“Going Green” has become the new catchphrase in business, it seems, but how can a small business do more than just make the token gesture? Reprinted below is a very good article I came across that lists a few of the ways in which any company can make a start towards a greener way of business.
Green Business Tips by Sharon Housley
Going Green Saves Green
Businesses that are “going green” are becoming more and more commonplace. Regardless of your political beliefs or opinions regarding the “global warming” concept, few can argue that being environmentally aware will leave the world a better place. Whether a company is simply jumping on the green bandwagon, or are honestly sensitive about environmental issues is really irrelevant. Consumers like green businesses, and shaping your business to promote being “eco-friendly” makes sense from a public relations standpoint.
Not surprisingly, many businesses that have taken the steps to “go green” are also discovering that going green often saves them another kind of green (as in the “money” kind of green). For example, consider hotels that are allowed by long-term guests to only launder sheets and towels every other day rather than every single day. The hotel is presenting an environmentally-friendly face, while at the same time saving money on their bottom line. They save in both staff time and cleaning materials by laundering less frequently, and all while presenting an environmentally-concerned image for their company.
There are a number of steps that almost any business can take to become more environmentally-friendly. Here are just a few…
Power Management & Conservation
Encourage energy conservation throughout the company. Be sure that offices are equipped with energy-efficient light bulbs, and purchase equipment and supplies that conserve power. Encourage staff to turn off lights and equipment in offices and conference rooms when they are not in use.
Telecommuting
Cut travel costs by using virtual conferencing tools. When feasible, allow employees to telecommute (work from home) on certain days or a number of days per week. Statistics show that employees who telecommute are actually more productive, and work longer hours than those who commute to an office each day. Telecommuting can also reduce a company’s “carbon footprint”. A carbon footprint refers to the amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses your choices create.
Printing & Recycling
Encourage your staff to recycle. Provide recycling bins for soda and drink containers. Encourage staff to use the back side of old printed materials for notes and scratch paper. Use double-sided printing for reports, and use a digital infrastructure that allows documents to be transferred digitally to reduce printing costs.
Corporate motives can be questioned, but it really doesn’t matter whether a company truly cares about the planet, or if they are “going green” simply for a cost savings…. because no matter what the motives, at the end of the day green businesses will help leave the planet a healthier place for future generations.
When you go camping, the rule is to always leave the campsite in better shape than you found it. The same could be said for the environment, and what a legacy for a generation to leave. Rarely does a business go green as a result of social consciousness, but that does not diminish the fact that being green can also generate green (money). Take tangible steps to make your company more environmentally-friendly.
About the Author:
Sharon Housley manages marketing for FeedForAll http://www.feedforall.com software for creating, editing, publishing RSS feeds and podcasts. In addition Sharon manages marketing for RecordForAllhttp://www.recordforall.com audio recording and editing software.
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I actually don’t have a writing schedule. I usually start out writing an article as one side of a conversation with someone I like, and polish it later on. In fact I get most of my ideas while in conversation with people, and I try to remember the topic and gist of the conversation so I can write about it later.
For example – I was talking to a friend and she said how frustrating it was for her to try to get her family on board with the recycling. I got the idea of writing about how to “go green:” at work as well.
I don’t always finish an article at one sitting – sometimes I get one started and then my words just dry up, so I let it percolate in the back of my mind for a while.
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Hi, and thanks for the nice comment!
Hints for aspiring writers…Hmmm….
As you can see from my blog here, I write sporadically and don’t follow a “publication calendar”. Basically, I write about topics that interest me, and that I think will be useful to people in general, and more specifically, to the small business owner who may be hoping to use the internet more effectively to enhance their business. So I guess I would say, write what you care about.
And PROOFREAD everything at least twice – once when you have finished writing it, and again after a few days – you’ll be surprised at the little things you’ll catch.
As far as a platform – well, I love WordPress. I use the free version available for download at http://wordpress.org, and I host it at http://www.SiteGround. I like the freedom to customize the look of the site and to add the plugins I want. Alternatively you could go to wordpress.com and set up a free account – but your options there are more limited.
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That’s interesting! Although I do find that lately many WordPress sites seem to have very similar layouts. This is probably due to the proloferation of so many free and inexpensive pre-designed themes.
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You say your site is like mine – I’d love to see it; I’m always interested in other people’s sites. Feel free to post a link in reply to this comment!