One new year resolution small businesses should strive towards is going paperless. According to revenue-based financing firm Everest Business Funding, a paperless office can produce many cost-saving benefits in addition to contributing to an environmentally aware mindset in the workplace. If the mountain of paper seems too steep to conquer for a small business, Everest Business Funding offers these helpful tips on how to make a smooth transition to a paperless business:
Tip #1. Get organized
One of the biggest benefits of going paperless is a more efficient organization, solving the problem of time-consuming clutter. However, to make the transition with modernized organization tools, it is wise for business owners to get organized before the transition. That means going through any piles of paper and getting any paper process in order. During this time of organization, before the transition, business owners can also take the time to collect and sort useful data to begin the process of measuring business progression digitally.
Tip #2. Train ahead of integration
Once a business decides which technologies to use for the transition that best fits their paper process, executives should note that the whole company, including employees, is going to experience a learning curve. To best prepare for a learning curve, start to train employees with clarity ahead of time. The time between a decision and the first day of modern integration allows employees to digest the change, adapt to simple instructions, and better understand how a paper process they are used to executing will transfer over digitally.
Tip #3. Create a schedule for digitalizing old documents
The paperless process can help automate manual tasks, save time, and collect more accurate business data. Part of organizing paper processes before starting to integrate information into new digital systems is to generate a baseline of where the business currently is so a new paperless process can keep the business going without skipping a beat. Another part of pre-organizing is to arrange all old documentation to digitalize.
Digitalizing old documents is typically done by scanning paper documents to create digital files to be stored away in a paperless filing system. Once an old document is safely stored in a new paperless system, the old document can be shredded and trashed.
For businesses that have mounds of paper, the advantage of space makes the transition well worth it. Scanning many paper documents takes time, so a small business owner should schedule chunks of time to dedicate to scanning old documents. Once paperless systems are up and running, the process of making space by scanning old documents is not as urgent as collecting the necessary information from those documents to implement into paperless systems and getting that system up and running, but it still needs to be done.
Tip #4. Create more office space
Going paperless is one of the best ways a business can create space in the workplace. On top of eliminating piles of paper documents, an organization can get rid of unnecessary equipment that aids in paper processes, such as filing cabinets, fax machines, copiers, shelves, and more. Knowing this, business owners can start selling equipment they know they will no longer need so that opening up space becomes a smoother move.
About Everest Business Funding
Everest Business Funding provides alternative finance options and revenue-based funding to small business owners. They serve a diverse pool of businesses, from healthcare to retail, to help them obtain working capital to grow, buy inventory, launch marketing campaigns, or hire staff. Everest Business Funding’s clients are treated with respect and receive high-quality guidance and service from its professionals.
