How many pieces of paper do you think you use at work in one year? 100? Perhaps 2,000?

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the average office worker uses 10,000 sheets of copy paper a year. However, by using the technologies available to us today, we can easily cut down on our high rate of paper consumption, while making business processes faster and more cost-effective.

With this said, Dwolla is proud to join the Paperless Coalition in support of the GoPaperless 2013 campaign to remove the ‘paper’ from paperwork.

We urge you to go paperless by using technologies such as Google Drive or Dropbox to share and edit documents with coworkers, HelloFax to do online faxing, and Expensify to do your expense reports.

With Dwolla, you can take your payments online. Easily send an electronic invoice, pay out your affiliates, or pay the bills. If your company does mass payments, the Dwolla MassPay tool allows you to pay up to 2,000 people at once, sparing the checks and envelopes and keeping costs low.

Other ways to save:

• Use both the front and back sides of the paper when printing
• Ditch the disposable paper towels and napkins, switch to cloth
• Pay bills online
• Use eReaders or iPads to receive your magazines or newspapers
• eSign your documents

Sign up at paperless2013.org to receive more helpful tips and tools from the Paperless Coalition, and fill us in on other tips that you have for helping to save time, money and paper in the comments section.

Does your company need to pay a lot of people at once? Then you should be using Dwolla for payouts.

With Dwolla MassPay and the Dwolla MassPay API, there is no reason you shouldn’t be using Dwolla for your company’s mass payments. Pay up to 2,000 people at once (limit can be raised upon request) with just a few clicks, at the same low cost of $0.25 for payments over $10, and free for payments $10 and under.

Dwolla MassPay helps do everything from paying out contractors to rewarding customers. Here’s a list of other scenarios in which you could use our MassPay tool:

• Marketplace commissions
• Winnings
• Rebates
• Royalties
• Rewards
• Affiliates
• Freelancers

From online marketplaces to gaming sites, Dwolla supports a wide range of businesses currently using Dwolla for payouts. Here are just a few of them:

• Very Jane
• Major League Gaming
• Exec
• VHX.tv
• Flashnotes
• Fancy Hands
• Webmasterchecks
• TeachersPayTeachers
• CashCrate
• Swagbucks
• DraftKings
• Zumu
• HipsterMaid
• Belly
• WunWun
• Phenoms Fantasy Sports
• LendSquare
• Derby Jackpot

Interested in using Dwolla for payouts? Check out dwolla.com/payouts and contact Brian K. at brian@dwolla.com for more information.

Last week at Big Omaha, I had the awesome opportunity to listen to Cindy Gallop speak about women in the workplace, as well as have a great conversation with Sally Nellson Barrett from Malone & Company on the subject.

A few things stuck out to me, and I started thinking about my own life. I was basically raised by two women, my grandmother and my mother. They created a lot of structure in my life, and I arguably have been trying to figure that out for myself since I moved out of the house. Their work ethic and personality traits were truly unbelievable.

To this day, a lot of the people I work really well with are exceptionally strong women. Charise Flynn, Dwolla’s COO, is a perfect example of an amazing woman who leads and drives the company forward with her quick problem solving and great business decisions.

This is not to say that there is a problem with the guys that I work with. I love them. They’re amazing and I want to work with more of them too, but we need more kick ass women at Dwolla. Out of the 42 amazingly talented employees at Dwolla, only 10 are women. Diversity is a good thing, we want different opinions and more voices at the table.

So the question remains: How can I work with more women so that we can continue to build a better company?

The other day, I asked Jenna, our HR manager, how many female applications were in the developer pipeline. We didn’t have one. Not a single one. That’s a big stack of applications, and that seemed silly.

So, I was especially interested at Big Omaha to learn what I could do to attract more women. My favorite piece of advice came from Cindy during her talk, when she told everyone to simply put yourself out there for women to see and say: “I WANT TO WORK FOR/WITH YOU!”

So here we go. I hope this isn’t awkward…

Women of the tech world,

I know you’re out there. I see you at conferences and at coffee shops hacking all day. When you catch me looking at you working, I’m not looking for a wedding ring. I’m trying to see if you’re building something and if so, on what, for whom, so I can figure out how to find you.

I believe you have exceptional minds. You’ve continually challenged the company, held us accountable, and, personally, told me if my ideas suck. I appreciate that.

We need more of that.

We can’t find you if you’re not applying, and we want really badly to work with you. My motives are totally selfish and transparent. We know how awesome you are, what an amazing team member we think you will be, and we want to build a great company with you.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Please! Apply.

-Ben

This is a guest post by former Dwolla intern, Mike Wilner. Mike is a graduate from Washington and Lee University, and currently works for Venture for America. This post was originally published on Mike’s Medium account.

