Is Going Paperless a Daunting Task for Your Small Business? Start with Now.

For those of us who didn’t start our businesses or careers in the height of the technology age, we started with file cabinets full of documents, personnel and accounting files, and stacks of printed paper.

For so many reasons, it truly is time to go paperless – or at least paper limited. But it’s a daunting task to think about how to go about it. Where can you begin?

Let’s look at the reasons to go paperless or paper limited: 

1.    It helps the environment – No soapboxes here, but according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency we use about 71 million tons of paper and paperboard every year in the U.S. alone. That still includes 33% from whole trees and other plants. What you do have to print, please recycle or reuse.

2.    It lowers costs – Less paper and ink mean lower office supply costs. Less paper also means less physical storage space needed, and no more fire proof file cabinets that cost you thousands of dollars each!

3.    It is more efficient – Less paper also means less clutter around your office. You can easily set up an online filing system that is just as efficient, if not more so, than your paper filing system. It also takes far less time to save an electronic copy than to get up and walk to the file cabinet or file room to file a paper copy every time you have to file something.

4.    It is safer – Electronic storage, with proper backup systems in place, protects your documents from catastrophic loss in the event of a fire, flood, burglary, or other calamity. The necessity for proper and redundant backup systems cannot be overstressed here, because calamities can happen in cyberspace as well. But if you invest a little in redundant backup systems on site and off site you will be well protected from any event.

Great, so you know it’s the right thing to do, but it’s overwhelming to think about going paperless or paper limited. Where in the world do you start?  

Start with now!

1.    Decide you want to have less paper in your life. Make the decision. Right now.

2.    Be legal - Check with your lawyers and accountants to determine what documents you have to retain in paper form to be compliant with legal regulations and requirements for your company and industry.

3.    Buy a great desktop scanner – I unfortunately haven’t found a scanner Made in America yet (if you know of one, please tweet us @profedge or leave a comment below!). I have a ScanSnap sitting within arm’s reach of my desk and it is fabulous. It scans multiple sizes at once and even scans front and back. You can save it or email it.

4.    Have a recycle bin in your office – If you have paper you can’t reuse, please recycle.

5.    Buy a great paper shredder – It’s important to shred anything with personal or confidential information on it. If you shred and your recycling system allows, please recycle.

6.    Set up your electronic filing system – If you are a one person office, this is likely already in place. If you work with a team and share files, be sure everyone is using the same system. Set file naming conventions that will make it easier to find files once you’ve stored them.

7.    Set up your backup systems – Be sure you have multiple systems, both on site and off site to assure redundancy in any situation.

8.    Start with now – Take a look around your office. What do you see that you can scan and save electronically right now? Scan it and save it, then shred it or recycle it.

9.    Think about where your paper comes from and eliminate as much as possible – Can you send and receive invoices electronically? Can you accept digital signatures and electronic copies for contracts and agreements? Can you use internal emails instead of printed memos? Does it make sense to provide your team with tablets so they can take notes electronically? Think about how many processes you can put in place to limit or omit the use of paper. Start now putting those new processes in place.

See there, you’ve started. Now that you have new processes in place, your office will be less cluttered, your processes will be more efficient, and you will be successfully dealing with all future paper. If you have file cabinets full of paper, tackle them one file at a time. Over time you will get there and you will be saving money, be more efficient, and save some trees in the process.

Have you gone paperless or paper limited? What processes have you implemented to get there?

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Kerry Brooks is Co-owner of ProfessionalEdge Associates, offering a wide range of marketing and support services to businesses that want to increase their success, but aren't in a position to add to their staff.