What Are Shred Bags and How Do They Work? A Simple Guide for Small Businesses
Do you run a small business that generates some confidential paper records, but not enough to justify needing professional shredding? Small businesses still have a responsibility to protect confidential information, even when they generate only a modest amount of paper. CI Information Management’s Seal N’ Shred Bag provides a secure, flexible way to collect and professionally destroy sensitive documents without committing to recurring shredding service. Let us share with you why shredding matters and how the Seal N’ Shred can make it easy!
Why Small-Business Shredding Matters
While small businesses often produce less paperwork than larger offices, it doesn’t mean those documents aren’t classified as sensitive. Customer records, invoices, tax information, and more are part of any-sized business, but for you, it may be just a handful per month.
Likely, you fall between two categories: too much confidential paper for the regular trash and not enough volume to justify scheduled shredding pickups.
However, you can’t risk improper disposal. Forgoing secure shredding can expose you to identity theft, financial fraud, customer data exposure, regulatory violations, and other nasty situations that could destroy your business and its reputation.
Fortunately, Seal N’ Shred Bags give businesses access to professional destruction without needing a recurring contract.
What Is a Seal N’ Shred Bag?
Is your business wasting time shredding documents by hand, or do your employees struggle to keep trash, recycling, and confidential documents properly separated? If either (or both) of those are the case, a Seal N’ Shred Bag is an easy solution.
A Seal N’ Shred Bag is a secure collection bag designed for confidential paper documents to be stored in until they are ready to be shredded. Each bag can hold up to 30 pounds of paper and, once filled, is securely sealed and collected for professional shredding at CI Information Management’s secure facility.
How Do Seal N’ Shred Bags Work?
The process of using a Seal N’ Shred bag is super simple.
Step 1: Contact CI Information Management to pre-pay for the service. We will mail the bag right to your preferred address.
Step 2: Fill the bag with your sensitive documents. Since the bag can hold up to 30 pounds of paper, you can stuff it all the way to the fill line!
Step 3: Seal the bag closed. The seal protection will ensure that your bag is closed up tight until it reaches our facility for shredding.
Step 4: Call for a pickup. To ensure a safe, secure transition to our facility, we will come to get the bag from you. Once at our facility, the bag’s contents will be shredded using our industrial shredders.
What Types of Small Businesses Can Use Shred Bags?
Seal N’ Shred Bags are an excellent choice for businesses that generate confidential paperwork gradually. Maybe they only get a few pieces a week, have an uptick at different seasons, or perform annual file clean-outs. If it is minimal or inconsistent, the Seal N’ Shred back is most useful, especially for:
- Independent accountants and tax preparers
- Real estate agents and property managers
- Insurance agencies
- Small medical, dental, or therapy offices
- Legal practices
- Financial advisors
- Contractors and home-service businesses
- Retailers and restaurants with only employee or payment records
- Consultants and professional service providers
- Nonprofits and community organizations
- Small offices with only a few employees
- Remote or work-from-home professionals
What Should Go Into a Seal N’ Shred Bag?
What goes into a Sean N’ Shred Bag will depend on your type of business, but here are the most common types of documents to collect:
- Customer and client records
- Invoices and billing documents
- Bank statements and deposit records
- Tax documents
- Payroll and employee files
- Employment applications
- Contracts and agreements
- Insurance forms
- Medical or benefits documents
- Printed emails and internal reports
- Drafts, duplicates, and handwritten notes containing sensitive information
It is important to note that it is better to over-shred than under-shred. When employees are expected to decide whether every page is confidential, they are more likely to make mistakes. Therefore, you may be better off employing a “shred-all” approach to business paperwork to make sure that nothing gets missed.
What Not to Put in the Bag
Our industrial shredder is designed for paper products like office paper, file folders, spiral-bound notebooks, notepads, folders, newsprints, magazines, and soft-bound publications less than 2” thick.
Due to this, we cannot shred:
- Trash
- Plastic
- Corrugated cardboard
- Hard-bound books
- 3-ring binders
- Binder clips & other metal objects
A Simple Shredding Solution for Small Businesses
Are you ready to protect your business records without having to commit to recurring service? Contact CI Information Management to order a Seal N’ Shred Bag and create a simpler, more secure process for confidential document disposal.
