By Mary Ellen Power
Rather than complaining about how hard it is to compete with the big boys, savvy small business owners study their opponents to win the war. Upon investigation, one of the first things learned is that big businesses have developed work processes that enable very efficient real time servicing of customers whether onboarding of a new customer or completing a contract. The findings lead many small businesses to implement t electronic signature technology to speed up closing business, generating more cash, which is the lifeline for any small business’ survival. E-signatures are proving to be a technology that is easy to use, by both the business and customer, without breaking the bank.
E-signatures, once available to only those with deep pockets, can now be quickly and cost effectively deployed through the cloud with the same security and reliability as an on-premise enterprise solution sitting behind a company firewall. According to Gartner’s Gregg Kreizman, “The ease of implementation of the software as a service delivery model will continue to drive adoption of e-signatures and will establish SaaS as the predominant global e-signature delivery model.”
Getting business completed quickly and accurately is essential to growing your business so don’t compromise on these three requirements when choosing an e-signature solution:
- The best signing experience – Evolving expectations of the modern customer demands the replacement of faxes, printers and courier packages. They want easy-to-use solutions that don’t compromise the security and compliance of the transaction behind the scenes. Make it easy for signers to authenticate themselves, review documents before signing, and complete the workflow without installing software on a PC, smart phone or tablet.
- Business on your own terms – Cloud-computing and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) products enable even a solopreneur to easily get started with any size project, no matter the complexity, means of deployment or budget. Don’t let the e-signature solution dictate how an e-signature process works or looks. A seamless process with your brand front and center is possible.
- The highest level of legal protection – Regardless of the medium, signers need to demonstrate clear understanding and acceptance of terms and conditions of a signed document. The right e-signature solution ensures online documents are presented as they would be on paper, all in the correct order on any web browser. Documents and data relevant to the signing process are also securely captured and stored through a robust solution. So if a transaction questioned, the electronic evidence can be easily retrieved and presented in an easy-to-view format.
With the simple addition of electronic signatures to your existing document or forms, long delays and manual errors are eliminated, opening the opportunity for increased revenue, improved customer loyalty and lowered operating costs.
Mary Ellen Power is Vice President of Marketing at Silanis Technology, a leading provider of electronic signature solutions. Over the years, Mary Ellen has acquired in-depth knowledge of the electronic signature market and its impact in real-world customer deployments within companies of all sizes. To learn more about e-signatures, download the free white paper Beginners Guide to Electronic Signatures.
