Going Paperless: Online resources
You don’t have to struggle with so many papers. In a recent survey by Neat, 57% of workers reported frustration with paper and believed there are better paper management tools. There are many online resources that help you start going paperless. Computer and smartphone apps make it easy to share documents, work from a common agenda, collect personal documents and keep receipts for taxes. Check out these 8 resources for going paperless.
Automating your paper management can resolve your paper challenges. File this Fetch automatically collects, files, tags, and organizes your online documents, bills, and statements in an easy to use digital filing cabinet. Each month it “fetches” your documents and loads onto your computer.
Remove paper clutter by scanning your receipts with the Shoeboxed Receipt and Mileage Tracker. Simply snap a photo of each receipt with your phone’s camera and it will be digitized and uploaded to your Shoeboxed account. Let go of receipts once these are digitized.
Genius Scan is a camera-based document scanner for the iPhone. It enables you to quickly scan documents on the go and email the scans as JPEG or PDF with multiple pages. Easy way to share documents with your colleagues, team members or other parents.
Scan a picture with your smartphone camera. Export your documents to Dropbox, Evernote, Box.net, SkyDrive, WebDAV, and Google Docs to save them.
Dropbox is a free service that lets you bring your photos, docs, and videos anywhere and share them easily. Upload this tool to your computer and use it to save photos, files and folders. Share information with colleagues, friends, and family by sending a link. Share documents between your laptop and your desktop too.
failure or if you have forgotten an important presentation file because you couldn’t find your thumb drive, you know the importance of backups. Dropbox provides file-backup services for your desktop to deal with these scenarios by automatically backing up your files. It also grants online access to your files when you are away from your desktop.Read more : http://www.ehow.com/how_8261020_upload-dropbox.html failure or if you have forgotten an important presentation file because you couldn’t find your thumb drive, you know the importance of backups. Dropbox provides file-backup services for your desktop to deal with these scenarios by automatically backing up your files. It also grants online access to your files when you are away from your desktop.Read more : http://www.ehow.com/how_8261020_upload-dropbox.html
Create digital notebooks on your smartphone and computer. Write notes to yourself, collect information from scraps of paper, or send notes to your clients. Whatever paper you want to eliminate and whatever information you want to keep, Evernote can keep it for your digitally.
Share files and information with your team. With Google Docs, a free service run through Gmail, you can work simultaneously with colleagues on a document or spreadsheet. Create and share your work online and access your documents from anywhere. Manage documents, spreadsheets, presentations, surveys, and more all in one easy to use spot. Google docs is great for virtual meetings and agendas too.
NeatConnect scans paper into digital files and sends them straight to the cloud – without a computer. At home or at the office, NeatConnect uses the Neat Desk to scan receipts, tax documents, and other important papers. Access these documents from wherever.
Choose one of these resources to help you get started going paperless! Not sure what to scan? Check out this resource.
More ideas on paper management on my pinterest page Paper, Paper Everywhere.
I use Dropbox, Evernote, and Google docs, but mainly for storing files that are already digital. Although I’m generating, receiving, and saving much less paper these days, I haven’t really taken any steps towards converting my paper to digital files.
Hi Ellen, similar to Janet, I haven’t taken any significant steps towards going paperless by converting paper files. Instead I am making a conscious effort to focus on fewer activities, and having less stuff in my life, which is pleasantly resulting in significantly less paper in my life. I do use Dropbox and Googledocs on a regular basis as a means of coordinating with others on projects. Because who ever I’m working with on the project needs to be able to see it and use it too, it does result in me working online and not printing off any of those documents – which results in less paper! In addition, I use my neat scanner to maintain virtual copies of items that in the past I would have taken physical copies of before and placed in a file, such as copies of rebate submissions, or claim submissions. Every little reduction helps when dealing with paper.
Oh boy! What a fun post! I am fairly close to storing most of my paper in the cloud. I still keep some paper for record keeping but I have been keeping less and less each year.
