Jim

A: I know you will be happy when I say, no, it isn’t. In fact, not only should “Going Green” not entail any major expense, it can actually save your small business money. After all, the whole idea is to reduce, reuse, and recycle.

There are any number of small steps any small businesses can take to help reduce their carbon footprint. Here are some of my favorites:

Change your light bulbs. By simply replacing your standard bulbs with compact fluorescent (CF) bulbs (the squiggly ones), you can reduce your power bill significantly. Added bonus: The new bulbs also provide better color and flicker less.

Use Energy Star equipment. Energy Star certification means that the appliance or product you are buying and using is green, highly energy efficient, and can save you money.

Choose an all-in-one printer. By using an all-in-one printer that offers two-sided printing (also called duplex printing) you can easily and immediately reduce your paper consumption, and costs, in half.

For example, Brother (a company I have done some work with) has a cool printer (the MFC-9840) that automatically allows you to print on both sides of the paper, is super fast, and is Energy Star-certified. I love that printer.

Use timers and motion sensors. Lights are often left on in conference rooms and other offices when they are not in use. By installing occupancy sensors, you will be assured that your office energy use will be efficient and not wasteful. It will save you money.

Similarly, electronic equipment like computers and monitors are usually not turned off when not in use. To remedy this, put a timer on that power strip.

Reuse and recycle. Boxes, packaging, paper, and office folders can easily be re-used. And, if you don’t reuse them, then at least have recycling bins handy so people can recycle them.

Buy recycled office supplies. Paper, pads, sticky notes, file folders, and even ink and toner cartridges can be purchased in recyclable versions, and often at the same price as similar “regular” items.  Indeed, many recycled paper products are now roughly the same price as conventional paper due to increased demand and better production operations.

Use green power. Many local utilities offer customers renewable power from green sources such as wind farms. Often, there are local incentives for using such sustainable energy supplies, and the new stimulus law also includes federal tax incentives for alternative energy use. Similarly, there are all sorts of breaks for investing in green tools like solar panels.

As with many of these ideas, while in the short run these things may seem like an expense, over the long term, such changes don’t cost, they pay.

Let people know what you are doing. Lots of consumers are making purchasing choices these days based upon how green a company is. So be sure to make note of what you are doing, what changes you have instituted, and then be sure to get the word out to the local media and your customers. Many customers will reward your efforts with increased loyalty.

On this Earth Day, remember that going green is your classic win-win: Not only does it help the environment, but it also can significantly lower your operating expenses. Who would thunk that going green actually saves green? 

Today’s Tip: One final idea: Be sure to get your employees involved. No doubt, many will have ideas of their own for how you can do even more in the greening of your business.  Involving motivated employees will allow them to participate in a cause they believe in while also helping the planet, and your business.

Governments, businesses, and individuals are all on the green train, but there is a new worry on the horizon: will people eventually tire of being told what to do in order to save the planet?

There is a curve when it comes to marketing of any product or idea. First, the idea starts small, then gains momentum. Eventually the idea has the support of thousands of people, but then a funny thing happens: all of a sudden, everyone gets tired of hearing the same old message.

It Ain’t Easy Being Green

This has happened time and again in marketing, but the problem with consumers and so- called eco-fatigue is that the very life of the planet depends on people continuing to live greener – and supporting businesses that conduct business in a greener manner.

In other words, no one can become eco-fatigued enough that they actually fall asleep, or the result may be a permanent coma.

So how does a business go about helping others, and the business itself, to avoid eco- fatigue? Well, first of all businesses need to be leaders in the area of green living. Businesses need to show people, through example, that their impact on the environment is important to them.

They can do so by using recycled and recyclable packaging with the recycle symbol on it. Refusing to use too many supplies – and making sure those supplies are eco-friendly – will also send the message that your business cares about the environment.

Use A Light Touch

And that is really what avoiding eco-fatigue is about; staying away from the point where people begin to feel as though they are being bullied into inconvenient behaviors in order to circumvent a catastrophe at some point in the distant future.

The campaign surrounding green living has traditionally centered around fear and guilt, and people just can’t take that kind of treatment for long (just look at how effective it is on your teenager!).

Sooner or later they rebel, and it usually happens in a big way; while they may have done little things before to help out, now they do nothing because they are just tired of being pushed into it.

The way to avoid this problem lies in the way we state what green living is all about. It is surprising how little of the ‘living green’ campaign focuses on how smart green living actually is; it is not just about the environment, it is about the bottom line.

