Small Business Tools
Why Internet Fax Is Better Than the Old Fax Machine
Why deal with all the hassle of a traditional fax machine when you can save money and fax more efficiently with Internet Fax.
The original fax changed the way people received documents from one another, taking mere minutes rather than days or weeks in the mail. However, the days of the fax machine are numbered thanks to the rising popularity of Internet Fax services, and for good reason.
These services allow users to send faxes through email and other Internet-based interfaces, anywhere with an Internet connection. This new form of paperless communication boasts lower operating costs, higher efficiency and security, the elimination of clutter and many more benefits.
Here are some reasons why you should ditch the machine and start faxing online:
1. Resources. Sure you can get a second-hand fax machine for the same price as an old band t-shirt, but think about all of the other costs that come along with it. Endlessly restocking paper and ink is expensive. Not to mention that many phone companies charge for an extra fax line. And think about those long 15-page documents that print through your fax, most of which you hardly even skim through. And let's not even start with those annoying paper jams.
With Internet fax, you can pick and choose which documents you actually want to print. This saves you the cost of paper and the frequency of purchasing expensive ink cartridges. Not only are the supplies expensive, but every machine needs maintenance. Whether it's as simple as a quarterly machine cleaning, or as frustrating as a torn wire, calling an expert costs money. With Internet fax, there is no hardware, or even software, required.
2. Time cost. Sending a fax can be boring and time-consuming. Waiting around by the machine, listening for the dial tone, making sure the fax was actually sent — this is all taking away from valuable work time. Instead, sending a fax through the Internet allows you to stay at your desk and get other work done while you fax. How about when you're out of the office or home? No more rushing back to the office to send a fax — with Internet fax you can fax from anywhere that has an Internet connection. Many of these services even let you fax from your mobile phone. Save even more time by sending and receiving multiple faxes simultaneously, something you couldn't do with your regular machine and phone line.
3. Security. When you have an Internet fax account, you don't have to worry about your private documents lying out on the machine for everyone to see. Your faxes go straight to your own password-protected inbox. Even better, most Internet fax services offer SSL encryption. You can rest assured that no human interaction happens while your faxes are being sent and no papers are left forgotten on the office fax machine.
4. Saves the Environment. It's true: paper is made out of trees. Printing long faxes wastes these precious resources. As many businesses are "going green," they are ditching the fax machine as well as the paper that comes along with it and going digital. If your fax number is public, anyone can send unsolicited faxes, wasting even more paper. Plus, most printer ink can be toxic for the environment, so the less you use, the better. Help the earth and get online for your faxing needs.
5. Organization. Last but not least, keeping everything digital helps you stay organized and consolidated. Archiving all of your fax documents wastes time and space. When you go with an Internet fax service, all of your important faxes are stored in your inbox, just like your email. You can even fax from your email, consolidating everything even further. Forget about all those loose papers cluttering your office, not to mention the giant fax machine itself. Now you can have some room for the more important parts of your business.
Now that you're ready to start faxing online, compare all of our Internet fax services, read the reviews, and get exclusive NextAdvisor discounts.
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