How to Green Your Business

Making things environmentally friendly has become all the rage these days. While for some it's a matter of spin, or interest in a fad, for others it represents a set of deeply held beliefs. Whatever your interest in going green, it can seem like a daunting task. If you're thinking of making your business green, there's the added concern of it being a burden on your bottom line.

While going green in some cases will cost you more from a financial standpoint, besides the good it will do for the planet in general, it can also help generate goodwill and loyalty among your customers. There are also some aspects of going green that can actually save you money, as you help eliminate waste.

When I was starting my business, I decided to make being green a central part of it, because it is important to me. It wasn't as hard as one might think, so I want to share some of the things that I've done, as well as some other things you might consider doing. Some of them are very easy to do, and others just require a little bit of planning or forethought.

One of the easiest and most often talked about is lighting. Switching from standard incandescent bulbs to compact fluorescent bulbs can save you $30 over the life of the bulb. But also think about using natural daylight. Depending on the setup of your office, you can easily soak in the sun's natural radiance, and not flick the switch until it gets dark. (Not that you ever put in late nights.)

Another way to save energy is by buying energy efficient appliances and office equipment. ENERGY STAR rates everything from air conditioners to cordless phones to copiers to computers. You can use their site to compare energy usage before you buy.

When looking to buy a computer, you can also use a more holistic environmental rating system such as EPEAT. EPEAT factors in energy usage but also takes into account what materials are used, how easy the computer is to recycle, and many other factors.

Another area is all of the services you use. Everyone talks about electricity. Power from renewable energy sources is available in many places. Use the EPA's Green Power Locator to find out what's available in your area.

What about your web design? Having a designer who understands eco friendly practices can help. They can help design your website to be more energy efficient and more printer friendly. And having all of your promotional information and catalogs online means that your customers can download them directly at their convenience, while also saving you the time and money of mailing them out yourself.

What about your webhost? It may be located out of sight and out of mind, but it's working for you 24/7, and it's using up energy all that time. Consider going for a green powered webhost. There's a lot of choices now in this field.

Think about the other business services you purchase. There are eco friendly phone services, banks, cleaning, and many more. Can you find services that work in a more environmentally friendly manner and/or that can help you with your environmental goals? Co-Op America's Green Pages is a great place to start.

Recycling is important, too. If you run an office based business, it may be items like office paper and beverage containers. If you run an industrial or design business, you could have valuable materials such as metal, wood, paper, or others. In any case, rather than paying for someone to take this "waste" away, in many cases you can easily turn this into a revenue stream.

If you sell retail products online, consider drop shipping. Instead of products getting shipped from the manufacturer to the wholesaler, from the wholesaler to you, and then from you to the customer, you can cut out a lot of extra travel (and the associated energy use) from those products. Many manufacturers or wholesalers are happy to ship directly to your customer, which saves the products from a lot of traveling, and the associated shipping charges. It can also help you manage your inventory better, as you don't have to keep everything in stock.

Consider alternate forms of transportation for commuting to work. When possible, working from home can be an easy way to cut out your travel. When it's not, try walking or biking when you can. Use public transportation. And if you need to drive, consider carpooling. Teleconferencing or videoconferencing can also be used instead of traveling to far flung locations. Not only are these choices eco-friendly, they can be healthier and save you money, too.

Buy local. You'll support your local economy, which helps keep your customers able to continue purchasing from you. You also help reduce the amount of travel needed to get goods to you.

Once you've done all the greening you can, consider carbon offsets. These are investments in projects such as renewable energy, energy efficiency, and reforestation that can help reduce CO2 in the atmosphere in order to offset whatever you've put in.

If you want to find other ideas on how to green your business, look at other businesses that have already done it. Many of them explain it very explicity, or would be happy to talk to you if asked. Also take a look at green organizations such as Co-Op America's Green Business Network. They list a lot of the criteria they consider, so that should help you think about some other ideas.

Think about what your goals are and how best to meet those goals. Are you looking to save energy? Do you want to reduce greenhouse gas emissions? Are your customers clamoring for you to be green? Are there governmental regulations requiring the change? If you know what your goals are, and your motivations for reaching those goals, it will make implementing them a lot easier.

What about you? Have you decided to make your business more environmentally friendly? What have you done that's worked? Share your ideas below, and everyone can benefit.