This past summer, I worked at a bank on Wall Street. It was ok. Ultimately, I decided that banking was not for me, and I was not for banking.

During my internship, I spent 80-100 hour weeks working on one particular deal. After countless hours aligning Powerpoint slides, changing information in document templates, and listening in on calls where I had to keep myself on mute (literally), we closed it. The deal was a $250 million bond-issue. That’s a billion quarters! I was told that it was pretty cool.

Fast-forward to a few months later. I’d been working with an awesome company named Dwolla to spread use in Lexington, VA—an old, small, civil war town where I attend Washington and Lee University. In a nutshell, Dwolla is a payment network that can be used by merchants, consumers, landlords, and anyone else to send and receive money. After a few weeks, I found myself inside the local donut/burger shop, Pure Eats, helping the owner integrate Dwolla into his Point of Sale system.

Once everything was configured. We completed a deal of our own. I bought a donut for $1—that’s four quarters.

I was overcome with a wave of satisfaction. In my brief professional career, I’d never felt anything like it. I had brought Dwolla to a town where it did not before existed, and completed a transaction where it previously could not.

Driving back to my house, blasting “Sunny,” by Bobby Hebb with the windows down, I thought about the ‘billion quarter deal’ I was a part of the previous summer. That feeling from the summer was nothing compared to my current joy.

As a math major, this fascinated me. General wisdom would dictate that the ‘billion quarter deal’ was way cooler. The key was that I was doing something that I loved—building. I could take ownership of the accomplishment. That ‘billion quarter deal’ would have happened whether I was working at the bank or working in a coffee shop. However, the ‘four quarter deal’ could not have. I made something happen.

After my summer internship, I decided that I wanted to become an entrepreneur. This event was confirmation that I made the right decision. Sometimes, your feelings make more sense than numbers.

This is a guest post by former Dwolla intern, Mike Wilner. Mike is a graduate from Washington and Lee University, and currently works for Venture for America. This post was originally published on Mike’s Medium account.

Today, we’d like to feature a company providing a complete management service for preschools, schools and other childcare organizations.

NeatSchool automates the reporting, billing, record-keeping, communication and compliance aspects of operations. It frees up staff and the Director/Principal to focus instead on the safety of the children, recruitment and retention, and achievement of the enrollment goals.

How it works [case study]

Montessori Academy of Campbell (MAC), a customer and inspiration for NeatSchool, only accepted payment in the form of checks and cash. MAC looked at accepting credit cards, but they were not willing to increase their tuition by 3% to accommodate online payments with credit cards. They looked at various vendors’ bank-to-bank systems, but found them to be complicated to set up, carrying huge fees, or both. If MAC went with NeatSchool, it would have to manually enter the cash and check transactions.

In 2011, NeatSchool integrated with Dwolla using the Dwolla API. For setup, MAC only had to open a Dwolla merchant account. Now, a “Pay now” button appears on the billing page in the parents’ portal. Parent’s click the button and pay using their Dwolla account. More recently, with the Dwolla API improvements, parents can even pay without a Dwolla account simply by providing their bank account information.

Now, the school’s electronic books get updated automatically and the only thing they have to do is to move money from Dwolla to their bank account once in a while.

I was lucky enough to talk to the NeatSchool founder about the story behind the service:

What was the inspiration behind the creation of NeatSchool?

I noticed that in most childcare settings, the administration was going through paperwork in an inconsistent and, at times, wasteful way. In the market, there are one-off solutions for different problems, but not a SaaS system that ties everything together. Major companies have access to ERP systems that can be customized, but most of them are too expensive even for the typical small business, let alone a small or medium school/preschool/childcare organization.

Can you share one of your favorite NeatSchool stories or experiences?

Many of our referrals come from parents who, when moving from one school to another, question why the school does not have a NeatSchool-like system.

What is one important lesson that you’ve learned from building NeatSchool?

Change is hard. A lot of the childcare organizations are still run by people who are not very comfortable with new technologies. However, this is changing rapidly with tech-savvy parents and younger educators and administrators who are not only comfortable with new technologies, but expect it.

What do you see for the future of technology in schools and child care? What do you see as the biggest challenge or problem in education that can be helped or solved with technology?

There are many companies focusing on learning software, especially with the proliferation of mobile and touch-based devices. However, the back office remains a paper maze in most places. NeatSchool’s goal is to automate all these processes so that everything can be tracked online at any time through any device.

**

Interested in a management service for your school? Check out NeatSchool, or watch some of their videos showcasing their Dwolla integration below:

Online payments using your Dwolla account

Online payments using your bank account (via Dwolla)

In short: Zumu allows consumers to earn extra cash by selling their used DVDs, Games and CDs. For many of you, this means that you have stacks of cash sitting right alongside your TV or hidden in boxes in the basement.

