{"id":5555,"date":"2018-03-22T09:53:04","date_gmt":"2018-03-22T09:53:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.qualitycompanyformations.co.uk\/blog\/?p=5555"},"modified":"2024-01-30T09:22:29","modified_gmt":"2024-01-30T09:22:29","slug":"why-should-my-company-go-paperless","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.qualitycompanyformations.co.uk\/blog\/why-should-my-company-go-paperless\/","title":{"rendered":"Why should my company go paperless?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n Last updated: 30 Jan 2024<\/strong>\n <\/div>\n \n

Over the course of the last decade, corporate sustainability has swept across the UK business scene like a colossal tidal wave. Huge brands bend over backwards to prove to customers they\u2019re shopping from businesses that care about the environment.<\/p>\n

The UK Government has introduced new policies to bully business owners into cutting down on waste and companies of all shapes and sizes are being forced to compete for an increasingly environmentally-conscious target market of online-savvy millennials.<\/p>\n Set up a limited company using our Fully Inclusive Package<\/span><\/a>\n \n

What does all that mean? It means that if you want your business to succeed in the long term, you need to have a serious think about sustainability and the ways in which your business could be negatively impacting the environment.<\/p>\n

From the size of your company fleet of cars, to power saving measures or a cycle to work scheme, there are a million-and-one changes you could be making to your business in order to create a more eco-friendly culture that customers will absolutely love. But don\u2019t forget that every little helps, and you shouldn\u2019t get overly stressed trying to develop a huge strategy that will turn your start-up into Britain\u2019s greenest business in the blink of an eye.<\/p>\n

In fact, when in doubt, you should try to start with something small \u2013 and something that benefits you and your bottom line just as much as it helps the planet. So, what\u2019s one of the best measures to try? First, try going paperless.<\/p>\n

Going paperless helps the environment<\/h3>\n

You\u2019ve probably already heard other business owners talk about trying to go paperless, and chances are organisations like banks and insurance firms you\u2019ve been dealing with have contacted you at some point to explain to you why they\u2019ve made similar moves. This is one instance when you should just go ahead and jump on the bandwagon.<\/p>\n

First and foremost, going paperless helps to safeguard the natural environment.<\/p>\n

According to researchers at Kyocera, the average UK office worker uses up to 45 pieces of paper every single day<\/a> \u2013 but those same workers also admit to pollsters that around two-thirds of the paper that they\u2019re printing off isn\u2019t even actually used. If that sounds familiar, then why bother carrying on using paper like that? It goes without saying that it\u2019s horrible for the environment.<\/p>\n \n

Over the last 40 years, the use of paper worldwide has risen by over 400%. Because demands have continued to skyrocket, that means the rate of deforestation has increased rapidly, too. Trees play an absolutely crucial role in capturing and absorbing the harmful carbon dioxide emissions that deplete our ozone \u2013 and they also produce life-giving oxygen.<\/p>\n

Bearing that in mind, it stands to reason that if you stop using paper, you\u2019ll also be doing your tiny bit to scupper demand for it. More trees will remain, which is undeniably better for everybody.<\/p>\n

Likewise, if you cut down on paper use, you\u2019ll also be helping to cut down on pollution. Believe it or not, paper manufacturers are actually some of the world\u2019s worst offenders where pollution is concerned. According to the Worldwatch Institute<\/a>, producing just one tonne of paper emits more than 1.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent. That\u2019s a whole lot of waste being produced for something that you\u2019ll probably just end up throwing away later, anyway.<\/p>\n

Paperless methods will also help decrease fuel consumed by transportation. Every time you post or send a printed document, someone needs to go out of their way to try and get it there. This increase in petrol will cost everybody money and emit more carbon into the air.<\/p>\n

Believe it or not, by going paperless you\u2019ll also save water. It takes a cup-and-a-half of water to make a single sheet of paper. Bearing in mind that fresh drinking water is becoming a huge concern in regions across the world, if you were to do your bit to stifle demand for paper production, that water could instead be utilised to safeguard entire populations.<\/p>\n

That might all sound a bit sanctimonious and over the top, but it\u2019s all true. By wasting loads of paper, your business is part of a wasteful machine that hurts the planet. If you were to cut your paper use by just 50%, you could make a real impact.<\/p>\n

Going paperless makes good business sense<\/h3>\n

But you shouldn\u2019t just go paperless because it\u2019s good for the planet. It\u2019s good for your bottom line, too.<\/p>\n

First off, removing paper from your office can drastically increase the efficiency of your workers. According to one study conducted by the ILM Corporation<\/a>, employees say they waste up to 30% of their time searching through paper. By moving all of your timesheets, invoice systems, and inventories online, time will be saved to ensure they\u2019re able to get more work done.<\/p>\n

Not only will your workers get more done without paper, but they\u2019ll also make you more money. A recent study by Cisco found that multi-channel business operations that ditch old-school paperwork in favour of digital signage and more efficient, online customer delivery systems can bolster a company\u2019s profitability by more than 15%. By investing in new software or training protocols for staff, you\u2019ll be able to get rid of filing cabinets to free up space, lose the printers and save a fortune on ink.<\/p>\n Benefits of a Digital Mailroom<\/span><\/a>\n \n

Even little things like adopting a virtual signing platform could save you loads of money. To get you thinking about how much money you\u2019re wasting on paper and ink, you should check out DocuSign\u2019s paperless calculator<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Axing paper from your company processes could also keep your tax payments down. In the UK, there are environmental taxes<\/a> designed to encourage companies to operate in more environmentally friendly ways. These taxes are generally designed to push larger businesses into marginalising the ways in which they\u2019re impacting the planet \u2013 but if you plan on growing to become a big business in the future, it\u2019s worth mitigating these threats now.<\/p>\n

For reference, you can expect to receive reliefs or exemptions from the UK Government\u2019s green taxes if:<\/p>\n