Business Lessons in Lockdown #1

For years my forward-thinking tech-savvy friends have been encouraging me to go paperless. I can see the benefits, both in terms of space-saving and reducing waste, but I'm old school. If a supplier emails an invoice, I print out out, process it and file it. When typing out a document, I'll usually print a draft and check it for errors.

That all changed as a result of the lockdown, when I relocated from my office to the back bedroom and began working from home. It's a bit cramped, so I only brought the office PC with me and left the A3 scanner/printer behind.

We have a small wireless printer in the house which, as anyone familar with these devices will know, works intermittently. I assumed this would be pressed into service, but it's still in a box somewhere, because it hasn't been required.

It turns out that it was easier to go paperless than to struggle with a reluctant printer. So simple that I didn't even realise it was happening. I haven't printed anything for weeks and it has had no impact on my work.

Ad that was my first lesson in lockdown. If you want to go paperless but worry that it will be difficult or disruptive, simply disconnect your printer and get on with it. You won't look back!