The Covid-19 pandemic has caused a huge shift in the way we live our daily lives and run our businesses. Pretty much every aspect of our lives has had to be digitized. How do we carry out business transactions in such a scenario where social distancing and being contactless are the norms? Delivering documents by post and waiting for them to be signed and sent back does not sound like a very practical option because it may delay your business proceedings for days together. So, what can be done in such a situation?
Free electronic signature software can help you out. These software help you to get your E-signatures. What is an E-signature, you ask. Well, E-signatures are a way to seek consent on electronic documents and they are becoming increasingly popular nowadays with most workplaces functioning remotely and contact between people still being minimal. E-signatures are the way forward in this scenario
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What are its advantages? Are they really secured? How do they work? – These are some of the questions that may be arising in your mind right now. Read on to find out more about E-signatures and how you can incorporate them in your business to make working life easier for you.
How to get your own E-signature?
There are a number of digital signature makers that can help you get your own digital signatures. Your device can also help you acquire your digital signature. Here are a few ways to do that.
- You can use your touchscreen device to create your E-signature. Using your finger or a stylus, you can put your signature directly on any electronic document that you may be required to sign.
- Another way to get your signature is to take a picture of your physical signature and convert it into a PNG file. You can then place this directly on your electronic document or form.
- Using the touchpad on your laptop or the mouse of your system, you can get your E-signature. You just have to drag the cursor along to create your signature in the digital format.
- An even easier method is to opt for the digital signature makers available online. All you have to do is type in your name and you will get a drop down list of your name written in various fonts. You can pick the font that resembles your own handwritten signature the most. The advantage with these is that once you have created a digital signature then you can keep inserting the same one in whichever documents need your signature henceforth. They are very convenient and easy to use.
You can use any of these methods to add your signature to Word documents. Now that your questions about the use of digital signatures have been answered the next question that arises is about their safety. Are digital signatures secure is the most often asked question when digital signatures are being discussed.
The question of security with digital signatures
If the concern for security is stopping you from switching to digital signatures then you will be glad to know that all documents that are digitally signed are encrypted at both ends i.e. at the end of both the sender and the person to whom the document has been sent to be signed. So, digitally signed documents are very secure and may be safer than exchanging physical documents which are at risk of being stolen or damaged because of external elements like fire, rains etc.
Other advantages of using digital signatures
The reason why most professionals and businesses are switching to digital signatures is because of how cost-effective and hassle-free they are.
People can cut down on costs of printing and postage if they switch to signing documents electronically.
Electronically signing documents goes a long way in saving paper too. So, it is the most environmentally-friendly option of carrying out business in a time when every tiny step towards helping the planet is more green counts.
Once you have created your digital signature then you can just add it to any future documents that require your signature with the click of just one button. That just makes the task of signing documents easier and less time consuming.
Digital signatures are the easy route to conducting contactless business which is the need of the hour with the pandemic still raging around us.
You do not have to worry about the legality of digital signatures either as they have been declared legally binding in most major countries. So, you can use digital signatures without any concerns about their validity.
Where can you use digital signatures?
Digital signatures are legally binding in all scenarios where physical signatures are required. People use digital signatures in recruitment processes and agreements and deeds. Will testaments, adoptions and divorces still do not allow digital signatures? It is a good idea to check for the legality of digital signatures in your country before you start using them. Most countries now have technical laws that spell out the legality of such technological developments. So, make sure to look those up.
To Conclude
Convenient, cost-effective, environmentally friendly and secure are just some of the reasons why people are opting for digital signatures.
The convenience of digital signatures definitely makes them very lucrative. The ease with which you can sign documents if you are using digital signatures is what has more and more people switching to it. Using digital signatures has also helped businesses to cut down on running costs as printing and postage costs are cut down. This, in turn, helps in reducing the carbon footprint of the business as resources such as ink; paper and fuel required in postage are saved. Concerns about their safety and legality are also not worrying anymore as more businesses have switched to digital signatures and found them to be secure and safe. If you are still undecided about the switch to digital signatures then you will find numerous instances of businesses that have shifted and are happy with the change.
