The average office worker uses around 10,000 sheets of paper per year. From print mistakes to billing, presentations, and junk mail, paper products make up an estimated 70% of total office waste. But it’s not just the environment that suffers from using so much paper – your business does too. It’s estimated that 3% of a company’s revenue is spent on paper printing, filing, storage, and maintenance. That’s without considering the associated cost of time spent searching for a specific document or finding a misplaced one. In short, going paperless is not only environmentally friendly but also highly beneficial for your company’s finances. However, creating a paperless office is no easy feat, especially if your company has been using paper for a long time. You need to get adequate software, implement the correct policies, and train your staff to guarantee a smooth paperless transformation.
As paperless offices are becoming increasingly popular, various solutions have appeared to help companies overcome the challenges of this massive transformation. However, going through all the options can be time-consuming, so we’ve compiled a list of the most important ones.
In a world where digital communication reigns supreme, it’s easy to overlook the importance of faxing. However, eFax is here to shatter those perceptions and revolutionize the way faxing is seen.
Having been around since 1995, eFax is one of the industry’s most renowned faxing services. With its modern approach to faxing, the company has created a basic yet effective way to send and receive faxes.
Furthermore, eFax’s mobile apps and advanced tools make this mode of communication utterly versatile and convenient.
With prices starting from $15.83 per month, the provider offers lifetime cloud storage and e-signature software, among many other tools. The cherry on top is that the first month can cost as low as $5, allowing users to test the platform for themselves before fully committing to a plan.
With over 20 years of experience, RingCentral is known for being ahead of the curve, providing a wide range of products, including online faxing and web conferencing software. RingCentral RingEX offers unlimited domestic calling and text messages, advanced call handling and phone management features, plus desktop and mobile apps to combine everything into one polished VoIP platform. Even better, it comes with a personal AI assistant that is a game-changer for anyone needing to take calls or follow up on clients.
It’s possible to see everything for yourself with the interactive demos, but testing its features is also possible via the 14-day free trial and 30-day money-back guarantee available. To know more about what RingCentral has to offer, we recommend calling the company at +1 (888) 295-1724 for a custom quote.
In this era of ever-evolving cyberthreats, a reliable password manager is not just a convenience but a necessity. Developed by the Canadian company AgileBits in 2006, 1Password has grown from its initial release as a simple password manager for Mac into a polished and highly comprehensive service that’s available on the most popular platforms and browsers.
Offering data breach warnings alongside secure sharing and seamless synchronization across devices, 1Password consolidates its reputable position in the password manager industry.
Even though the software doesn’t have a free version, prices are cost-effective and start at just $2.99 per month. Plus, users can take advantage of s 14-day free trial and see for themselves what the software offers before committing financially.
W2s, 1099 forms, 940 forms… so many fun things to think about when you own a company! If you run a business that operates with employees, then you and them probably have very different ideas of what payday means. For them, payday may be one of the best days of the month, while for you, the reality of it may be more of a tedious, stressful, and even chaotic frenzy. Given that we live in a time of convenience and instant solutions, when it comes to payroll woes, the situation is no different – luckily this administrative pain can be alleviated with the aid of a payroll software like Gusto that specializes in helping small to medium-sized businesses in the U.S. Beyond being a payroll solution, Gusto assists with other HR areas like health insurance and retirement management, as well as offering integrations with third-party tools.
Online accounting isn’t easy, and sometimes it can be overwhelming. With so many menus full of complicated features, it can be challenging for beginners. That’s something that 1-800Accountant avoids by offering a simple yet functional tool that helps small businesses tackle online accounting head-on. Based in New York and established in 1999, 1-800Accountant offers a user-friendly dashboard that is stripped down to the basics, making accounting painless. You can also use the software to do your personal taxes, and the company even guarantees that you’ll get every dollar you’re entitled to. If that wasn’t enough, 1-800Accountant also offers a human touch by providing you with dedicated experts that not only help you along the way but who actually feel like they’re part of your team. With prices starting at $125 a month, this online accounting firm has many features for accounting and business registration services. To top it all off, you can also get up to a 90% refund of the service within 30 days of signing up if you decide that it isn’t for you.
Any business owner that scans documents frequently knows how time-consuming it can be. But with the right scanner, the entire process can take just a few seconds. That’s exactly the kind of speed that Raven provides. Since 2017, the Texas-based company has been developing top-of-the-range scanners that have put it on par with more established names in the industry like Canon and Fujitsu. With Raven, you don’t even need a computer to start scanning – all you need is access to the internet. Raven also boasts unlimited storage for documents and the ability to edit, add digital signatures, and share your scanned files. Depending on your budget and scanning needs, there are three different models to choose from, each offering great scanning capabilities at a competitive price.
To sign or not to sign? That’s the question that runs through everyone’s mind when presented with a contract. This is usually because there’s not enough time to read it through.
Moreover, traditional wet signatures can be easily forged. Thankfully, this is impossible with electronic signature software like signNow, as all of the software’s customizable signatures are legally binding, where a number of compliances protect documents from signature forgeries.
Furthermore, the company provides robust malware security for any uploaded document and lets users define the authentication methods for signers. The multiple integrations signNow supports elevate the experience to the next level.
All this is offered for reasonable prices, starting at $8 a month per user, and subscriptions always kick off with a 7-day free trial.
All changes come with their challenges, and going paperless is no different. Like any business transformation, one of the tasks you need to tackle right away is employee inertia. When people are used to doing something a certain way, they often have difficulties embracing new processes. Ensuring that everyone is on board, training your staff, and showing them the benefits of a paperless office are key for a successful paperless transformation. After all, your company only goes as far as your employees are willing to take it.
Another obvious challenge is getting the correct hardware and software, which can take some time to find. Moreover, the upfront investment can be a deal-breaker for companies who already have a paper-based setup. Consequently, we recommend doing the necessary calculations to confirm that the ROI of going paperless more than makes up for its initial cost.
Depending on your business, you may be bound by law to have a hard copy of documents or save originals with a ‘wet’ ink signature. If this is the case, do your research to check if your industry has started accepting digital signatures. Even if you aren’t able to go completely paperless, it’s still beneficial if you only digitalize 50% of the company’s paper use.
Running a paperless office system comes with many benefits that easily overshadow its challenges. Of course, there’s the decrease in spending on paper, ink, toner, and printer maintenance. But there are also hidden savings in opting for a paperless office solution, such as the cost associated with the time employees take to find a certain document in a filing cabinet versus simply using a software’s search bar.
Despite the common belief, having all your documents in the cloud can be more secure than having papers stored in a filing cabinet. Of course, this is only true if you get a platform that offers data encryption. Additionally, the software protects your business against human error. Not only is it easier to lose or misplace a physical document, but it’s also a piece of cake to retrieve deleted files with an online file storage platform, as the software regularly backs up all data. Finally, the environment will highly appreciate your efforts to go paperless, as you’ll substantially decrease your company’s carbon emissions.
There are a few more ways for you to create a paperless working environment. For instance, remote companies are known for having everything online and are an excellent example of how to run a paperless office. Meanwhile, automating your finance processes and having all information in the cloud creates an easier way to create and read complex reports, as well as doing routine activities, such as payroll.
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