Keeping It Lean and Mean in the Big Apple by Ren Grajales

What's the difference between New York City and the rest of the country? At least $27 per square foot. The average price of office space in NYC is roughly $50 per square foot-more than double the average national rate of $23, according to a study by real estate research firm Reis Inc.

My point? When a small business is paying that kind of premium just to maintain a toehold, making the most of your space is critical. Getting rid of those filing cabinets that are threatening to overtake your office can pay off big time. Here's why:

Consolidation is king. You don't need all your documentation in your main office every day. Offsite storage can organize important paperwork, making it easier to access when you need it-and to spot new opportunities in a fiercely competitive market.

Your overhead will become leaner. Just as important, information management means moving unneeded files out of expensive office space. Then you can downsize and cut costs, or use the extra room for that expansion you've been planning. The bottom line: When you take advantage of offsite storage, I guarantee you'll quickly find better uses for the money you were spending to store documents in house.

You can shred it and forget it. Still holding on to dusty file cabinets with paperwork that goes back to the Giuliani administration? A secure shredding solution can help you dispose of all those documents in no time, all in compliance with confidentiality and privacy rules.

Efficient offsite storage and secure shredding are always smart ideas-and they're essential for New York businesses. It's hard for your business to forge ahead when you're paying skyscraper rents to store documents you don't need onsite, if at all.

Subway delays? Pungent sidewalk odors? Crowds of tourists strolling through midtown at a leisurely pace? Those are problems you can't fix. But wasted space is a problem you can address.

LINK:	http://blogs.ironmountain.com/2014/service-lines/small-business/keepin...
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