The Ultimate Guide to eSignatures: Benefits for Modern Businesses

Gone are the days when printing, signing, and scanning documents were the norm. Businesses are global; clients, customers, employees are located all around the world. And thanks to eSignatures, you don’t have to physically send out agreements, contracts, and paperwork for signatures anymore.

In this ultimate esignature guide we show you why more businesses are adopting this, and how you can start signing documents and getting documents signed online right away!

What Are eSignatures?

An eSignature, or electronic signature, is a digital version of a traditional handwritten signature. It is used to authenticate the identity of the signer and confirm their intent to agree to the contents of a document.

eSignatures can take many forms, ranging from basic ones like a typed name, a scanned image of your signature, or more advanced signatures involving encryption, security certificates, and timestamps for added verification.

How to eSign a Document?

Signing a document online has never been easier. Most businesses today use eSignature platforms or software that enable users to sign documents digitally with just a few clicks. Here’s a quick rundown on how to eSign:

1. Choose Your eSignature Tool: First, select a trusted eSignature provider and sign up. Popular platforms include DocuSign, Adobe Sign, and FlexiSign. These tools are secure, user-friendly, and accepted across industries.
2. Upload the Document: Once you’ve signed up, simply upload the document that requires signing. This can be a contract, agreement, form, or any legal paperwork.
3. Sign the Document: Using the platform’s tools, make an esign and place it on the designated areas of the document. You can either type your name, draw your signature with a mouse or stylus, or upload an image of your handwritten signature.
4. Send and Finalize: After signing, you can send the document to other parties for their signatures or download it for your records. Many eSignature tools also allow you to set up workflows, making it easy to manage documents that require multiple signers.

Benefits of eSignatures for Modern Businesses

The adoption of eSignatures is on the rise, and for good reason. Here are the top benefits businesses gain by making the switch:

1. Increased Efficiency

eSignatures eliminate the need for printing, scanning, and faxing documents. This streamlines workflows and reduces the time spent managing paperwork.

2. Cost Savings

With no need for paper, ink, or physical storage space, businesses can reduce the cost of managing documents. Simply sign documents online and cut down on administrative costs, like packing and shipping fees.

3. Improved Security

eSignatures offer a higher level of security compared to traditional signatures. Advanced eSignature platforms provide encryption and authentication features to ensure that the signatures are legitimate. Many also include audit trails that track when, where, and by whom a document was signed, making the process highly transparent.

4. Legally Binding

eSignatures are legally recognized in many countries around the world. In fact, in places like the United States, the EU, and India, eSignatures are governed by laws such as the ESIGN Act (U.S.) and eIDAS (EU), which ensure that electronically signed documents hold the same legal weight as those signed in person.

5. Convenience and Accessibility

With eSignatures, you no longer need to wait for physical documents to be signed or chase down signatures. All you need is an internet connection to sign or send documents for signing from anywhere in the world, at any time.

6. Enhanced Collaboration

Collaborating with clients, vendors, or partners becomes easier with eSignatures. Rather than dealing with the back-and-forth of paper-based agreements, all parties can sign documents electronically, often in real-time.

How to Choose the Right eSignature Solution

Can you use sign documents online on any platform off the internet? Not really. You don’t want to be uploading your documents or signature to unverified websites on the internet that don’t fit your business and compliance needs. Here are some factors to consider when evaluating eSignature providers:

1. Compliance and Security: Make sure the provider meets global and industry standards for data protection and compliance, like GDPR and HIPAA, ensuring your contracts are legally binding.
2. User Interface: Choose a platform that is easy to use, uploads documents with minimum lag time, and allows you to drag and drop signature, date, and other relevant elements quickly.
3. Integrations: Integrations can make a big difference to your workflows. Check if the platform integrates well with other tools your business uses, Gmail, Slack, Zapier, etc.
4. Customization Options: Look for solutions that offer customization, for instance, the ability to create templates, workflows, and signature fields that match your business needs and branding.
5. Customer Support: A good eSignature provider should also offer reliable customer support to help you resolve any issues or answer questions promptly.

Go From Zero to Signed in Seconds with FlexiSign

FlexiSign is a very user-friendly platform designed to simplify signing documents online for businesses of all sizes. Not only does it have a fast and intuitive interface, it is also a comprehensive document workflow solution.

You can create, send agreements or contracts to individuals for signing, and track their progress every step of the way. Once a document is sent, FlexiSign notifies you when the recipient has opened it, providing real-time updates on the document’s status. No need to chase down signatures any more!

Additionally, FlexiSign makes it simple to organize documents, set up approval processes, and keep everything in one place. You can customize workflows, assign specific tasks or approval steps.

Some of the key features of FlexiSign that’ll get you signing in a flash are:

• 25+ doc types: FlexiSign supports over 25 document types, including PDF, Word, Excel, and more
• Custom Branding: You can personalize your workflows with your brand’s logo and name
• Reusable & Custom Templates: Save time by reusing frequently used documents and quickly sending them to clients or team members.
• Multilingual Support: FlexiSign offers a multilingual interface, enabling users worldwide to sign documents in their preferred language.
• Multiple Document Bundles: Send and track multiple documents for signatures at once, simplifying the process for large-scale agreements.
• Attachments: Collect and manage supporting documents along with your contracts for a smooth and organized workflow.
• Legally-Binding Signatures: FlexiSign ensures compliance with U.S. and international electronic signature laws, making your signed documents legally secure.
• Self-Signing Feature: Effortlessly sign documents on-the-go by importing files into FlexiSign and adding necessary fields from any device.
• In-Person Signing: Use the FlexiSign mobile app to gather eSignatures from clients or field teams in real-time.
• Signature Sequencing: Customize your signing process to ensure documents are signed in a specific order or allow simultaneous signatures from multiple recipients.
• Seamless Integration: FlexiSign integrates seamlessly with over 5,000 apps, including Gmail, Dropbox, and Slack.

Hope you found this esignature guide helpful, and feel ready to begin signing and managing your documents digitally with FlexiSign!

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