How to Make Your Business Operations “Green”

Going green is good for the environment, and in most cases it is also good for your budget. In fact, establishing a few green or environmentally-friendly business habits can increase your income and your bottom line. Here are a few green business tips to consider adding to your weekly or monthly routine:

Sign Up for Electronic Statements

Every bank and financial statement that you receive in the mail uses paper and ink, which contribute to toxins in the environment. And that statement has to travel from the company to your mailbox; that trip produces emissions. When you sign up for electronic statements, the documents are delivered to you via email. That means no paper, no ink, and no transportation. If that doesn’t convince you, then know that many financial institutions and utility companies charge a fee for printed statements. If you sign up for electronic statements they waive that fee.

Be Frugal with Printing Paper

Most small businesses consume much more paper than they realize. If you print your receipts, contracts, documents and other important files, that is a lot of paper. Whenever possible, use the other side of the paper as well. Consider getting a printer that prints on both sides (duplexes).

Build an Electronic Library

Each book on your shelf was created with paper and ink. Again, this contributes to toxins in the environment and a reduction in trees, which help eliminate toxins from the air.

Also, each book needs to be shipped from point to point, causing emissions and fuel consumption. Since ebooks don’t need to be shipped and they don’t need any ink or paper, they are environmentally friendly. (Ebooks also generally cost less than a printed book.) If you absolutely need to have a book on your book shelf, consider buying a used one.

Finally, in addition to avoiding the use of Styrofoam cups in order to protect the environment, as well as the avoidance of unnecessary electricity usage, recycle or sell your used gadgets and electronics instead of throwing them away. Open that junk drawer or storage box and jump online. You can sell your collection of old cell phones, MP3 players and cameras. And for those you cannot sell, find a recycler who will take them from you, or donate them to a worthy cause. It just doesn’t make sense to throw them away when you can help someone out or make money from used items.

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Author: jm

Joan Mullally has been doing business online for more than 20 years and is a pioneer in the fields of online publishing, marketing, and ecommerce. She is the author of more than 200 guides and courses designed to help beginner and intermediate marketers make the most of the opportunities the Internet offers for running a successful business. A student and later teacher trainee of Frank McCourt’s, she has always appreciated the power of the word, and has used her knowledge for successful SEO and PPC campaigns, and powerful marketing copy. One computer science class at NYU was enough to spark her fascination with all things digital. In her spare time, she works with adult literacy, animal fostering and rescue, and teaching computer skills to women.