Paperwork has always been a challenge for me. Whether balancing my checkbook or turning in a travel receipt for reimbursement at the office, I used to struggle to keep track of all the files I needed. I used to feel overwhelmed by the mountains of forms and papers I needed for my office work, to the point I avoided filling them out for as long as possible. I wish I could cut down on paperwork.

After I took the chance to form my own business, though, I had to face my issues and overcome them. There was so much at stake in running my own company I couldn’t afford to put off the paperwork. Luckily, I’ve found a variety of applications to track my files and eliminate most of that tricky paperwork that used to give me trouble. Here are a few tools that have helped make my job easier and my business a success by helping to cut down on paperwork.

Shoeboxed

Receipts were always one of the trickiest things for me to file and track. Those little paper slips made my life difficult until I discovered Shoeboxed. This service helps me scan my receipts and into digital formats so I can better track my expenses. The data is simple to track and I don’t have to panic at tax time. You can send them your receipts in a prepaid envelope or scan them directly to the company. I’ve reduced my desk clutter and kept my books balanced thanks to this service.

Payroll

I’ve got a great team working with me on my company, but payroll used to be a nightmare. I want to take good care of my employees, so rather than deal with the mess of paperwork myself I outsourced my company payroll to Paycor. The company automatically calculates tax liabilities and runs my payroll each month, so I can pay my team without worry. Their digital reports also make my life easier when I file my taxes each year.

Electronic forms

Just getting my business off the ground required so much paperwork I got discouraged. Thankfully, most forms can be filled out and submitted digitally now. My employees each have an e-signature for their health insurance and other benefit forms and I file my taxes and reports electronically. Even if a form needs to be submitted in print, I fill it out on my computer to make sure I don’t miss a field.

Freshbooks

My small business has some big clients – the sort who sometime “misplace” invoices. I used to struggle to pay my employees when my cash flow slowed down. Luckily, I found Freshbooks to track my company’s hours and invoice our clients. This cloud program delivers invoices to my clients more quickly than print mail and let me tracks my accounts quickly and easily. I can track my records and past invoices by client too.

Evernote

My desk used to be a mess, full of scratch paper and notebooks full of ideas. I could never remember which notebook I needed for which meeting. I know I lost some good ideas on scratch paper I accidentally threw away. Evernote helps me track my ideas and inspiration wherever I am. I can clip webpages, documents and images into one file and access them from my computer, tablet and cell phone. Best of all, everything I save in Evernote is searchable, so I can always find exactly what I’m looking for. This program has saved me on more than one occasion and it has definitely saved my desk.

Even though I used to be terrified of paperwork, putting in some time and research to eliminate it has paid off for me. There are so many different services and applications available that can help you eliminate paperwork, you have nothing to lose except for receipts. A little research and a few free trials helped me find a method to cut down on paperwork and focus on growing my business. The same can work for you.