Matt Silverman, Associate Features Editor at Mashable, offers suggestions on some technology investments that small businesses can take that could result in huge long-term savings and decrease the wasteful use of paper products.

Matt recommends that small businesses consider the following software solutions:

• NitroPDF
• PDF995 Printer Driver
• Fax to E-mail Services
• EchoSign Online Contracts
• Online Backup and Record Keeping

Business owners should also consider using one of the technology based tools available for billing, tracking and collections, like AcceptPay from American Express OPEN. For more information on AcceptPay, visit www.acceptpay.com.

See the full article here.

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Post from: Eco-Office Gals

Guest post: Paperless Office Options

(In compliance with the new FTC Guildlines, please note that this is a sponsored post.  I was given these products to test and review free of charge.  However, I was not paid for the review and the opinions are my own.)

In honor of America Recycles Day we celebrate a company that make recycling a part of our everyday lives!

Small Steps™ by Marcal® brand products focuses squarely on the company’s green heritage. For over five decades, Marcal has been saving trees and reducing landfill by making its paper products from recycled paper. Marcal uses paper collected from curbs in residential neighborhoods in cities and towns across America; from the small blue baskets in office buildings, unwanted junk mail, and waste from printers; all in an effort to do something good… to produce something that people need.
Marcal is an integral part of the northern New Jersey community. The company uses recyclables from more than 600 municipalities from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York and New England. The company is one of the largest employers in New Jersey, employing over 900 people.

This company had a true passion in recycling way before it was the cool thing to do. Yes, since 1950 they have been using paper waste, not trees to bring paper products into our home. After all is “Your Ass Worth A Million Trees A Year?”

So, Marcal sent me some of their Small Steps products to try out.  Now any of my readers that have been with me a while know that I try not to use paper at all, if possible.  One thing I almost never buy is paper towels, I use my Skoy Cloths and washable rags. So, when I received this shipment which included several rolls of paper towels who would know how perfect the timing would be!

I’m not going to get into too much detail in this post, but I will be guest posting about my family’s experience of living without water for many weeks on another blog soon.  Anyway – this was one point in my life when I probably tripled my waste since washing dishes, clothes, the house etc had to be done waterless or at the kindness of neighbors and friends. So, having these “responsibly – disposable” products were a true blessing!

The paper towels helped me keep the house clean as possible with cleaners, they were not linty and held up nicely. Granted they’re not the bleached white, fluffy soft, almost cloth-like paper towels that many people might use, but as far as I’m concerned… if you want cloth-like… use cloth!

My family got to try out the Small Steps toilet paper as well.  This is one area I’m stuck buying paper for life.  No getting around it… at least none I’m willing to try! So, why not at least try to buy a little more responsibly and use TP made from recycled paper instead of virgin forests? Right? Sure it may take a little getting used to – again it lacks the bleach and fluff many of us… this time including myself, are used to. There were no complains from the family, it served it’s purpose. What else can I ask for?

I would definitely use Marcals Small Steps in my attempt to green up my act.  There’s no reason not to! Take a look around at the paper products you are using in your home, can you make a positive change for the environment by switching to Small Steps?

Marcal is hooking up one of my readers with a great package of their Small Steps products: Dinner Napkins, 180ct Napkin Drawstring Bag, Upright-80ct Facial Tissues, 144ct Facial, Single Roll Giant Towel, 1,000ct Bath, 4 ct bath 1000 ct, 3 roll Regular towel! Do as many of the below as you wish and leave a separate comment for each one:

• Comment here on what Marcal product would help you make a green step – or something you learned from their informative site.
• Blog about this giveaway and link back to this post.
• Follow Marcal Small Steps on Twitter.
• Tweet this giveaway
• Stumble this giveaway
• Use other forms of social networking to spread the word about this giveaway.
• Tried a Small Steps product before? Let us know what you think.
• Subscribe to my feed to stay up to date with the latest from Eco-Office Gals.

The deadline for entering is Wednesday 11/18/09 at 8pm EST at which time one winner will be randomly chosen.  Please don’t forget to leave a separate entry and any entries that show obvious laziness i.e. a simple “Thanks for the great giveaway” will not be published therefore not counted. It’s just not fair for the people that do know how to follow simple directions. US residents only. Thanks!

Here are your random numbers:

108

Timestamp: 2009-11-19 16:00:17 UTC

Congrats Jessica!

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

Flaunt It! Monday: Marcal Small Steps