“Passion for paper print outs is passing”
This article was written by Rick Montgomery (McClatchy-Tribune News Service) interesting perspective about paper use in general.
http://www.cleveland.com/world/index.ssf/2009/12/our_passion_for_paper_printout.html
Real Estate Dashboard video testimonial
We were at NAR last month in San Diego and met so many of our wonderful clients. Some were even nice enough to give a video testimonial for Real Estate Dashboard
This is Debbie Zarconi with Cutler Real Estate talking about her experience using Real Estate Dashboard in her business.
Why are we better than the other guys?
Ok so the new eSignOnline feature (digital click to sign signatures) has been out for little over a month and we are starting to get some feedback. I will try to keep this as brief as possible so let’s get right to the point!
1/2 the price and twice the sessions!
We are a price motivated society these days, more so than ever it seems that everyone is looking for a bargain. While this is important I still believe quality is a big driver when choosing between two or several competing software solutions. I personally hate software that doesn’t work or overpromises functionality. There are always issues with software but it is how the company responds to fixing the problem and how they provide service to clients that experience issues with the software. Training is critical, not “leaving your customers” in the dark after they purchase the software. Go Paperless promises to offer you a great value, more importantly a gateway into going completely paperless in your business. Digital signatures are just one part of going paperless, so why OVER PAY for just this feature?
What are the SIX main differences s between eSignOnline and the other guys?
-Easy to use interface – Simple wizard format just follow the steps
-Clean looking signatures we don’t wrap with any kind of stamp
-Clients (signers) get an attachment of PDF file immediately
-Full phone and email support INCLUDED
-FREE webinar training
-Templates and other key features INCLUDED in the already low price
I promised I would keep this short. Do yourself a favor and sign-up for a free account!
http://www.gopaperless.com/EsignOnline-Signup.aspx
Paperless Office Concept
REPOSTED from http://www.lifehack.org entitled “How to Go Paperless: Bury the Paper Before it Buries You (November 8, 2007)
The paperless office concept has been around since the 1960s or ‘70s, much like the flying car. For many people, this has been little more than a myth. How can we get rid of the paper while our offices are filled with photocopiers and fax machines and the postal carriers and couriers keep bringing in reams of the stuff daily? What about the need to keep receipts for accounting and tax purposes? And what about the contracts and other legal documents? It is hard, but getting easier to do every day.
Well, the short answer is that in a normal office environment today, we can’t really do it 100%, certainly not in one simple step without burning down the building. But there are some simple steps that we can take toward the goal of not having to constantly manage piles of paper at home or the office. A few decisive steps applied over enough time can dramatically reduce if not eliminate the paper.
The nature of your office and work has a great deal to do with which type of paper you can reduce or eliminate the most easily.
Before going through the specific steps, we need to consider there being two kinds of paper documents: those we need to retain for the longer term (let’s call them records) and those that are transient in nature (call them working files). Different approaches work for these two basic kinds of papers or documents. The nature of your office and work has a great deal to do with which type of paper you can reduce or eliminate the most easily. A legal, accounting or medical office will likely have a harder time making its records paperless than an ad agency or political campaign office would. Decide which of the paper reduction steps you take and in what order you take them based on what you do and the importance of the various records and working files.
Ten steps toward converting your office to a paperless one:
1. Begin with the end in mind. Be clear on your objectives so that you can target your conversion most effectively. For example, if efficiency is a more important objective than environmental, don’t try cutting your paper volume in half by recycling paper through the copiers to print on the backside. Double-sided copying easily jams the machine and often confuses whoever gets handed stuff printed on both sides. We found increasing the efficiency of the records management system much more important than reducing the number of working papers. By targeting the records management, the working papers reductions naturally followed.
2. Decide on a date for a switch from paper-based to paperless for everything going forward. Chose a date far enough ahead that everyone can work toward. Not everything needs to be switched at one time. Don’t worry about converting old records until you have time to get around to doing something about converting them. Many of them can probably be kept without any changes and discarded once they get to a certain age.
3. Establish an electronic records retention system and get comfortable using it before becoming committed to it. We didn’t go out and get an expensive or complicated system installed then make a hard conversion. What we did early on was to create a filenaming system that automatically sorts itself chronologically in most file directories. Just like the filename for this article which begins 20071106_1600… This is simply the metric system of year, month, day and time to the nearest minute or hour based on a 24 hour clock. If we save a version of this file on one person’s laptop then email it to the office, it gets filed automatically by whomever receives it. Revisions are easily handled by simply superimposing a new date/time at the beginning of the filename. We started doing this long before the switch date.
4. Place a filename on every document worth keeping. In our office, if a document does not have a filename, it gets named or tossed out. This is true whether it is a paper or electronic document.
5. Retain a paper file as the primary record for anything before the switch and the electronic record as the primary record for anything after the switch date. This is not a complicated thing. In our office, like most offices, there is often more than one copy of the important things around. We got into the habit of knowing where the record was then tossing out or deleting duplicates once done with them, especially for the paper duplicates. We get comfortable knowing that anything prior to January 1, 2005 worth having a record of has a paper version someplace and everything afterward can be found on a server.
