A paperless office has a lot of advantages. Yes, it isn’t as easy or as simple to write down a message and pass it on, but think bigger. For starters, you don’t have to worry about the clutter and the mess that random pieces of paper make around the office. They seem irrelevant, but clients come into the office and judge your business off cleanliness. And there is the fact that you are doing your bit for the environment. For every email you send you are saving a tree from death. But, the biggest reason of all is the money. It is incredible how much you can save from turning paperless. If these reasons are enough to peak your interest, here is how to do it.
Internal Documents
Stop printing documents to share files. There are far easier ways to have a back and forth conservation with colleagues and employees than a printout. You could just send an email for starters. Or, if you want something more advanced try working on Google Docs. With Docs, you can share your files with any person you want so you can work simultaneously on any document for a spreadsheet. It continually saves your work, so you never lose it, plus you can chat and comment so you can make amendments as quickly as possible.
There are plenty of options; Google Docs is just one example.
Storage and File Sharing
Ever heard of the cloud? It is an ephemeral piece of technology where you can store all your documents. It sounds crazy, but it is a real thing. So, instead of printing all your files and storing them manually, you can store them in the cloud and back them up on a USB. Any process that you did manually before, you can now do on the computer. For example, you can do your accountancy online or pay your bills online, so you don’t have masses of paper in front of you.
Scanning & Faxing
Turning your company into a completely paperless office is not always going to work. At times, you will need a printout or a copy of a document, but it is about reducing your paper usage that is the most important thing. So, sign up to digital solutions such as TurboScan and eFax for better paper efficiency. TurboScan lets you use your camera as a scanner and converts pictures into PDFs for emailing purposes. On the other hand, eFax puts faxes into your account as paper emails for a small fee.
Meetings
Obviously meetings need a printout or two, don’t they? Not necessarily when you download the TeamViewer app. The app allows you to control any computer or mobile device in the office remotely. So, with TeamViewer you can share files and videos or screen share during presentations. Instead of a printout, hack your colleagues’ computers and show the exactly what you are thinking.
Finally, recycle any paper that you do find around the office. With a mixture of recycling and technology, you could save your company time, money and storage.