I have used all of these except Genius Scan (which I hear is fabulous) and DocScan. I work cross platform (Sony Vaio PC, Android Galaxy S3, iPad & iPad Mini). I use CamScanner http://bit.ly/appcamscanner on my Android phone and my iPads. It syncs the scanned documents between the two devices and I can view the documents on their website. I can upload the scans to email, Evernote or Dropbox directly from the app. I can usually eliminate the need for a fax line or a fax machine. I can “fax” the scanned pdf to a fax number using a service like HelloFax. Which keeps a log of the faxes.
I have been using Dropbox for more than 4 years. I love and live by Dropbox. I use it to store all of my files and pictures. I do not use it to store video. I upload my video to YouTube so I can download them back should my computer blow-up. I access all of my stored Dropbox info on all of my devices and on my PC. I have a copy of Dropbox on my computer which syncs to the cloud version.
I use Google Drive when I am creating documents/spreadsheets/presentations which I want to share or collaborate with others. It automatically saves and shares changes with all the folks who have been invited to collaborate on a file. It allows you to see the revision history and rollback to a previous version. I have Google Drive downloaded on to my PC so I have a copy of all of the cloud files on my computer but it also syncs across all of my devices instantly.
I have been using File This with clients for years but just started using it myself recently. Not every company links to FileThis. However, I like to receive the paper copy of my bills (I know, not green) especially the ones I don’t have on auto-pay rather I schedule to pay through my bank’s website. FileThis downloads a copy of my phone/internet/cable, mobile phone and power bills directly to a folder I have selected on Dropbox. When I pay and reconcile the bill, I shred the paper bill. I move the PDF download from the FileThis folder on Dropbox to the appropriate folder for taxes or budgeting. My gas company and water & sewer is not available on FileThis so I either scan the bills with my NeatConnect or ScanSnap scanner or I go to the utilities website, login and download the PDF. While I store the FileThis downloads on Dropbox making accessible on all of my devices, I could access them by logging into the FileThis website.
Shoeboxed in addition to the services you mentioned is fantastic if you have a large amount of receipts or business cards. You pay a monthly subscription price. They send you prepaid envelopes and you dump your shoebox full of receipts or business cards in and mail it off. They scan each and upload the contents online which can download to most of the popular email services and also Quicken, Quickbooks or Freshbooks. Neat has a similar service.
It is a no brainer that I love Evernote as well.
Have I mentioned that I live in the cloud? Thanks again for a great post.
Love these testimonials for resources. This is what I aspire to!
Thanks Janet! Even without intention, you are taking steps toward having less paper to work with and more efficiency as a result.
Thanks Andrea! I love these ideas for using the Neat scanner for these pending documents too. You are right, every little step makes a difference.
I love hearing about your “essentialism” efforts too!
Check out Andrea’s blog about this.
http://sossharborganizingsolutionsllc.com/essentialism-some-thoughts-on-the-new-york-times-best-seller-by-greg-mckeown/
Love this list! I use four of them, but my favorite combo is FileThis Fetch and Evernote. Buh-bye giant find cabinet!
Thanks Brandie! Another endorsement for both FileThis and Evernote!
I share info with my staff and client using Dropbox. It is so easy to use! And my assistant and I have just started collaborating on OneNote, which is the MS version of Evernote. The jury is still out, but I think after I watch a few tutorials and learn more about how to use it I think I will fully embrace its capabilities. Thanks for the info Ellen!
It’s great to have your endorsement for Dropbox. Keep us posted on your collaborating on OneNote.
What a great collection of digital options for going paperless! I still straddle both camps, but have been moving more towards LESS paper. Part of the issue is getting comfortable that the technology can improve what’s already working. And part of it is knowing what truly are the best digital options because there are SO many to choose from.
Thank you for narrowing down and focusing us on some great options. A few I use and know. Most of those are new to me. Lots of good things to explore!
Thanks Linda! I am excited that it is getting easier to start the transition to paperless. It is all about how technology can help us.