Note: I asked Joseph Walla, cofounder of HelloFax to write a guest blog for FOREM. Why? Isn’t faxing a thing of the past? The reality is that even in 2011, trying to send and receive a fax can be a still be a royal pain – special equipment, special paper, special phone line, and the list goes on. And whether you like it or not, many real estate agents and brokers still rely on faxing for transmitting documents. Joseph and his business partner launched HelloFax about a month ago, and have recently been written up by TechCrunch, Read Write Web, and Slate Magazine. Although there are many online fax products, I love the super simplicity of HelloFax. I would love your feedback on this product especially if you are using it – please leave me a comment below. Thanks! – Katie
Faxing documents is a hassle. You may already subscribe to an online faxing service, hoping that it would solve the problem. But what happens when you have to sign a document? Before you can fax it, you first have to print it, sign it and scan it. Another hassle.
HelloFax solves that problem. We’ve built a web-based replacement for your fax machine, with real world scenarios in mind. The main reason people still need fax machines is to fill out and sign documents. Using HelloFax, you can do it all in your browser.
Here’s how it works:
1. Enter a fax number or email address
Enter in recipient’s fax number, and that’s it. Another feature that’s been getting a lot of use is the email option. Instead of putting in a fax number, you can put in an email address – and we deliver your document via email. About a third of all our documents are sent this way.
2. Upload your documents (of almost any type)
We accept most file types, including PDFs, Word documents, and image files. Just click on “Edit & Sign” to fill out and sign your document. Don’t need to edit it? Click “Send it now”.
3. Fill it out.
To make it simpler, we actually removed features. You can add text by clicking anywhere on the screen. You can also add check-marks by clicking that option on the toolbar.
4. Add your signature.
We have 3 different ways to add your signature. You can draw it with your mouse, upload an image file of your signature, or take a picture of your signature with your smart phone and email it in. We’re building a tool that can work independently of fax machines, printers and scanners – and are constantly looking to improve the signing flow.
Note: IE 7 and IE 8 don’t allow you to draw your signature. But, for those browsers, you can still upload a signature image or use your smartphone.
Okay, that’s great, but how do I receive faxes? That was our most requested feature. Select your state and area code; then choose from the available fax numbers.. You can also select a toll free number:
Why it is great for Realtors:
- Sign & fax on the go. You’re never tied to your fax machine, printer or scanner.
- Paperless office. Realtors go through a tremendous amount of paperwork and it’s a hassle to manage.
- With HelloFax, you can stay digital, even with clients who need faxes. For your records, we also email you a PDF copy of every document you send or receive.
- Receive faxes in real time. We forward all faxes to your email account, as they come in.
Special Offer for 48 Hours:
We’re giving away our basic account (usually $4.99 / month) for free to FOREM readers. Here’s the special part. You don’t need a credit card for this free trial. All you need is your email address (so we can send you confirmation emails) and to select a password (to protect your documents).
You can access this offer by signing up for the basic plan through this link: http://www.hellofax.com/content/pricing?promo_code=FOREM.
After 2 months, if you like us, you can continue as a paid member. If not, we’re glad you tried it out.
What you can do for us:
We love and need feedback. We want to build something that you want, rather than something that we think you want. You’ll notice that we respond to most emails within 10 minutes. So, please write. We’d love to hear from you.
Here is a video to show you how it works: (click here to see the video if you are having problems seeing it below)
About the author: Joseph is the cofounder of HelloFax.You can follow HelloFax on Twitter @hellofax