6. Inform your clients and suppliers of your paperless orientation. Come out of the closet and let everyone know because most people find it great. This does not mean you should beat up a client who wants you to send hardcopy proofs or a signed original instead of an electronic version. We tend to give clients whatever they want. However, we do beat up our suppliers. Our lawyers were some of the toughest holdouts but they eventually learned how to send everything electronically and scan documents that had to have signatures on them.
7. Keep your technology and systems simple and compatible with what most people use. The great news is that PCs and MACs use file systems that no longer conflict with each other. There are still problems with using different types of graphics and multi-media formats but these are diminishing. If we stick to the basic formats, most people can deal with them. Be careful about using fringy formats, especially for records that need to be retained long term.
8. Check and upgrade your older files from time to time to make sure they remain usable. CDs or tapes are a problem. They deteriorate and some of the earlier formats are no longer supported. We keep our records in live formats. Maintaining a backup server is no harder or more expensive than keeping an inventory of off-line storage media. Paper records deteriorate too if printed on acid paper or stored in a bad environment.
9. Adopt an “If in doubt, throw it out” policy. We tend to be a bit quicker than most to toss out stuff we are not sure of. The odds are that since we only tend to ever look at maybe 1% of the records we store, there is a high probability the stuff we are deciding whether or not to keep is not worth keeping.
10. Recognize and reward those who help meet the objectives. Whether someone becomes able to electronically edit or deliver documents on the fly or is finally replacing an old Remington manual typewriter with a computer, take the effort to show how this produces positive impacts, whether on the bottom line or the environment.
These were some basic steps we used and recommend that can help you make the shift. We reduced our paper consumption about 95% over the past five years. If you have already made shifts toward a paperless office and have some other ideas, please let us know by posting a comment. Or let us know if you had any problems in trying to create a paperless office.
eSignOnline™ and Real Estate Dashboard™ v2.8 release
Escondido, CA – GoPaperless Solutions today released version 2.8 of Real Estate Dashboard. Bundled with this exciting new release, is eSignOnline, the new and easy way to get electronic signatures on the web. eSignOnline is available both as a standalone product as well as inside Real Estate Dashboard for existing customers, making Real Estate Dashboard and all-in-one solution. An automatic update is available to help ensure that all clients get the latest version 2.8 release of Real Estate Dashboard.
eSignOnline uses a simple easy to use interface for navigation and a wizard interface to send documents out for signatures. With 6 simple steps, you can setup and create a new signing session, invite multiple signers to the session, upload multiple documents, drop signature, initial, date, form fields, and checkbox zones on contracts, preview the contract, and send out for signatures. All parties are notified immediately once a contract has been fully executed. With eSignOnline and Real Estate Dashboard, customers have best of both worlds. Biometric signatures inside Real Estate Dashboard when you are face to face with your clients and digital signatures via the web (click to sign) when you can’t meet your clients. Get contracts signed quickly by using eSignOnline to capture signatures of clients who are across town, out of town, out of state, out of the country, or just simply anywhere! To learn more about eSignOnline, click here.
GoPaperless Solutions is your one source for paper-free hardware/software mobile computing solutions. Our team of IT professionals and industry experts will show you how to save time and money by utilizing technology to help manage your transaction documents and contracts without paper and without being bound to the office.
Order Here:
What Windows 7 reall means for Tablet users
I am a believer!
Look, tablets are here to stay. While it might take 2-5 years to hit the masses, early adaptors are starting to boast about how neat they really are! The writing is on the wall with Windows 7 getting of tons of press on this subject of tablets, the fact that every manufacturer has or is about to release a Tablet PC. And what about the whole spectacle of anticipation for what the apple camp is doing! Multi-touch features, the ability to write on the screen and move applications around with your finger, have created a cottage industry of companies developing real world applications for this new world of computing.
A lot of folks ask if tablets are moving towards basically a computer with iPhone-like functionality. This is open to a much bigger discussion, and let’s just see how it all plays out! In the meantime there are plenty of cool tablets to consider.
Fact of the matter is whether you are designer drawing complex drawings, a real estate agent craving ultimate mobility, a musician turning pages of music, a technician writing notes, or a doctor updating digital patient files, going paperless is simply a better way to do these things! Because these actions begin as a digital file, they are more dynamic; you can do more with them. Archive your files, and share them instantly through email, fax, and social platforms, or share them with your clients, partners or friends!
What about the ability to capture real biometric handwriting, where it can be translated and managed by a database. This throughput can automate simple tasks like ordering prescriptions if necessary, scheduling follow-up appointments, or sending notifications (email/text/voice/calendar) to help facilitate and manage transactional elements and timelines.
Hand writing recognition allows you to capture sketched ideas (with your stylus pen) which can be translated, converted, and shared amongst a team of designers, management, or the CEO in easily readable PDF files.
Microsoft has recognized the spectrum of applications that appeal to sales agents, designers, architects, lawyers, artists, musician… anyone, really.
So I welcome Windows 7!
I am a believer!