Turning off lights, using less water and driving less means a far less outlay of cash. It is just more convenient to do paperless paper work; much easier to send messages wirelessly, and much easier to keep records.

In order to avoid eco-fatigue, then, it is important both to lead and to emphasize the positive. Doing so will be good for your business – and good for the planet.

Local governments as well as federal government laws are looking to come down hard on any businesses that fall foul of the new and proposed laws. However, far from this being a financial burden on your business, you can actually benefit and market your business as a green and environmentally friendly company. This will keep you on the right side of the law, as well as potentially increase your sales as customers look for greener options.

Go Green and Get Results
So how can this work for you? Aren’t there some businesses that are more suited to this approach than others? Not necessarily – even the smallest change can make all the difference. Yet you also need to have a plan in place that will make your business sustainable as well as environmentally sound. Then you need to market your business properly and to the right audience.

For example, say you’re a wholesaler that provides cardboard boxes of all sizes and shapes to various industries, as well as consumers. If you’re not already doing so, change your manufacturing techniques to use only recycled paper that can then be converted into cardboard. If your electricity bill is high due to the amount of power needed to run the machinery that you need to compress the cardboard, consider switching to either solar power or wind power.

This needn’t be as expensive as you might think, either. Once you pay out the initial costs of installing solar panels or wind turbine generators on your site, you have no more outlay – all your energy is provided by natural power. Solar panels are particularly useful, as they will store unused energy to be used later, which means that contrary to what their name suggests, solar panels will allow you to work throughout the night.

Effective Marketing
There are many ways that your business can change over to greener options and market itself at the same time. Use either your business cards, website or emails to promote as well as more traditional marketing techniques.

For instance, say you have a large fleet for transportation needs. Make sure you change over to unleaded or green fuel, and then advertise that on all your lorries or trucks with a logo “Powered by green technology” or similar. Release a press release that tells how you’re pioneering a green working environment both in your business and with your partners – the resulting news feeds could make a big difference to your business. Just make sure that you’re making all these changes for the right reasons, and not just to make a quick profit – people will soon figure that approach out.

Ways to recycle

* Have clearly-labeled recycle bins throughout the office and recycle paper, cardboard, cans, plastic, bottles, etc.
* Recycle toner and printer cartridges – most office supply companies will take empty cartridges back.
* Buy recycled products (paper products, packaging, etc.) whenever possible
* Recycle old electronics and computer equipment – check with local computer parts suppliers to see if they’ll take your old equipment.
* Don’t purchase paper that is a contaminant in recycling. For instance: thermal fax paper, paper with bright colors, paper with glossy coatings, etc.

Ways to reduce

* Stop using cover sheets on faxes
* Print directly on envelopes instead of using labels
* Use erasable white boards instead of sticky notes
* Use both sides of the paper when printing or making copies
* Review documents on screen before printing
* Switch to lightweight paper
* Remove out-of-date names from mailing lists
* Take the necessary steps to reduce unsolicited mail, such as unwanted catalogs and mailings
* Post announcements on bulletin boards or send via email
* Circulate memos, reports, documents etc. electronically rather printing paper copies
* Design mailers that don’t use envelopes (fold and staple the paper instead)
* Buy refillable printer ink and toner
* Buy fluorescent instead of incandescent bulbs
* Encourage employees to carpool or use public transportation by offering special commuter benefits

Ways to reuse

* Save paper that has been used on only one side and use the other side as draft paper for faxes, copiers, and notepads
* Save packing material you receive to reuse for future shipments
* Use old letterhead for internal documents
* Place a new label over outdated file folders and reuse
* Shred newspapers, magazines and old papers to use for packaging
* Encourage employees to bring their own reusable plates, cups, and silverware to the office. Idea: have mugs and lunch coolers printed with your logo to give to your employees. It’s a gift that keeps on giving – back to the Earth!

Taking the steps to become a more Earth-friendly work environment isn’t hard, but it does take a commitment on the part of the owners and the employees. You might even consider putting together a “Green Committee” of a few employees who continue to come up with new ideas for making new, and environmentally-friendly changes to the office. Also, having an anonymous “Office Green Tips” box will encourage all employees to make suggestions on how to improve things around the office. Other ideas might be to have an “employee tree planting day” or an “empty parking lot” day and reward those employees who participate.