Every business can do with increased office productivity.
This is true even of small businesses as they often work with limited resources.
Yet the amount of work and number of documents to be managed is by no means small.
What such a business really needs is dependable electronic document management software that boosts office productivity.
This article lists 7 reasons why your small business should use Electronic Document Management Software (EDMS).
Well...
actually there are many more.
But we will look at only seven of them here.

1. Quick start to work: As a small business owner, when you run your document management software at the start of the day, it gives you immediate access to your entire document repository (unless you have not yet digitized all your paper documents).
   No need to move about the office unlocking cabinets, tracing files and flipping pages.
   Get to work, in just a few clicks!
2. Quick wrap up of work: When you are leaving the office premises or are done for the day, simply click that 'X' button at the top right corner of your document management software.
   Forget about putting all those papers back in the respective files, placing the files in the cabinets, locking the cabinets and remembering to put the keys away in a safe place.
   When the day is over, simply shut down.
   
3. Better multi tasking: The ability to multi-task is critical to improving office productivity.
   Let's say, you are reading a letter or mail sent to you by your client.
   They cite a clause in the agreement, a paper copy of which you have on your desk.
   You are also checking the commitments you made in your earlier correspondence with them.
   Without electronic document management software, you would have a tough time juggling various paper based documents.
   Even with a plain file management system like Windows Explorer, you might have to toggle multiple windows.
   But with good document management software, you can simply link all your documents and other correspondence - emails, scanned letters, invoices etc.
   - to the agreement's scanned copy.
   One click, and up comes the agreement.
   Another click and you can glance through the letter you wrote to your client.
   With reliable document management software, 'multi tasking' is no longer an intimidating term.
   
4. Easy integration with paper documents: Switching to an electronic way of managing documents would be difficult if you had to make an "either paper or digital" decision.
   Thankfully, with dependable document management software, it is not so.
   You can gradually move to managing documents electronically in small or big increments, based on how quickly you can adapt to it.
   Usually, it does not take long before you become an advocate yourself of this better way to manage documents!
5. Compatible with modern business tools: Many document management software products support emailing, faxing, printing and also have built-in document scanning software.
   You can even burn your files to a CD/DVD from within the application - if you have converted your paper based documents to a digital format, that is.
   Opening up to electronic document management also opens your business up to emerging technologies that you can leverage to your advantage.
   
6. Happier employees: Electronic document management speeds up work in your small office.
   In any given amount of time, your employees can accomplish much more.
   This means increased office productivity for each employee and collectively too, for the whole office.
   With improved performance, your team can earn higher performance linked incentives.
   Best of all - with work milestones achieved within the business hours daily, your employees won't need to stay back late.
   You'll see the smile on their face that evening last through to the next morning!
7. More time with family: In the age of wireless connectivity, spending 'quality time' with the family is what one aims for - and often misses.
   Small business owners usually need to be available round the clock - or 'round the click' - so to say.
   Choosing small business tools that will not stalk you wherever you go - but will work efficiently as your virtual assistants - is critical to maintaining a work-life balance.
   If you master this balancing act, your business and you are more likely to survive the fluctuations in business cycles in the long-term.
   

Which are some of the other reasons you think small businesses should move toelectronic document management...