How Going Green is Good for Your Nursery?
“The eyes of all future generations are upon you”
Greta Thunberg
You hear a lot these days about the environment, conservation and going green. We all know that it is an important issue for our planet, but have you stopped to think about the positive financial impact that going green could have on your nursery?
One of the easiest ways of going green is by reducing paper usage, and it is something that you will start to see benefits from right away. Every time you print, you are spending unnecessary amounts of money on not only paper but also ink. Add to that postage for mailing invoices, hardware such as the printer itself, maintenance costs, and hundreds of unnecessary man hours printing, sending and filing.
1. Switch to a digital filing system
Managing a paper filing system is a major time investment as well as an unnecessary use of valuable space. How many filing cabinets do you have in your nursery’s office right now? Have you ever had to look for a larger space or even rent an additional storage unit for your files? Digital storage can make your nursery much more productive, and give you a much needed sense of relief at inspection time. Can’t find a file that OFSTED requested? No worries! With a digital solution you can quickly search your files with just a couple of clicks. No more lost files, no more searching through endless drawers of filing cabinets, and no more needless expense.
2. Upgrade to digital invoicing
One of the most common concerns for nursery managers is invoicing parents. With a system like Xplor, nurseries can eliminate paper by invoicing parents digitally and instantly. Not only does this cut costs, but it also helps you clear out your mailbox, get paid faster and increase cash flow. On top of that, your time is no longer being used chasing debt, and as a bonus … no more awkward conversations asking for payments!
3. Accept online enrolment forms
Online enrolment forms are a great way to save both paper and time. Gone are the days of printing the form, posting it to parents, waiting for its return, and spending hours on manual data entry. Simply send the parents a handy link or place Xplor’s customisable enrolment form directly on your website. Children are automatically added to your waitlist and can be added to your setting at the click of a button. No more paper, no more ink, no more headaches.
4. Use instant, digital communication such as email and text
Another great way to reduce your setting’s reliance on paper is to switch to digital communication channels such as email and text. Parents can receive updates directly and in real time. No worrying over miscommunication again. (Not to mention the money saved on printing)!
5. Move away from paper-based learning journeys
With digital learning journeys you can make it even easier for practitioners to plan children’s learning. Practitioners can monitor and complete children’s learning cycles with simple tools that allow them to extend on a child’s observations. Xplor gives them the ability to create a visual representation of the planning cycle, allowing them to comment, share and reflect on their learning journey – all while being unrestricted by templates and forms, and all without needless waste.
6. Go digital for observations, digital sign-ins and visitor logs
Storing critical data in a cloud-based system is much safer than paper and leaves no question about security. When all actions are digitally logged and time-stamped, you have a built-in audit trail and much-needed peace of mind. Digital logs with time-stamped records mean that your records are safe and always accurate. By going paperless, you will find it easier and more cost-effective to meet strict compliance regulations for your nursery.
7. How else can you benefit from going paperless?
We’ve just discussed a number of was that going paperless can benefit your nursery from a cost perspective. But there are additional benefits as well.
It’s very likely that most of your setting’s parents would prefer a digital interaction over a paper-based one. Did you know that in a recent study, 85% of people said that they prefer to do business digitally because they believe paper-based transactions are slow, inconvenient and unreliable? A further 55% of people would actively choose a business offering digital options over one that does not. Further to that point, companies that implement digital technologies are found to be as much as 50% more profitable, generate 13% more revenue, and are valued 19% higher than their industry peers.
At the end of the day, going paperless has no downside. Parents prefer it, it decreases liability, helps to increase cash flow, saves time and money, and most importantly helps preserve our planet’s resources, providing a brighter future for our children. And after all, isn’t that the most important thing?
