Going paper free has a range of benefits. First and foremost, it helps you minimise your environmental impact. In doing so, it could also make your brand more appealing to eco-conscious consumers. Ditching the paper could even save you money – and tidy up the place!
Best of all, it doesn’t have to be a huge disruption to your business. In this post, we’ll look at four simple steps that could reduce the amount of paper you use.
Email seems like something most businesses are proficient in – and have been for some time. But how many times do you print out project briefs in paper-form to pass around the office? Many companies would do this without thinking, and the paper soon stacks up.
With this step, it’s simply a matter of making it instinctive. Whenever employees come to press the print button, they should think ‘could this be sent digitally’.
The same goes for marketing. Many businesses are still stuck in the rut of sending out countless newsletters, leaflets and catalogues to consumers. In most cases, they go straight into the bin – and not always the right one!
In truth, digital technology has brought with it several more effective forms of marketing, such as pay-per-click advertising, email marketing or just connecting with customers on social media. They don’t use paper and they could provide a much better return on investment for your company.
From fashion retailers to service providers, companies of all shapes and sizes need to send receipts and invoices. Traditionally, this has meant a paper statement with the customer’s order, or a separate invoice sent by post.
Is it necessary? In short, no. Of course, you should still send receipts and invoices to your customers. But wherever possible, they should be sent by email. Check which customers are happy to receive a paper-free invoice and you’ll soon see a big reduction in paper use.
Invoices, client data, product information – it all needs to be stored somewhere. Again, many companies are in the routine of printing off document after document and storing them in a dusty filing cabinet.
This has three key problems:
Fortunately, there is a better way. Digital asset management (DAM) systems allow you to store all your files in one place. That doesn’t simply mean storing files on a computer. With DAM, multiple employees can access files, as long as they have been granted access.
Because it’s stored in the cloud, there’s no chance of losing files. Best of all, it couldn’t be easier to retrieve a client’s information, orders or invoices. Files can be assigned specific metadata, so you can narrow your search in an instant when retrieving them.
Want to take the first steps towards a paper-free business? iBase offers a free, express service for our DAM system. Take our DAM for a test-drive with one uploader account, 1GB storage and unlimited view-only access for employees.
Should you sign up, our full package contains 100GB storage, unlimited accounts and a long list of innovative features. Want to find out more? Email sales@ibase.com.
We offer a bespoke service to help you import your digital assets and metadata into an iBase DAM system, using a strong, reliable taxonomy. Want to find out more? Arrange a free one-to-one demo with our team today.
