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6 Benefits Of Internet Faxing For Small Businesses
Many business organizations, small and large, have moved to online processes. They are now adapting to fast-paced technologies. While being completely paperless may not be possible, certain traditional functions are rapidly moving online. For instance, some businesses still utilize fax machines to transmit and reproduce crucial papers via phone lines. However, internet fax services are now available. Using such technology helps make business operations run smoothly.
How Does Internet Faxing Work?
Unlike traditional faxing, you can transmit and receive faxes online through Internet. A fax machine is obviously outdated. That’s why the online fax method is cheaper and more flexible than the traditional one.
Online fax service providers usually issue you a ‘fax number’ to send and receive documents. With that, you can then start exchanging documents in the cloud. The faxes are sent online and stored in the cloud rather than in physical storage.
For small businesses and startups, it’s recommended to consider digital storage and transmission via online fax services if you’re seeking a more secure alternative to transfer and keep sensitive and important documents online.
Below are some of the benefits of internet faxing for small businesses:
1. It Provides Greater Data Security
Your faxes will be more secure if you get them via email. Instead of printing every fax, you can get them in your email inbox. This way, you can print only the faxes you want your staff and other people to see.
Information is also safer because it is encrypted. Most leading online fax providers like MyFax and others use encryption techniques to secure your data, making every bit of your fax encrypted. When using traditional faxing, your data is transmitted frequently through unprotected phone lines. The documents are sent with no encryption, making them vulnerable to data breaches. Notably, online faxing is tamper-proof. This implies that no one may intercept or edit the document without leaving a record—any modifications made by fax generate an audit trail that enables transparency.
2. It Has Increased Scalability
Your business should ideally grow at a consistent level. Your system, particularly your paper management system, will need to keep up. Interestingly, internet fax services are scalable, meaning they can develop with your business. Further, most, if not all providers, have faxing plans tailored to your business’s needs. Therefore, you may always add fax lines, users, or change the number of faxes sent as your business grows. This can help you save time and money if you need to ramp up your operations to meet the demands of your business.
3. It Is Affordable And Cost-Effective
Small and new businesses are mostly cautious with their funds. To be more profitable, the avoidance of costly charges is encouraged. That said, cloud services like online faxing can cut fax and long-distance costs. For home-based businesses, online faxing also allows owners to work remotely. The entrepreneur can then avoid using a public fax machine and copiers, thus reducing costs and protecting privacy.
While you won’t need to purchase materials such as fax machines, ink, and paper, you may need to subscribe to online fax services. But the cost is substantially less than buying typical fax equipment. Most internet fax providers need a monthly fee. So, they give you a certain number of pages per month. You can pick the best plan for your business. You can get a plan with fewer pages if you rarely send faxes.
A pool of fax pages is available from several online fax services, which is beneficial if you fax regularly. You can also locate online fax providers that charge per page, saving you money on programs you may not use.
Find out if the online fax service charges extra for international faxes. In some cases, services let you subtract costs from your allowed number of pages. Before subscribing, inquire whether there is a startup fee for an online fax account.
Overall, an online fax service is less expensive than buying a fax machine, which may cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Online faxing eliminates third-party maintenance and service call fees. Plus, an internet fax provider’s customer service is also free.
4. It Helps Save Room And Storage Space
Traditional fax machines are bulky and take up valuable office desk space. To send and receive faxes over the internet, users only need an email address and an internet connection. Moreover, aside from saving physical space, most internet fax providers also offer enough data storage to archive outdated files and faxes. Some offer cloud fax storage via a website or mobile app.
It is significant to note that some vendors offer varying levels of storage space. Some allow you to save your faxes permanently, while others do not. So, if you do a lot of faxing and file management, consider investing in more cloud storage.
5. It Can Be Used In Multiple Platforms
Numerous modern apps and internet programs can send and receive your faxes. Online faxing is a straightforward process. All suppliers provide walk-throughs and tutorials to make faxing as simple as possible. Also, you may port your existing fax number to your account without incurring any loss of business.
One of the primary concerns of those considering online fax is whether or not it is possible to sign faxes directly from the computer. Well, it is possible through e-signature. With that, there’s no need to print, sign, scan, and fax the document in an old-fashioned manner. Instead, you attach a digital signature with a few clicks or taps on your computer or smartphone.
2. It Provides Extra Convenience And Is Easy To Use
Most businesses recruit people who can use various operating systems, software, and other applications. With online fax, it’s easier to teach new employees how to use your fax system during onboarding.
Additionally, digital cloud technologies like this enable you to manage everything from a single location. As long as you have Internet connectivity, you and your employees can access your documents anywhere. You’re also not tied to limited business hours. Online faxing allows you to conduct business 24 hours a day if you need to.
Conclusion
As shown above, there are many benefits to using internet fax services for small businesses. To have the best experience, choose a trusted agency or service provider to help you with internet faxing. There are more advantages to it, but the ones mentioned above should be sufficient to spark the interest of anyone interested in internet faxing.