November 2, 2018
Design House, proudly a ‘PAPERLESS’ Office since 2009
‘Go paperless to benefit your cash flow and the environment!’
In 2009 at Design House, my graphic and website design business, I decided to reduce paper usage and associated project costs and make environmentally sustainable changes to the business. It was decided that the quickest, easiest and most cost effective way to do this was to link all work and management practices plus convert documents to computer-based business systems, a process known as digitisation.
The current clutter free, minimalist office is advantageous to greater productivity, creativity and clarity.
Process / Benefits:
• Reduce business costs associated with paper, printers, copiers, fax machines, ink and toner cartridges.
• Reduce / down-size office space and eliminate filing cabinets and excess furniture. This reduced lighting requirements and lowered the energy costs associated with lighting, cooling / heating and annual expenditure on leasing premises.
• Design House is now able to conduct business in a mobile environment resulting in faster responses to customers. With the use of a laptop and smart phone, Design House can operate online effectively, efficiently and promptly from almost anywhere in the world!
• With online paperless business systems, I have 24/7 access to banking, accounting, ATO tax and business portals, tech support, printers, email campaigns, etc.
• Documents and data can be automatically saved daily and filed in cloud-based technology (offsite backups – backing data up online to a virtual location) ready to be accessed remotely anytime via the internet. I also keep a external hard drive stored offsite at a different location. Your data is safe on the external hard drive should your computer crash.
• Documents and data on the desktop are also backed up daily to a laptop and external hard drives (onsite backups), keeping all content current and in sync. It’s important to have more than one type of backup in case your storage media fails at some point.
• Client and business emails, faxes, invoices, proofs, quotes and other correspondence are not printed out and filed as a paper copy but are received and filed electronically in the appropriate client and project files. This strategy reduces the paper required and also enables efficient management of project files and reduces the need for searching and tracking procedures.
• All invoicing is generated online and emailed direct to clients who, in turn, pay electronically with notification emailed to Design House. This strategy alone has reduced paper, time, postage and stationery costs, trips to the Post Office and bank.
• These relatively small and inexpensive changes to work procedures have the added advantage of speeding up the entire design, development and production process. Jobs can be completed and approved faster, allowing time for more projects to be undertaken. This effectively provides the opportunity for business growth and more revenue with no increase in staff or capital expenditure.
• Design House was recognized as the first commercial graphic and website design studio to be an ecoBiz accredited Partner with the Queensland Government in 2009 and the first ecoBiz Partner from the Hervey Bay region.
• Design House advertises its energy efficient and sustainable practices to its clients, suppliers and on its website. I choose to work with printers and production houses that are also committed to energy efficient and sustainable practices.
• All work is completed virtually with correspondence by email and phone only, face to face appointments are rare. Our in house systems, processes, quotes and documentation are thorough, yet easy and simple to comprehend; making for a prompt, stress free, streamlined and pleasant client experience.
On our website we advise visitors the following: We use EMAIL as our preferred method of communication. For FAST RESPONSE to enquiries, quotes, proofs or artwork alterations please email: info@designhouse.com.au
For more details about Design House’s sustainable practices go to…https://designhouse.com.au/sustainability/
