How to Choose the Best Shredder For Your Business

How to Choose the Best Shredder For Your Business

Shredders are an absolute must in your efforts to protect business information and yourself from identity theft threats. Given the increasing number of security threats the world is witnessing these days, it makes sense to invest in not only cybersecurity but also ensuring your business' hard data does not fall into the wrong hands.

A shredder can make the tedious task of disposing off old documents that contain sensitive data in a hassle-free manner. The last thing that you want to add to your busy schedule is sorting and tearing pieces of paper into bits that can be easily taped together, if someone really wants to.

The market offers a number of shredder options, categorized by way of their performance, the cuts they make, how heavy-duty they are, among other factors. You can always buy a shredder based on recommendations, but it is good and advisable to know your machine well, before you invest in it. Here’s a list of factors that you need to check before you buy a shredder for your office:

Security - This is one of the most important reasons why a paper shredder is required. It provides a way for confidential waste disposal, whereby businesses and individuals don't need to worry about their documents being pulled out of the trash and their address and social security falling into the wrong hands.

Depending on the amount of security you require, choose a shredder which provides cuts of the following types:

Strip cut – Best used for non-critical documents that need to be disposed of in a hassle-free manner. These shredders work the fastest. However, the strips they cut are relatively easier to put back together, hence the recommendation of using them for non-critical documents.

Crosscut – A better option than the strip cut when considering confidential documents, as cross cut turns the document into small rectangular strips which are not only difficult to reassemble but also occupy less bin space, thus easy to handle and dispose of.

Micro-cut – This occupies the highest position in the secure shredder category given the small chips in which it cuts any paper document. Needless to say, it brings down the waste amount to a minimum, too. No thief would ever go into the trouble of sticking these together for any kind of bounty.

Performance The other factor that you need to look for in your shredder is how well does it perform. You can measure a shredder’s performance using the following parameters:

Runtime: Find out how long a shredder can run in one go before it needs to cool down for its next round. Using a shredder continuously, without allowing it to cool down can lead the shredder to break down and become dysfunctional.

Sheets per pass: Find out how many sheets can the shredder cut into at a time. This will also help you find out how soon you can be done with the entire process, especially if you have large bundles of paper to dispose of.

Shred speed: Find out the time required for the shredder to shred through a bundle. The time is measured in feet shredded per minute.

Shred option: Find out if the shredder gives you options to shred other materials, as well, other than paper, such as CDs, DVDs, stapler pins, credit cards, among others.

The best way to zero down on the right shredder is to find out your business requirements, how confidential those documents are, how well do you want them shredded and how quickly do you need the job done. Based on your answers, you can find the perfect shredder to add value to your office space and business.