need to worry about monitoring your electronics, paper documents, and data or maintaining security. Additionally, offsite data storage offers peace of mind that your property will remain safe and secure. If you are considering off-site data storage for your business, keep reading to learn more about the benefits you can expect. 

Cleanliness and Organization 

Many offices simply don’t have adequate storage space to house old documents. The result is disorganized, overloaded file cabinets and storage closets that don’t make it easy to access critical data when it’s needed. Offsite storage facilities like the extensive, secure warehouse at Citizens Business Archives offer a clean, organized environment where documents can be found at a moment’s notice thanks to an indexed inventory system with convenient barcode scanning to identify individual boxes and documents. Plus, we make things even easier with document pickup and delivery, saving you a trip to our warehouse when you need to access stored documents or add more boxes to storage. 

Fire Protection

A fire can quickly destroy critical documents, leaving you without important records for your business. At Citizens Business Archives, we have implemented several fire prevention systems to reduce the risk of fire as well as the potential damage caused by fire suppression systems. Most offices simply use sprinklers to put out fires, which means that documents that weren’t destroyed by the fire itself may be flooded and become at risk for mold and mildew damage. Fire protection within our secure facilities helps to reduce these risks. 

Pest Control

Another huge risk to the security of records, documents, and electronic data storage devices is pest activity. Insects, rodents, and animals can cause significant damage to your archives. While some animals may chew through documents, wires, and electronics, others can damage them by urinating and defecating on them. An offsite data storage facility will protect your data and records from pest, insect, and animal exposure. All of your data will remain in the same condition it was when you archived it, and will be safely inventoried and stored for later retrieval and use.


Safeguard Electronics & Sensitive Documents

Almost every company, no matter the industry, stores documents electronically or as hard copies. Eventually, you will run out of space to keep these documents securely on the premises. Using an offsite data storage facility allows you to safeguard electronic data storage devices and sensitive documents, so that you remain in compliance with local and federal archive regulations. Certain documents must be stored safely for a specific amount of time before they can be securely destroyed. If you don’t have the room to do so at your business, you should invest in off-site records and document storage.  

At Citizens Business Archives, we offer secure data storage in Southern Arizona. We are experts at safeguarding sensitive, private records, data, documents, and more until they need to be safely retrieved or securely destroyed. Only those with proper authorization can access our facilities, so you can rest assured that your documents and data will never be in the wrong hands. In addition to secure warehouse storage, we also offer document shredding and indexing. Call us today at (520) 882-4434 or contact us online.

The Importance of Document Shredding for Your Business

Document shredding is a key element of business security, and ensures you remain in compliance with local and federal rules and regulations. Shredding documents that contain sensitive, private, or proprietary information about your customers, business, and employees will guarantee the information doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. If you don’t have a secure, reliable method of document destruction for your business, you may risk fraud, theft, reputational damage, and fines for lack of compliance. Take a look at why document shredding is so important for your business.  

Protect Your Data, Customers, & Employees

You might not realize how many of the documents floating around your office contain sensitive or private data. Documents that contain personal or identifying information like names, addresses, dates of birth, and social security and driver’s license numbers, must be securely destroyed. You also need to destroy documents containing salary information, employee reviews or assessment, and other payroll and financial information. If these documents aren’t securely destroyed, you risk a data breach. If this protected or personal information gets into the wrong hands, it risks the safety and privacy of those affected and it will also do irreversible damage to the reputation of your business.

Prevent the Loss of Proprietary Company Information

In addition to sensitive employee and customer data, the documents in your office might contain private proprietary data about your business. This could include financial projections, information about future plans for your business, patent and idea information, intellectual property, and more. If this information gets into the wrong hands, it could compromise the integrity of your business. Your investors may lose faith or trust in you, employees won’t feel protected, and your ideas will no longer be your own. Document shredding will ensure the secure destruction of proprietary business information, and it will reduce the risk of employee theft and data breaches.

Maintain Compliance With Regulations

Businesses are required to comply with certain local and federal rules and regulations regarding document destruction and protection of private data. All documents that contain confidential, private, or sensitive data must be securely destroyed. Document shredding is the fastest, most cost-effective, and most secure method of destroying confidential documents. You can avoid costly fines and make sure you pass security audits by creating a comprehensive record and document destruction plan. Hiring an experienced, reputable document shredding company will give you peace of mind and allow you to prove a clear chain of custody for the documents being destroyed. 

