5 Things Every Office Should be Replacing with Online Technology

We’re well into the 21^st century, so why is it that so many business offices are still using outdated office machines and systems?  It’s like they are clinging onto old business machines like a two-year-old clings to Mommy’s leg when she appears to be leaving them.  It reminds me of how long it took businesses to replace typewriters with computers. When they finally gave in and bought computers suddenly they wondered why it took them so long.

Don’t let history repeat itself. Think about how much better office productivity is with computers and replace the following five things with online tech.

1. Fax Machine- At this point, everyone should be capable of sending attachments via email. for those few technophobes that refuse to be dragged into the 21^st century and insist on faxing you, all you need is Nextiva, up to 500 pages a month for just $4.95.
2. Telephone Systems- Pretty much everyone carries a cell phone these days, so why cling to an old-fashioned phone system in the office? Utilize a cloud PBX system like Ring Central that can transfer a call to whatever phone you may be at, including cell phones.
3. Intercoms- Why pay for physical system that allows you to beep the phones in different offices from an intercom system when you can use Slack to communicate with them no matter where they are?
4. Filing Cabinets- Electronic documents are much easier to deal with than traditional paper documents, take up less room and are easier to secure. Get rid of the filing cabinets and replace them with a good scanner so like the NeatDesk so that any paperwork can immediately be turned into an electronic document. Oh, and be sure to stress you are a paperless office and encourage electronic documents only.
5. Printers- Speaking of paperless, since all of your documents are now electronic, invest in Adobe Acrobat and get rid of the printers. No more supply costs for paper, cartridges, toner, or machines. Think of the money and frustration you’ll be saving your biz!

Don’t cling to old business technology just because it’s what you’ve always used. Adopt online technology and watch business run more smoothly and seamlessly.

Bonus Replacements:

If you’re really committed to bringing your business office into the 21^st century here are two more things to think about.

• Replace those antique computers and computer systems. Are you still running Windows XP?  Is your computer a relic from 2002? Are you using Internet Explorer as your browser.  Do your business a favor and get new computers!  Laptops allow employees to work from home when bad weather or sick children happen and are powerful enough to do whatever a desktop can do.  My new MacBook Pro is actually more powerful than my Windows 10 desktop.  And consider Firefox, Chrome or Safari for Internet browsers.
• Replace the office! That’s right, many businesses don’t necessarily need a traditional brick and mortar office.  Going paperless and using cloud technologies frees you up to get rid of expensive office space.  Still need a place to hold meetings with customers or clients?  Shared office spaces are popping up all over, even in my little corner of the world.