As bizarre as it may appear, all three of these statements were previously believed to be correct. At the present time, all three are unequivocally myths, with the last one taking you completely off guard.

When it comes to legally binding documents, many small business owners believe that ink signatures, sometimes known as “wet signatures,” are the only option available to them.

The Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (ESIGN) of 2000, which established that electronic signatures have the same legal significance as handwritten signatures, has made it possible for electronic and digital signatures to be recognized.

ESIGN has been in operation for 17 years. Why are some individuals so adamant that written signatures are the only valid signatures available? Some habits are tough to break, which is a good thing; if you prefer written signatures, go ahead and write away.

Nonetheless, it’s vital to keep in mind that electronic signature software is completely legal and secure, and it’s also significantly easier to process than physical signatures.

When it comes to signatures,  what is the difference between both a digital signature and an electronic signature?

Continue to keep things simple because this is where things could get a bit complicated. The more particular type of digital signatures on papers is a subset of the more general category of electronic signatures, which includes other types of digital signatures as well.

In order to verify the authenticity of the signer, both digital and electronic signatures are acceptable means of verification. It is important to understand the following distinctions:

Electronic signature

Electronic signing refers to the process of confirming the legitimacy of an electronic signature once it has been created.

Personal identification numbers (think ATMs) and confirming that you “agree” or “disagree” to terms in any electronic file, or typing the name of an electronic form (emails or forms, letters, etc.) and a scanned copy of your handwritten signature into a document, or the digital signature of a tablet to complete the transaction are just a few examples.

Every circumstance is legally binding and serves as a representation of your acceptance.

Digital Signature

The electronic signature procedure goes one step further by incorporating an integrated “certificate of authority,” which serves to identify the person who signed the document and provides proof of their signature.

In addition, the document contains the date and time, which can be used to verify its legitimacy. Digital signatures often necessitate the use of software to generate a certificate that is unique to the person signing the document.

Electronic signatures can save you both time and money by allowing you to:

It’s possible that you’re not employing digital signatures because you’re afraid of them. “That appears to be really technical and complex, and I simply do not have the time to do it,” you could think. However, there are numerous advantages to shifting away from printing on paper and instead embedding your John Hancock in ink, including the following:

It is not necessary to print any documents. Reduce the cost of paper, printer ink, file folders, and pen cartridges in order to save money on your office supplies budget.

The process of signing and sharing papers becomes considerably simpler and faster once digital signatures have been established. Email is a convenient way to send digitally stored files. There is no need to print them out because they are digital.

Is it feasible to sign a permission form while travelling outside of the city? It’s not a problem. This is a significant advantage for small businesses that require the signature of the owner on purchase orders, as described above.

You will no longer be required to wait for the owners or those authorised to sign on their behalf to return to the office in order to acquire a signed document.

Simply email an electronic signature in a pdf document, and your documents will be ready to use immediately after that. This is a significant time saver for small businesses.

Documents signed online are more secure than documents signed on paper since they are not printed.

By attaching a verified digital signature to the document, the receiving party can be assured that the document’s integrity has not been compromised.

This authentication technique ensures that you are aware of who created the document and that it has not been tampered with after it has been signed by the signatory. In the event that the document is compromised, you will be protected against identity theft.

After all is said and done

As technology advances, a growing number of organisations will accept electronic signatures as a form of identification. Providing your business partners agree on a preferred technique, both wet signatures and electronic signatures are both appropriate and legally enforceable.

Furthermore, get rid of your file cabinet as well as any remaining paperwork. When using electronic signatures, the procedure will be more efficient while also assuring that everything is secure. Using electronic signatures in your organisation can help you save time because they make it possible to complete administrative tasks more rapidly.

Today’s businesses rely on electronic signature software to validate papers, secure data, increase efficiency, and reduce expenses.