People often talk about the New Year as a fresh start… “New year, new me.” Well the same can also be true for your business at the end of the financial year. Aside from being simply good practice, the end of the financial year is a great excuse to get the office organised and ready for a new year of trading by ditching those extra kilos of e-waste, archive boxes and sensitive information taking up valuable space. Not only can efficiency and productivity can be greatly hindered when the office is cluttered, it also puts your business at risk of data breaches and sensitive information leaks, which could cost you hefty fines as well as credibility with your customers. Dedicate the time it deserves to maintaining it and disposing of it securely, so your greatest asset ‘your data’ is not compromised. And what better time than now? Here are some top tips and the biggest benefits of tidying up this tax time.
Refresh your working environment:
Change can be as good as a holiday so why not think about rearranging the office layout? Look at ways to improve productivity and workflow through the set up of workstations and storage plans. In doing so, can you identify an area in your office that is filled with old archive boxes and clutter? There could be locations around the office that is the ‘best seat in the office and could change the way departments communicate with each other. It may also be effectual to save money on storage such as rent for storage units, filing cabinets and other storage systems just by refreshing and cleaning out.
Keep employees motivated with a clean environment:
Cleaning and rearranging the office is also a great way to get your employees motivated for an excellent year of business. The new financial year may be just around the corner but for your employees, its mid-year/June and there’s a big possibility they aren’t as inspired by what they’re doing as they could be. By organizing and de-cluttering we set the standard for the coming year and re-set the minds of our employees with an exciting new approach to the work environment… New financial year, new workspace, new mindset!
Keep only what you need:
Rather than sifting through old client files or old contracts or even media storage devices, find out what you need and securely destroy the rest! Stay compliant with Australian Privacy Laws by using destroying information regularly, so you never have a tumultuous task should you relocate or upsize. Did you know personal Information can be as simple as hard copies of emails, orders and accounts; or written notes from client contacts, meetings and phone calls.
Ensure your privacy is protected by avoiding leaks:
Aside from being great for efficiency and employee morale, cleaning out the office can also help ensure the privacy of your clients and employees is maintained. Yes, protection of sensitive information is a legal requirement however it’s also just good business practice. For this reason, information of this nature can’t be simply thrown away when redundant. Private and sensitive information must be destroyed in a secure and irretrievable manner either in house or by an outsourced company like Shred-X. With an array of secure destruction services encompassing everything from hard files and documents to e-waste and hard drives, Shred-X can assist in maintaining total privacy for your business.
If you need a little help organizing your workspace, a review of your waste management plan, contact Shred-X today! Whether you’ve created the leaning tower of archive boxes or a jungle of outdated digital data, we take the hard work and headaches out of any office cleanup so you can get back to doing what you do best!