5 Ways Your Small Business Can Become Greener in 2019
Want to create a positive change in your life for the greater good of society? Well, you certainly have such capabilities — and it’s quite simple to undertake.
If you consider yourself a steward of the environment, start by incorporating your green lifestyle into your small business. Of course, this can be instrumental in creating an example of positive change, both for your business and to your customers’ delight.
Plus, going green can benefit your bottom line. Here are five unique ways to go green at work.
1. Take Customer Service to the Cloud
Unlike bulky business infrastructure, cloud data center operations are more environmentally-friendly than their on-site counterparts. Cloud data centers simply don’t need the amount of space and support that an on-site server requires.
To that end, many small businesses are going green by implementing cloud-based customer contact solutions. Not only are these practices good for the environment, but they’re also good for business. As such, investing in an award-winning cloud call center solutions can keep your team and customers happy.
2. Conduct an Energy Audit
Want to gain a better understanding of the costs and capabilities of your electrical systems? An energy audit can do that and then some, like providing an analysis of your company’s overall usage. Additionally, this audit can show where you can minimize energy waste and improve overall efficiency.
Plus, not only can an energy audit help your small business decrease its carbon footprint, but it can also help you lower your monthly utility bill and overall energy consumption. Various states have their own energy audit programs of which small-business owners can take advantage. Visit energy.gov for more information and to find out what your state offers.
3. Use Alternative Energy
Across the country, small-business owners have the opportunity to purchase so-called “green power” from certain utility providers. If you’re not already aware, green power is generated from a variety of renewable energy sources, including solar and wind power, hydropower, geothermal power and even plant matter. Knowing this, small-business owners can use this or other alternative energy ideas to power their business.
4. Implement Green Web Hosting
Virtually everything reliant on power can create a carbon footprint. That even includes the internet, of all things. To put the internet’s carbon footprint into perspective, you could easily compare it the equivalent of 31 million cars taking a single trip around the world.
Likewise, the internet’s carbon footprint can also be compared to a Boeing 747 flying from the Earth to the moon and back 5,674 times, according to data from Earthtimes. Of course, e-commerce is essential for any contemporary business.
However, as a green-minded small-business owner, you can do your part to decrease your energy reliance by opting for a green web hosting service. Such hosting services actively carry out eco-friendly initiatives to help offset or mitigate the impact on our environment.
5. Rethink Your Office Furniture
More than 17 billion pounds of office furniture winds up in American landfills every year, according to the EPA. Oftentimes, office furniture is made from a range of materials that can be considered toxic or hazardous and which requires special disposal.
But some office furniture materials, including wood, plastic and metal, can be recycled or repurposed, rather than discarded and shipped to a landfill. As a small-business owner, do your part to keep office furniture and other materials out of landfills.
Make a Difference One Day at a Time
There’s more to being environmentally-conscious than using energy-efficient light bulbs or deciding at what temperature you keep the thermostat in the office. From rethinking your office furniture to taking your customer service to the cloud, these five business practices can make a positive difference in your business becoming greener in 2019.