It’s easy:

1. Enter the barcode of an item you no longer want at Zumu.co, or use the free smart phone app to scan it in and you will be given an instant value.
2. Zumu.co will email you a welcome pack- just pack your items in a box using the FREE shipping label and drop it off at a post office.
3. Receive payment with check or Dwolla (we’re partial to the convenience and awesomeness of the latter) when your goods are checked in.

Let’s do a quick recap: Don’t hurt the environment with your Pearl Jam CDs. Don’t throw money in the trash can. Don’t kill a tree by requesting to receive a check, use Dwolla instead.

Head on over to Zumu.co now and start getting paid to recycle.

On Monday we featured Boosterville, a startup that is re-imagining the way that school programs raise money. Today, we’re excited to introduce you to a company that is helping teachers save precious time on lesson planning, as well as providing them with an additional source of income.

TeachersPayTeachers is an open online marketplace that teachers can easily use to buy and sell original educational materials. With over 1.8 million registered users, TeachersPayTeachers boasts a large variety of content applicable to to almost any subject and grade level. Creating original lesson plans is no small task, and being able to use materials that have been tried and tested in the classroom can save a lot of time when looking for fresh, new ideas and supplemental content.

In turn, educators can earn extra cash by selling their own lesson plans. Here at Dwolla, we’re proud to announce that if you earn money on TeachersPayTeachers, you can now get paid out with Dwolla and keep more of your hard-earned profit.

So, teachers: start saving time on planning and creating all of your own lesson plans, and start making money by selling your own material with TeachersPayTeachers.

Dwolla and the Offices of the Governor and Lt. Governor are issuing a “call to arms.”

We’re asking those closest to education -the students, teachers, and school administrators- to submit their classroom Challenges and improve education!

We’re looking to developers and designers -our weekend warriors- to step up, design, and tackle these Challenges. Use your creativity, experience, and skill sets to gamify learning, create a library app, or build a system to track progress. Whatever challenge you decide to pick up, it’s up to you how it’s solved. Spots are limited!

Together, on  June 1 & 2, you’ll have 36-hours to work hand-in-hand, addressing the Challenge and improving a specific aspect of education at Startup City Des Moines. Build an app to navigate the local library, track homework assignments more easily, create a mobile fundraising platform, build whatever it is that will help the community strengthen education.

     Submit a Challenge          Register as a Developer or Designer

We’ll feed you with food from Central Iowa culinary institutions, like Mo’ Rub, Tacopocalypse, Thelma’s and Tartine; we’ll keep you caffeinated with the help of Mars Cafe; we’ll clothe you with t-shirts from 87 Central; heck, we’ll even entertain (a few surprises up our sleeves) you too. We’ll do it all, for free, so you can focus on creating a piece of software, website, or app that wasn’t there 36-hours ago.

Educators, this is your chance to find a way to stretch your budget, reach that one kid, or find more time in your day for greater one-on-one time with your students. No technology experience necessary.

Students, this is your opportunity to build new ways to learn, track your progress, or bring greater transparency to your grades. 

Administrators, this is your chance to create a better fundraising platform, solve an organizational issue, or develop a better way to communicate with your teachers.

Developers, this is your opportunity to prove the value of a STEM education, strengthen the community, and build fundamentally meaningful products.

Open to the public

Along with Demo Day on Sunday, June 2 at 3pm, Dwolla is also hosting free coding classes to the public. Come drop in and learn the basics of coding from local startups.

Prizes

We’re doing something different this time. We’re splitting the cash prizes 50/50. The winning teams are able to keep half. The other half can be donated to a school or club or it can be re-invested in the project to continue its development.

First place: Hint….

Second place: $1,000

Third place: $500

Our partners

We’re pleased to announce the first round of partnerships. We’re looking for more, like-minded organizations to help with the event. Email us at communications@dwolla.com.

Startl is paving the way for cool new digital media learning products to move from idea to funding and into learners’ hands.

This hackathon is in partnership with the National Day of Civic Hacking, a countrywide event aimed at improving our communities by coding solutions.

To keep up-to-date with all things hackathon, be sure to follow us on Twitter at @hacktoschool.

Chances are, when you were a kid,  you had to sell something to support a club, school organization or athletic team. Whether it was pushing coupon books, pies, or magazine subscriptions, it was usually something you really didn’t want to sell and your neighbors didn’t really want to buy. I still remember a family friend cutting a check for half of my merchandise just so we didn’t have to spend a full week battling it out against classmates in my 800-person hometown. I guess they felt bad for 10-year-old me, collecting a haphazard stack of cash and checks for $1 candy bars that tasted like cardboard.