This platform will continue to bridge the gap between once dreamed about applications and real-world systems that help capture information in a more unique way while creating beneficial environmental impact, saving people time (and gas!), and giving anyone the ability to capture spontaneous ideas using a stylus pen and your fingertips… literally!
LC
PRESS RELEASE | October 16, 2009
Escondido, CA – GoPaperless Solutions looks forward to being an exhibitor at the National Association of Realtors (NAR) expo in San Diego, CA from November 13-16. GoPaperless Solutions will be demonstrating their industry leading software for real estate professionals, Real Estate Dashboard®, as well as eSignOnline®, the new platform for getting electronic signatures on the web.
The NAR Convention and Expo in San Diego will be held at the San Diego Convention Center and is the real estate industry’s largest attraction and convention. Seminars and workshops will be provided by more than 100 speakers. New tools, technology, and products will be demonstrated by over 400 exhibitors.
GoPaperless Solutions is the one source for paper-free hardware/software solutions. Our team of IT professionals and industry experts will show you how to save time and money by utilizing technology to help manage your transaction documents and contracts without paper and without being bound to the office.
Real Estate Dashboard® is a wet e-signature capture software that lets real estate professionals and their clients sign documents electronically and securely with ease while still maintaining the legality of paper-based signatures. Real Estate Dashboard® main features include: Easy Wet e-Signatures, Paperless Document Management, Dedicated Electronic Fax and Email Transmission, Contact Database, Secure Document Back-up, and Remote Online Access. One Software, One Solution that does it all!
eSignOnline® is the new platform from GoPaperless Solutions to get electronic signatures on the web. With its easy to use interface, customers can now create documents for signature, invite clients to sign, and send off for signature within minutes. Now customers have best of both worlds with biometric and click to sign electronic signatures within Real Estate Dashboard software. eSignOnline is also available as a standalone product.
Media Contact
Prabakar Mahalingam
(760)-432-6093
prabakar@gopaperless.com
CAR EXPO debrief!
It was so great to meet so many agents that are looking to take their business paperless. We continued to be asked “how do I go paperless?” and “what do I need to go paperless?”. Seems that a lot of the expo seminars covered ways to make your business more efficient from going paperless to social networking to mobile platforms. And we were hit with one big question: “do you guys do the same thing as docusign and echosign?”
Well the all encompassing answer to all of these questions is YES! Yes we can make your business paperless, yes we know what you need to go paperless and yes we offer the same feature as docusign and echosign… and MORE!
We have always believed that real estate agents are looking for simple platforms to manage multiple features in once place. We know that you need to fax, email, manage documents, be reminded through email notifications, and most importantly capture real biometric and click to sign electronic signatures. And we know that you need a provider that doesn’t just sell you software but support you in how to integrate the software in the real world of real estate transactions. We are technology consultants (we know about a lot of other helpful technology) and we care about selling you something that you can actually use.
There is nothing that frustrates us more than selling someone software that never uses it! Training is crucial and I promise if you are trained correctly you will adopt a paperless strategy much quicker.
So when you are looking for a paperless solution make sure you are getting more than just one aspect of taking your business paperless. You need to manage your electronic forms, you need to be able to communicate electronically and you need to be able to capture BOTH types of electronic signatures. Real estate is still a service business and you need to meet your clients in person… at least to get the listing!
p.s. we are doing video testimonials (for the website) at NAR in San Diego let us know if you want to participate.
http://www.gopaperless.com
Using Electronic Signatures in Real Estate
More and more realtors are completing real estate transactions using electronic signatures. Not surprisingly, these realtors do not miss chasing faxes or maintaining large files of paperwork. These realtors are finding also that real estate moves faster in the digital world, and clients are impressed with the speed and ease with which the transactions occur.
So how does it work? In cases where the clients are at a distance, like at home for example while the realtor is at their office or on the road, the realtor will send the client a link to the documents with the areas they need to sign highlighted. The client will identify themselves and click to sign the document over the Internet. The electronic signature is legally binding in a real estate or other business transaction, so the process moves forward the same as it would have had the client and realtor met for an in-person signing. Obviously, not having that meeting saved everyone a great deal of time.
Now, if the clients are present, and the realtor has chosen to use Real Estate Dashboard and a tablet PC, they can have the clients sign the documents right there on the computer screen. Using a special technology, these electronic signatures are bound to real estate documents in such a way that they cannot be altered or removed (only crossed out, just like with pen and paper). The result is a simulation of the traditional signing but without printing the documents. This option is the fastest electronic signature in real estate and can mean the difference between getting the home or not. The documents can be faxed immediately via the Internet from the PC right after they are signed.
GoPaperless representatives show realtors how to use electronic signatures in paperless real estate transactions every day. Call 866.913.0628 today or go here and get started.
The Lenovo X200 Tablet
This is my new favorite tablet availalbe on the market. I don’t think multi-touch feature is really necessary for the real estate agent but it is neat none the less. We have had great success selling these machines they are very stable and users have given rave reviews. We rarely have to support these machines compared to other tablets on the market (which have been very inconsistent with hardware issues).
http://www.gopaperless.com
