With Earth Day upon us again, it’s time to hunker down and start to really evaluate the ways in which your small business can do a better job at being environmentally responsible. The term “going green” is more than just a slogan that makes people feel better about their contribution to helping the environment; when you can incorporate green practices into your business approach, it gives your brand a whole new level of respect and loyalty from your customers.
If you aren’t already, consider these simple green business practices:
- Turn off all electronic equipment after hours to save on energy costs and consumption.
- Be more intentional about recycling. Set up bins for paper, cardboard, aluminum and so on for your employees to use.
- More and more businesses are allowing their employees to telecommute from home. This not only knocks down your energy consumption, but it also takes one more car off of the road—consider this doing your part to reduce pollution, too.
- Did you know that paper makes up more than 35% of most waste from small businesses? Try to print less material. Of course, for some industries, this is next to impossible. However, even when you do need to print, there are many brands of recycled paper available.
- Try to use as little packaging material as possible when sending things out in the mail.
- Start looking for partners that also incorporate green practices into their business. Working together, two small businesses can make quite a difference on an annual basis.
- Use the same energy conservations strategies you use at home: cut the lights off when they aren’t in use, don’t run more water than you need, and don’t leave appliances on.
Remember that as a business owner, a lot of your brand practices are going to be heavily considered and scrutinized by potential clients. By incorporating green practices into your business, it shows that you care about more than just making a dollar—you’re also ding your part to help the condition of the planet.