The Royal Mail strikes have been causing havoc recently for small businesses.  All very annoying.  However, it’s a good opportunity to look at your processes and see if you could do more things online and dispense with the physical paper. 

I’m convinced the physical bill that arrives in the post is fast becoming a thing of the past.  Most businesses now offer the option of electronic billing and payment can be made via internet banking.  Much easier than writing out cheques, putting them in envelopes, sticking on stamps.  If you’re still receiving paper bills and paying with cheques, perhaps it’s time to review your procedures.  Likewise with your outgoing invoices.  Most clients would probably be more than happy to receive invoices by email and you would save money on postage costs. 

Businesses that don’t start bringing their payment procedures into the digital age will soon be forced to do so anyway.  The Inland Revenue are phasing out paper VAT returns and payments starting in 2010.