Now is the Time to Go Paperless

Habits and routines are hard to break, but there is one routine you have most likely been doing for years that is worth letting go of.  And that of course is paper.  That’s right, you’ve got to free yourself from printing everything out, filling up those file cabinets with every document, transcribing every communication and so on.  For as much comfort you think it is providing you, the reality is other than being costly (printer, paper, ink, etc.) and hurtful to the environment, continuing to use paper really holds back your productivity and can be a major time waste.

Just think of all the time you have wasted rummaging through a stack of paperwork, plowing through folder after folder or reading through page after page of documents trying to find something.

So while you have convinced yourself that the way you have been operating is optimal, it really isn’t.  By going paperless all of your files, communications, etc. would be digitized which means they are indexed and searchable.  If you want to pull a client’s account or search for anything you can do so in seconds.

And the reality is, if you know the right tools to use, going paperless is not as scary as you think it will be  and once you do it, you will see it is even more liberating that you could ever imagine.   So make this the year you finally cut the cord, lay those old habits to pasture and go paperless.

So here are some tools you need to look into to truly go paperless:

• Google Apps for Business (google.com/apps/business) – a full suite of web based software including vanity e-mail (yourname@yourwebsite.com), calendar, contacts, docs (office), drive (file storage/sharing similar to Dropbox), hangouts (phone & communication similar to Skype), Keep (similar to Evernote) & much more
• Evernote – An amazing cloud based system for personal organization of files, folders, notes, and much more that integrates with hundreds of other popular online tools and apps.
• VOIP or PBX & E-Faxing – an often overlooked piece, but by making your phone systems internet based it consolidates all of your voicemails and faxes to your e-mail, thus making your mobile office a reality
• Cloud Based Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Solution – To truly manage your business you need to be able to stay on top of, access, update and service your client base from anywhere.
• Forms & Document Management – the ability to digitally edit and create forms related to your transactions and have everyone involved digitally sign and have those documents stored online in the cloud is essential to going paperless
• Mobile Devices & Apps – there are many amazing apps that can help you in all aspects of your life and business and aid in the effort of going paperless

To get a breakdown of many of these and many other tools that will help you go paperless, be sure to watch a replay of Craig’s presentation from the recent NYSAR convention