Taking Your Business Paperless

Many innovations are available in business today. One popular topic is going paperless. Not only does this benefit the environment, but it can also benefit your business. Going paperless is definitely a change, but the process is fairly straightforward and can be started easily.

Benefits of Going Paperless

Whether it's concerns for cost or Mother Earth, there are many reasons to make this switch.

• Saving money. Purchasing bulk amounts of paper and ink to print every bit of information associated with your business is costly. By going paperless, your need for these supplies becomes practically nil, representing savings for your bottom line.

• Security. With a paper-based business, you need a way to store all the things that are printed. Some information is proprietary or otherwise protected, and it needs to be secured. When you're done with it, it needs to be destroyed, not simply trashed. If these steps are not taken, important and secure information may be leaked or stolen. By going paperless, it's much easier to secure the information you need to store.

• Being environmentally friendly. In the US, we have 5% of the world's population but account for 30% of the world's paper use. Going paperless saves water, trees, and the environment. When you absolutely have to use paper, participating in a recycling program is helpful.

• So much more. There are so many benefits of going paperless that it's hard to list them all. It is easier to stay organized, the office environment is cleaner and less stressful, you can get rid of equipment such as copiers and printers, and collaboration among employees becomes simpler. It's easy to see this is a great choice.

How To Start the Process

There are a few steps you'll need to take in order to begin your paperless journey in business. First, you'll need to come up with a system for managing your documents. Depending on the number of documents you have, a simple cloud storage system may work. Otherwise, many companies specialize in setting up a document management system customized for your needs.

Once you know the system you'll be using, you can begin transferring your current documents to electronic versions. A simple way is to scan them in. You may already have electronic copies of some documents. One good idea is to use a PDF file merger to combine multiple-page documents into one file to make searching for what you need simpler. Just drag and drop the pages into the correct order, and you'll have everything you need.

Once you've got things up and running, make sure you set the example for your employees by sticking to paperless whenever possible. Also, make sure your employees understand how important it is to stay paperless and embrace the process. The transition is sometimes a bit difficult, but it reaps many benefits. 

Paperless Business Is the Way of the Future

Feel secure that your choice is the best way to save the environment and money. More and more businesses are going paperless every day, and there are more resources to help you in this endeavor than ever before.

If you need help or support, try contacting your local chamber of commerce.