How Your Small Business Can Eliminate Unnecessary Paper Waste

A joint study from McKinsey & Company and NeilsenIQ revealed that in 68% of the product categories they studied, established products making Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) related claims outperformed established products without them. Products and brands that made claims, such as “environmentally sustainable,” saw a higher growth rate and an advantage of consumer loyalty over those that did not make such claims.

It’s not enough for a small business to provide quality products and top-notch customer service to be competitive. They have to have these offerings and, at the same time, search for sustainable ways to operate their business. Learn how your small business can eliminate unnecessary paper waste to gain an edge over your competition.

Paperless Faxing and Emailing Methods

If you have to use the fax machine at the office or the nearest package delivery store, you know that this can require multiple pages of paper. Consider the possibility of faxing without having to use paper. 

Online faxing allows you to fax through email, mobile apps, or websites. And when you send or receive faxes, you can store them in or retrieve them from cloud-based storage, so there’s no need to print them on paper. So before you ask, “Where is there a fax near me?” know that you have paperless alternatives near you to send faxes conveniently, reliably, and securely. 

Eliminating Paper With Cloud Storage Applications

Cloud storage apps, such as Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, and iCloud, allow you to share large files with others, making collaboration more efficient. Team members can access documents and make changes when necessary. If they make any changes, they will be synced across all devices linked to the cloud storage account so everyone is updated with the latest versions in real time. Document sharing and collaboration happen without having to use one piece of paper.

Document Management Systems Make Paper Unnecessary

A document management system is not to be confused with cloud-based storage. This type of system is capable of doing more than just storing documents. In addition to storage, the management system provides functions to capture and distribute documents. For example, during a workflow process, a document can be automatically sent by the management system to the correct employee at the right step of the process so they can collaborate on, edit, and sign off when their part of the process is complete. The automated management system collects the document and sends it to another employee involved in the following workflow process, making the workflow more efficient and generating less paper.

Video Conference Meetings Make the Difference Between Paper and Paperless 

Meeting agendas and presentation materials on paper are a part of in-person meetings. But what if you could eliminate the waste of paper they generate by having meetings through video conferencing? You can share these documents digitally so participants can access, store, and refer to them at their convenience. 

Increase Product Growth and Improve Consumer Loyalty by Going Paperless

When you eliminate unnecessary paper waste from your business, you can make an ESG-related claim that will be a key factor in product growth, increased sales, and a more loyal consumer base. Investing in ESG-related actions and technology that eliminates unnecessary paper waste will give you an edge over businesses in your industry that make no such efforts. And if you combine your paperless initiative with other environmentally and socially responsible claims, your product, brand, and business will continue to grow exponentially.