How to Become a Paperless Office

Businesses incur considerable paper costs every year, which is why Axis for business is taking the time this week to let you know how to become a paperless office.

How much does Paper Cost a Small Business

As a low cost utilities supplier who prides ourselves on the quality of our customer service, Axis for Business always strives to find new ways to help small businesses across the UK save money. That is why this week, we want to bring to your attention the cost a small business incurs through sustained use of paper in the office.

You may not think that paper can drive down your profit margins, but it really can. Did you know that the average office worker uses 10,000 sheets of paper per annum? This  means that the cost of using the paper – which often includes not only buying it, but storing it, printing it, copying it etc. - can run between 13 and 31 times that of actually buying it.

A study has been conducted on this in the US. The study found that paper actually costs a small business up to 31 times the amount it takes to buy it; say you paid $5 dollars, you could end up paying up to $155. Translation; roughly speaking, in the UK it would mean that if you pay £3 for paper, it could actually cost you up to £92.

Axis for Business’ Top Five Tips for a (Somewhat) Paperless Office

That’s why it pays to become paperless. In many cases, it is impossible for a small business to actually become completely paperless. However, you can limit the amount you use with the following five tips from Axis for Business:

1)      Do Everything You Can Online: On average, you’ll pay for less for the internet you’re using anyway, than for extra paper. That’s why if you have the opportunity do something online, you should take it.

2)      Edit Documents On Screen: There’s no point printing edit after edit of a document out, when you can simply edit it on a computer for free. It’s also far easier to actually edit something when you don’t have to keep printing it out.

3)      Try File Sharing: With cloud technologies such as Dropbox at your disposal, you don’t need to devote reams of paper for file sharing. For a minimal investment, you can get an office Dropbox account and share whatever files you need with lightening-speed access without using a single sheet of paper.

4)      Make Use of Scanning: Copying is one of the most expensive paper costs for small business. However, if you scan a document and share it via computer instead, you’ll massively reducing your copying bill.

5)      Promote Paperless Initiatives: One of the best ways to create a paperless environment is to encourage your employees to reduce their use of paper. Try offering incentives and watch, as they take pains to make sure they use as little paper as humanly possible.

These days, there is no excuse to pulp the entire contents of the amazon and drive up your office paper bill. Yes, you probably won’t be able to become completely paperless. Yet with these tips from Axis for Business, you can reduce your paper use enough to radically alter your company’s bottom line.