We’ve written about the benefits of going to a paperless filing system before, and while there’s still no such thing as a 100% paperless life, reducing the volume of paper coming into your life is definitely a good thing. We continue to see the pain that comes with having too much paper clutter, and now is as good at a time as any (New year! New resources!) to take the leap and make the push for a paperless office.

Making the choice to convert your home office paper to digital docs may feel daunting at first, but it’s totally attainable with these steps:

1. Switch to digital delivery when possible. This is your primary opportunity to reduce the amount of important paper coming in. Most financial institutions and service providers are now happy to provide you with a digital statement, and most magazine publishers also have electronic versions that you can receive on your tablet or e-reader.
2. Create a system. Decide which paper you want to convert to paperless (try starting with incoming paper first), how you want to process it, and how much time you can budget into your day to support the effort.
3. Get a good scanner. Make sure the scanner has automatic document feed capability – trying to go paperless with a flatbed scanner will create more problems than it will solve. We still LOVE the Fujitsu ScanSnap.
4. Process paper immediately.  Decide to scan it, shred it, or recycle it immediately. Don’t let it pile up or it will become a tedious chore that you won’t want to tackle.
5. Don’t forget to back up your files. Understand what documents you need to retain and make sure that you have a system for backing up those digital files. There are many cloud-based options now, including one of our favorites, Evernote.

Are you trying to make the move to a paperless office? With a little planning, you can avoid the classic pitfall of swapping your paper clutter for digital clutter. Call us – we’d love to help you make the switch!