Trying to decide if going paperless for my freelance work is smart or just annoying for clients. On one hand, it saves trees and clutter, but some folks really want printed reports. What's your take?

5 comments

5 Comments

My grandma was a bookkeeper and swore by paper trails, so I thought that was the only way. But last year I lost a whole box of client files in a move, and that was it. Now I scan everything to the cloud and send PDFs. Clients can print if they want, but I haven't had a single complaint. Going digital just makes sense for keeping things safe and easy to find.

the_wade2h ago

Digital files can get hacked or lost just as easy as misplacing a box. Cloud services have outages or can shut down without warning. Many clients and legal cases still need original paper documents, not scans. Relying only on digital means you're stuck if the power goes out or systems fail. Paper doesn't need passwords or updates to access it. Losing one box doesn't mean all paper is bad, it means you should have better storage.

elizabethd202h ago

It's tough when clients prefer paper, but like @kelly.keith said, saving trees is key.

kelly.keith3h ago

Unless your clients are squirrels, save the trees. (But yeah, some people will still hate you for it.)

noran213h ago

Do squirrels even hire people?