Finally Went Paperless After 5 Years - Why Did I Wait So Long?! (small Business Remote Transition)

Hey r/Entrepreneur,

Long-time lurker, first-time poster. My wife and I have been running a small business (under 10 employees) for the past five years. We've been using QuickBooks Desktop for payroll and general ledger, and while we've made minor tweaks over the years, we were still heavily reliant on paper: deposit reports, shift reports, statements, receipts, checks – you name it.

Recently, we made a big decision: we're moving about 500 miles away and hiring a manager to run the day-to-day operations. Our plan is to run the business remotely and focus on starting a new venture in our new location. To facilitate this transition, I finally decided to tackle our paper problem. I bought a scanner and set up a Google Workspace account with individual accounts for myself and the manager, plus a general account for employees on shift. Now, they can scan everything as it comes in, and I can access it instantly from anywhere.

Honestly, I feel a bit silly for not doing this sooner. I was an early Google adopter (remember when ISPs gave out terrible email and AOL was on CDs? Yeah, I was that guy getting everyone on Gmail!), but for some reason, I just never applied that mindset to our business. We were stuck in the "it works, why change it?" mentality. But now that we're mostly paperless, it's a game-changer. I actually enjoy processing the information now. I look forward to seeing new scans pop up in Google Drive, ready to be filed electronically. I guess I didn't realize how much I disliked dealing with physical paper until it was gone.

Key takeaways for those considering going paperless: * Don't wait! Even if it "works," efficiency gains are huge. * Google Workspace (or similar) is your friend. Centralized, accessible from anywhere, and easy to use. * A good scanner is essential. Invest in something reliable. * Training is key. Make sure your team understands the new process.

Has anyone else made a similar transition? Any tips for managing a small business remotely? I'd love to hear your experiences and advice!

TL;DR: Finally went paperless after 5 years of running a small business. Moving 500 miles away and managing remotely. Google Drive and a scanner have changed my life. Why didn't I do this sooner?