Boosterville is re-imagining the broken system of school fundraising. Founded by Tom and Pam Cooper -a husband and wife duo- the Memphis-based startup is on a mission to help booster club programs raise the funds they need by connecting them to businesses in the community.

It’s simple:

• Booster clubs sign up and launch a campaign
• Local businesses sign on to support a booster club program
• Customers go to businesses that are supporting a program, pay via the Boosterville mobile app, and a portion of their proceeds are automatically taken out and sent to the booster club

Because Boosterville does everything in real-time, the business never has to worry about crunching numbers and sending checks or wire transfers to the fundraiser.

What makes this process even better? Boosterville is using Dwolla to power the transactions, so that business and fundraiser are spared the high processing fees associated with credit cards.

Boosterville is a win-win for the community. Raise funds for a cause, while boosting the local economy and bringing new customers to local businesses (and take the pressure off students and parents to buy 10 coupon books they’ll never use).

Parents and teachers: launch a fundraising campaign for your Booster Club program today!

Businesses: sign on to support your local school programs!

Traveling is and always will be one of my biggest passions. Barcelona! Paris! New York City! All of those cities sound amazing to visit, but they also sound well, expensive, and many people think that visiting them is completely out of reach.

Well, the truth is that traveling doesn’t have to be expensive, even to foreign countries! In fact, it can be pretty cheap if you know where to look.

Below are some of my favorite places to visit both in and outside of the U.S. All of them can be reached relatively easily if you travel during the off season and make sure to score some great travel deals on well known websites like Kayak and Orbitz.

1. New Orleans, Louisiana

New Orleans is home to some of best restaurants in the world, but the best thing about New Orleans is that you don’t have to spend a lot to get amazing food. Try a $9.00 muffaletta at Café Maspero in the French Quarter.  It will seriously blow your mind.

After you’ve had an amazing lunch, spend some time strolling through the French Quarter, admiring the architecture, and wandering in the shops. You can even buy a painting off the street in Jackson Square and watch the riverboats go by.

Try staying in the French Quarter so you won’t have to rent a car. You can then pay a pittance to take the streetcar uptown to see some absolutely gorgeous homes.

Although it’s hot, visiting in August is the cheapest time to go because it’s the start of Hurricane season and very humid. I say give it a try, but make sure to pack lots of water and buy travel insurance in case a storm does blow through.

2. Cinque Terre, Italy

The hardest part about affording a trip to Cinque Terre is buying the plane ticket. However, if you go from December to April, you’re guaranteed lower rates. You can also rack up miles with an airline credit card (just make sure you can afford to pay it off in full each month!)

In the off-season, you can get round-trip tickets for under 100,000 airline miles depending on the carrier. So, do your homework and make sure that you’re using all of your resources!

The best thing about Cinque Terre is that the food and accommodations are very affordable. I stayed at the Cecio Pensione, which was under $100US for the night and extremely warm, cozy, and welcoming. The hotel owners were so laid back, I had to ask them twice if they wanted me to pay for the room. It’s the kind of place where you instantly relax upon arrival.

Also, for just a few bucks, you can take the train to visit all 5 of the small towns that make up Cinque Terre or you can hike through them all, which will show you some breathtaking (and very affordable) views.

3. Richmond, Virginia

Most people don’t realize that Richmond, VA is a major gem. While it might sound expensive because it’s a bustling capital city, it actually isn’t as fast moving as one might think.

Richmond is a place that puts on a ton of festivals that have great food and entertainment. There’s truly one every month, sometimes two. They are also very pet friendly and even boast a mall where you can bring your furry ones into stores.

However, despite all its positive attributes (like more than 5 absolutely free museums,) the real perk is the location.

If you stay in Richmond, you are only an hour away from Williamsburg and Charlottesville. You can soak up historical sites and take your kids to Busch Gardens. You can also drive 1 hour to Fredericksburg and take a quick train ride to D.C. where you can spend the day perusing the Capital and countless Smithsonian museums. If you like the mountains, you are only about 1.5 hours away. If you like the beach, it’s only about 2.

So, while you can enjoy this beautiful capital city on its own for relatively inexpensively, you can also use it as a jumping off point to see many other great sights.

My recommendation is to visit Richmond and the surrounding areas in the fall. The leaves are absolutely stunning, and places like Williamsburg won’t be as heavily laden with tourists.

Hopefully you get the opportunity to visit these three amazing cities. If you have any other suggestions of places to visit that are much cheaper than everyone thinks, please list them in the comments below!

Catherine Alford is a personal finance freelance writer who currently lives in the Caribbean with her husband and spoiled pup, Julep. When she is not writing for other websites on all topics frugal and fabulous, she enjoys sharing her adventures on her blog, www.BudgetBlonde.com. Follow her on Twitter @BudgetBlonde.

Photo Credit. Flickr Creative Commons 1, 2, & 3