| If you want to be a best friend of the earth and | | | | on a project, it's easier to share documents and |
| you are a business owner, then all you need it so | | | | check out their progress because files can be shared |
| achieve a paperless office. Going paperless goes | | | | though networked computer. We save a lot on |
| beyond caring for the earth and the trees within, you | | | | paper because we don't have to print these |
| are also saving a lot on your cost. | | | | documents. Now, everything is "approved" before it |
| I am a business owner myself and I've always | | | | gets printed. |
| wanted to run a paperless office. I know that the | | | | 4. Use instant messaging service. This is another |
| entire process does not come in an instant as there | | | | addition that we did in the office. I had every |
| are a lot of things that need to be considered, other | | | | computer installed with a messaging software that, |
| than the cost that you will incur in renovating your | | | | again, is networked. Whenever I need to share office |
| office to make it more earth friendly. The change | | | | memos or correspondences, I don't need to have |
| was gradual and this was the checklist that I tried to | | | | them printed since I just post it to my employee's |
| follow: | | | | messaging board. If I need to send someone a |
| 1. Use productivity software. There are a lot of | | | | message, I just don't need to use post-it notes, I |
| productivity software available online for free. I | | | | just send them a message. |
| searched online for this software and had them | | | | 5. Remind everyone to bring their own mugs. Since |
| downloaded. Now, I don't need paper calendars to | | | | we went paperless, we custom-fitted our coffee |
| schedule my tasks, deadlines and meetings. I had all | | | | dispensing machine to use our own mugs instead of |
| them stored in my computer and it's very easy to | | | | paper cups. This saves a lot of trash from coffee |
| share them with my team because I can do so | | | | cups that were being dispensed. |
| through shared calendars. | | | | 6. No Styro Policy. We will try to enforce a "no |
| 2. Use online fax. I made the switch since after | | | | styro" policy in the office (this is still part of the plan |
| thorough research, I came to realize that online fax | | | | since it needs to be implemented yet) and encourage |
| does not only save a lot on paper, it also saves me a | | | | everyone to follow through. Instead of calling the |
| lot on my office expenses. I don't have to buy fax | | | | nearest Chinese restaurant (which is a favourite |
| papers, inks and toners nor do I have to pay for | | | | among my employees), I will encourage them to eat |
| additional telephone lines. | | | | in the cafeteria instead. |
| 3. Network all computers. This was pretty | | | | It's work in progress and we aim to adding more |
| complicated so I asked an networking expert to do it | | | | things in our checklist. Any suggestions? |
| for us. Now, whenever my team and I are working | | | | |