Preserve Space & Organization

Document storage takes up a lot of space, and requires constant review and monitoring to ensure everything stays secure and organized. If you don’t want to commit to the time and effort it takes to maintain secure document storage, you can invest in scheduled document pick-up or onsite document shredding services. You will free up space, and you won’t need to worry about inventorying or monitoring onsite document storage.

If you need reliable, efficient commercial document shredding services in Southern Arizona, contact us at Citizens Business Archives. We offer secure warehouse storage space for documents and records, as well as document shredding and indexing. Call us today at (520) 882-4434 or contact us online. 

How the Document Storage Process Works

Companies of all sizes across industries need reliable, secure document storage solutions. If you don’t have space for onsite document storage, you will need to invest in offsite storage and archiving. Offsite storage offers many advantages. You will not need to spend money on a security system or inventory software. Employees won’t have to expend labor on archiving, retrieving, and destroying documents. Sensitive and private data will also be protected from employee theft or loss and data breaches. If you’re not familiar with the document storage process, take a look at how it works.

Document Pickup

If your documents are currently housed onsite or at another document storage facility, you can schedule one-time or recurring document pickup services. Busy offices, such as medical practices, law offices, and accounting firms, typically require monthly document pickup. Smaller offices may only need annual document pickup. Documents that are picked up will be securely stored in a temperature-controlled environment until they are retrieved or destroyed. Most document storage companies are capable of storing electronic records, electronic data storage devices like hard drives and flash drives, paper files and documents, expanding files, and storage boxes. 

Document Inventorying & Indexing

You can either index and inventory your boxes ahead of time, or pay for document indexing services. If you index your boxes ahead of time, you must provide a typed, readable copy of the index on the outside of the box as well as another copy on the inside of the box. The index should be in a clear, protective sleeve. If you do not index your boxes ahead of time, the company will index them for you. They will index, log, and barcode individual files as well as the boxes. The information will then be added to their electronic inventory system. You can contact the document storage company at any time to request information about the documents, files, and records in your inventory. 

Document & Data Storage

Your documents, records, files, and electronic data storage devices will be securely maintained until you need them again. The storage facility will be closely monitored in order to give you the peace of mind knowing that no one besides you will have access to your documents. The facility will also be protected from insect, animal, and pest activity that could compromise your files and records. 

Document & Data Security

Most document storage facilities are secured with locks, alarm systems, and guards, and only offer access to authorized personnel. This prevents data breaches and loss of sensitive or private data. You can review and retrieve information about your archives at any time through the facility’s warehouse and document management system. 

Document Retrieval

Your documents can be retrieved at any time. Many facilities offer same-day document retrieval for urgent matters, as well as planned or scheduled document retrieval. You can contact them via phone, email on the same day. They will deliver the requested files, documents, or boxes to your site securely and safely. Every retrieval will be logged so that both parties can maintain an accurate inventory of which records remain offsite in the storage facility, and which are onsite at your offices. You will also have a clear chain of custody and history of each item’s movements.

Document Destruction 

Eventually, the document’s lifecycle comes to an end. If you are no longer legally obligated to keep a hard copy or electronic record, or if the file or matter has been closed out, the record can be securely destroyed. The most efficient and reliable method of document destruction is shredding. Most companies that offer offsite document storage also offer document destruction. You can submit a spreadsheet or list of file or box index numbers for retrieval and destruction. The company will then confirm that they found the records and that everything is accounted for, and will provide confirmation of destruction. Having a clear chain of custody ensures you remain in compliance with all local and federal rules and regulations regarding document destruction.

If your company doesn’t have the space or resources for onsite document storage, our team at Citizens Business Archives can help. We offer secure document storage in Tucson, AZ, for companies of all sizes, across industries. We work with clients in healthcare, legal, educational, insurance, government, and financial industries, among others. We offer flexible, customizable solutions for document storage, indexing and inventorying, and destruction. We can schedule one-time or recurring document pickup, and can coordinate with your existing document storage facility to acquire your files and inventory records for transfer to our facility. To learn more or request an estimate for document storage, call us today at (520) 882-4434 or contact us online.