How much does going paperless cost? To help you decide if going paperless is suitable for you, this post will outline the costs involved with building a digital filing cabinet.
Going paperless can have both upfront and ongoing costs, depending on the extent to which you want to eliminate paper-based processes.
Here are some factors that can affect the cost of going paperless:
- Technology: You may need to invest in hardware such as scanners, printers, and computers, as well as software that can manage and store electronic documents.
- Training: Employees may need to be trained on how to use new software and hardware, and to change their workflows to accommodate electronic documents.
- Migration: Depending on how much paper-based data you have, you may need to invest in time and resources to digitize existing documents and transfer them to digital storage.
- Security: Electronic documents can be vulnerable to cyberattacks, so you may need to invest in security measures such as firewalls, antivirus software, and data encryption.
- Maintenance: Ongoing costs may include maintenance and updates to software and hardware, as well as ongoing training and support for employees.
Overall, the cost of going paperless will depend on the size of your business, the extent of your paper-based processes, and the level of technology and security required. While there may be some upfront costs associated with going paperless, it can ultimately save your business money by reducing printing and storage costs, improving efficiency, and reducing the risk of lost or misplaced documents.
There are a number of options available that will help you to go paperless. I have broken it down into 2 categories, one-time fees and recurring fees. Keep reading to find out more.
One-Time Fees For Going Paperless
Here are some examples of the options for Going paperless with one-time fees.
Desktop
Laptop
Smartphone
Thumb Drive
External Hard Drive
Firebox
There will always be a few original copies of documents we need to save, regardless of how rigorous we are when purging our paper clutter. They include items like…
There are documents that shouldn’t or can’t go paperless such as your passport, deed, etc. Anything that had been embossed. These phsyical documents should be securely stored in a fireproof box.
Paper Shredder
We get rid of a lot of physical documents when we go paperless. This is great since it helps clear away clutter and makes more room in our house!
Once you have captured, saved and filed your documents you will need to dispose or purge your documents securely. Sure you can burn them in your fireplace but some of us don’t have a fireplace and thats where a paper shredder comes in.
Here are my top picks:
Desktop Scanner
A scanner is vital for going paperless. Whether you choose the mobile app option or the desktop option you most definely will need a scanner. Below are my recommendation for desktop scanners.
Recurring Fees For Going Paperless
I listed below a few examples of the recurring fees that you will come across while going paperless.