5 Cost Effective, Eco-Friendly Business Trends To Implement Now

Business and consumer trends demand companies to become more eco-friendly. Here are five ways you can make your business more environmentally friendly and save money now…

Before digging in or hitting the back button, it’s critical that small business owners recognize that this is more than about trends or fads, or even deeply caring about the planet. Becoming more eco-friendly is essential for building a sustainable organization, boosting revenues, and the bottom line!

Having an eco-friendly brand can be great for increasing visibility and feeling good about what you are doing. However, beyond this and being a responsibility of all business owners today, incorporating more green elements throughout your operations can really help to ensure it survives for the long run.

On top of this, macro business trends are not only causing and making consumers to feel better about shopping eco-friendly brands, but this also means that many desirable strategic partners and business customers have no other choice. Shareholders and regulations forbid it. If you aren’t green that means instantly barring your enterprise from millions in potential income before you even launch.

So how can you give your company a greener tint without it costing you more money?

1. Unplug

According to a post on the Intuit blog, between 5 to 20 percent of business power bills are wasted on appliances and chargers still plugged in on standby mode. So unplug them, and get programmable lighting and thermostats for regulate power usage off hours.

2. Energy Efficient Shopping

Everything a company purchases, even if it is an independent entrepreneur working from home, has the ability to impact the environment for better or worse. This should be ingrained in the basic business plan and philosophy of the entity. Everything from driving routes, to company cars, bathroom tissue, coffee cups, coffee, water, office space chosen and appliances all make a difference and it can add up fast. There may even be cash rebates or tax benefits for businesses that really embrace this.

3. Shred Paper – Upgrade to the Cloud

Paper is one of the biggest environment and money killers. According to a new report on cost saving strategies, which have saved companies millions from G-Code Magazine, the average worker prints 10,000 sheets of paper a year. It also remarks that one of the best indicators of an eco-conscious enterprise is one which promotes being green even in their email signatures with lines such as “think before you print and protect the environment”.

Today so much can be done in the cloud from opting to receive electronic phone bills and settling accounts online versus by mail and check, to environmentally friendly marketing that is either online, over the phone via toll free numbers, or at least on paper from sustainable and responsibly maintained forests to document storage. This isn’t just good for the planet either; it saves companies a ton of cash and makes them more operationally efficient too.

4. Eat Better

Even if you couldn’t care less about diet or losing weight the vending machines you install in your office, restaurants you frequent with clients, and caterers used for meetings all speak volumes about your brand. Organic, environmentally friendly food sources help eliminate awkward moments for more conscious clients and can increase employee productivity.

5. Recycle More

Empowering workers to recycle is just good business. According to Earth 911 this now not only includes plastic and paper but even cigarette butts.

The flip side of this is new office design and business marketing trends that use recycled materials. Think recycled pens, desktop organizers, and custom branded bottles of water.

Being this easy, affordable and profitable there is no excuse for any business not to be integrating more eco-friendly factors throughout their organizations. What will you do? Business and consumer trends demand companies to become more eco-friendly. Here are five ways you can make your business more environmentally friendly and save money now…