Should Your Business Go Paperless?

Feb 4th, 2009

Thankfully, we are all getting increasingly conscious of the environment and everything we can do to be more earth-friendly. Almost everyone I know recycles in some capacity, myself included. Over time, it will hopefully make a big difference.

In addition to recycling, though, small businesses can do even more good for the environment by going completely paperless. Imagine all the trees, resources and waste that would be saved. Certainly, being paperless is more challenging for some businesses than it is for others, and there is a lot to consider. Let's take a look at the pros and cons, aside from the environmental benefits, of course.

Pros of Being a Paperless Business

Reduced Storage Space - Instead of using several large file cabinets to store thousands of pieces of paper, you may only need a few USB drives.
Data Searchability - Have you ever fumbled through file after file, trying to find one piece of information? Imagine being able to search all of your files in a matter of seconds.
Save Money - Not only is paper expensive, but so is ink. Plus, you only need one electronic copy of each file, regardless of the number of people who need to share it.
Flexibility - Having electronic files gives you the ability to merge, edit, and re-organize without spending the time recreating the document.

Cons of Being a Paperless Business

Risk of Data Loss - If you only keep copies of your electronic files on your computer, you run the risk of losing everything in the event of a system crash. Making the move to paperless means you must have a plan for off-site data backup.
Required Equipment/Software - In order to convert your paper into electronic files, you will need a scanner. Software like Adobe Acrobat is very useful as well.
Readability - It can be difficult to read and edit long documents on-screen.
Client/Vendor Acceptance - Some clients and vendors may not be willing to accept your paperless state, or they may have specific policies that make compliance difficult.

I'm not paperless yet, but I have drastically reduced the amount of paper I use in my business. For me, it's an ongoing process.

If you're paperless or have other pros and cons to add to my list, I'd love to hear from you!

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5 Comments

Jason Gregory

February 6, 2009 at 10:26 pm

Great post Alyssa. This is definitely a long term process. I remember when I started my career in banking 10 years ago and we talked about becoming paperless. We’ve eliminated some but by no means are we close to being paperless.

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Greta

February 24, 2009 at 5:36 pm

My former employer also talked about going paperless. I would say a con is also that not everyone can do it. For instance, the company where I worked was a publishing company where you had to print out copies for editing, etc. But they could always TRY, I guess.
I’m going to do my best to do it in my own business now though. Thanks for getting my mind on that!

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Haris Hassan

April 6, 2009 at 3:11 pm

There is another way to GO Paperless! with your marketing. I have been paperless for 5 years with the one gap being getting information from companies while I am mobile. I started a company to solve that issue for any business, small and large. http://www.gopaperless.info

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Sean

July 31, 2009 at 6:17 am

very interesting post! Does anyone know about going paperless for the payslips I give evry month to my employees ? Is there a legal requirement for this kind of document or it is just like any other kind of documents in the company ?
thanks

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Alyssa Gregory

August 1, 2009 at 10:55 am

Sean – I believe there are services you can use that allow you to make your payroll process paperless, depending on where you live. You might want to do a search!

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