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Tips for Businesses Going Green

 
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notepage



Joined: 19 Apr 2009
Posts: 10

PostPosted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 6:55 am    Post subject: Tips for Businesses Going Green Reply with quote

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A business that makes the decision to be environmentally-conscious will often promote goodwill among potential customers, while making the world a better place for future generations. Many businesses hesitate to adopt green practices because they fear it will hurt their bottom line and negatively impact profits. But many eco-conscious businesses discover that they can actually save money and bring in new customers who specifically patronize companies that actively make an effort to be environmentally friendly. Many customers may even be willing to pay a bit more for a product or service from a company that is green.

Many businesses already do things that are eco-friendly, not necessarily because they are sensitive to green living, but simply to save money. That does not, however, diminish the value of their green efforts. The trick for businesses is to be eco-friendly without compromising profitability.

Here are a few ways to help develop a "green" business strategy...

Telecommuting
Implementing a telecommuting program for employees can often have additional benefits beyond simply saving money on gasoline and reducing transportation-based emissions. Allowing alternative working arrangements for employees, such as allowing them to telecommute and work from home, even if only on certain days, will often result in those employees being more productive, and it will also serve to endear them to your company

Electronic Invoices, Statements, And Quotes
You can not only save money on postage, but also cut down on the use of paper by converting routine business documents such as invoices, statements, and quotes into an electronic format such as PDF, and then delivering them via email when possible. That is far more "green" and much cheaper than the traditional method of printing them on paper, putting them in an envelope, and mailing them via the postal mail service.

Downloadable W-9
You can further reduce paper use by creating and posting a downloadable W-9 form on your website, rather than printing and mailing them to everyone who requests a copy.

Reduce Energy Consumption
Reduce expenses even further by encouraging your staff members to minimize energy consumption. Whenever possible, use Energy Star Compliant equipment in the office. You can also use energy-saving light bulbs, now available in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, along with encouraging staff to turn out lights and shut down equipment when not in use.

Shipping
Minimize packaging materials by using boxes that are more properly sized to the item being shipped. Also, use recycled materials for packing and packaging. Offer an electronic delivery option for any digital products such as software or music.

Hybrid Delivery Vehicles
Utilize environmentally-friendly hybrid vehicles for delivery, service, and sales calls. While the initial expense of the vehicle itself may be more, the long-term savings in fuel and possible tax advantages may make an updated fleet of hybrid vehicles a good investment.

Natural Lighting
When modernizing office space, consider how you can utilize natural lighting to help illuminate the space. A brighter office will make it a friendlier and warmer atmosphere for employees. And using natural lighting will help reduce electricity costs.

Patronize
All companies buy supplies and use the services of other companies, so consider patronizing companies who also follow green principles. Simply put, it is the right thing to do.

While not all companies may be considered Eco-Entrepreneurs, be reasonable when possible, and take proactive steps toward being green, which are not only good for the environment, but also good for your bottom line .

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 RecordForAll http://www.recordforall.com audio recording and editing software.


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garytoh



Joined: 20 Oct 2009
Posts: 1

PostPosted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 10:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Very Good Topic start :)"

Operating a green business is not only good for the environment but good for your business's bottom line because conserving resources and cutting down on waste saves money.whether you run a home-based business or an off-site enterprise, there are simple things you can do to run an environmentally friendly business.

Recycling is the first thing that comes to mind when we think of being environmentally friendly. And recycling is important. But recycling is only one part of the environmentally friendly business equation. We can also take a large step towards being more environmentally friendly by reducing the amounts of waste in our offices and business operations.


Here are just ten easy-to-implement ideas for running a green business from the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade's Greening Operations guides that you can put into practice right now to make your office a more environmentally friendly place:

1. Turn off equipment when it's not being used. This can reduce the energy used by 25 percent; turning off the computers at the end of the day can save an additional 50 percent.

2. Encourage communications by email, and read email messages onscreen to determine whether it's necessary to print them. If it's not, don't!

3. Reduce fax-related paper waste by using a fax-modem and by using a fax cover sheet only when necessary.Fax-modems allow documents to be sent directly from a computer, without requiring a printed hard copy.

4. Produce double-sided documents whenever possible.

5. Do not leave taps dripping; always close them tightly after use. (One drop wasted per second wastes 10,000 litres per year.)

6. Install displacement toilet dams in toilet reservoirs. Placing one or two plastic containers filled with stones [not bricks] in the toilet's reservoir will displace about 4 litres of water per flush - a huge reduction of water use over the course of a year.

7. Find a supply of paper with maximum available recycled content.

8. Choose suppliers who take back packaging for reuse.

9. Instigate an ongoing search for "greener" products and services in the local community. The further your supplies or service providers have to travel, the more energy will be used to get them to you.

10. Before deciding whether you need to purchase new office furniture, see if your existing office furniture can be refurbished. It's less expensive than buying new and better for the environment.

Environmentally friendly actions don't have to be large to have an impact. Consistently reducing the amount of energy, water, and paper our businesses use can make a huge difference, both to the environment and to our pocketbooks. How much paper would you save over the course of a year, for instance, if you always ran doublesided copies? A small thing - but a big result!
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