Electronic File Management & Document Storage

Many business owners feel perfectly fine with filing papers in locked file cabinets and drawers, giving the key to those needing access. Others who have moved to electronic document storage have documents stored on secure servers with the ability to limit access to those files by password. Although for those not so technically inclined, setting up servers and security can be an overwhelming, time-consuming, and a costly task for small business owners wanting to shift to an electronic file management process.

One reason business owners may want to convert to an electronic document/file management process is because we live in an increasingly mobile society, and remote access to documents is not only more safe, but much more convenient than paper. Gone are the days of having to drive in to the office to grab a file or to the post office to mail it. Electronic file storage makes documents accessible from anywhere in the world.

This isn’t a new concept. Large enterprises have been using secure servers to store files for at least a decade. But, only over the last five or so years has this technology become affordable for small businesses and firms. Before, small businesses had to hire or outsource an IT staff to setup and maintain a server in house. Now, there are a number of online services that will let you create secure remote file repositories. Some services, such as ours, offers the ability to share documents and collaborate on documents with other users. Our service also lets you set permissions for each user to prevent them from accessing or even knowing that the document exists.

But there are things you should definitely consider before you choose an online file management service such as price of course, reputation, availability of support, and security. If you are a contract worker, or if you regularly request signatures, then you should seek a tool that provides a built in e-signature tool, as this is the only way you can truly go paperless and maintain an electronic file management workflow.

I’d like to hear of other features that are necessary for small businesses to further enhance the evolution of this technology. If there is a specific feature or need you have, I’d like to hear about it.

National Stay at Home Week

Have you heard about ABC’s National Stay at Home Week promotion?  What began as a clever attempt to promote the ABC Fall TV schedule actually is gaining traction with the environmental movement, with people struggling to fill their gas tanks, and companies looking to ease this burden by allowing workers to telecommute.

Working from home would indeed decrease our national fuel consumption. The problem is that many business owners worry how working from home may reduce accountability and worker efficiency. These are legitimate worries.

Access to files, projects, and communications are all concerns that have been addressed through online programs that enable you to connect to the office, collaborate on documents, and discuss topics face-to-face via video web conferencing.

This technology may sound like a thing of the future, but it is actually very accessible to businesses and workers through any internet connection. The ConXPoint Business Center, for example doesn’t need to be installed on your computer or managed by an IT professional. It is easily accessible via your internet browser.

If you decide to participate in the National Stay at Home Week, but worry how this will affect your work, you may want to consider trying out one of the remote file management and online collaboration services. Most have a free trial. Staying at home for an entire week will give you a good opportunity to try out a new way to work.