8 Quick Steps To Making Your Small Business Green
Are you under pressure to do the right thing and make your small business ecofriendly? Here are 8 quick steps to get you there.

 

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1. Convert your toilets to low flow.
2. Replace incandescent bulbs with ENERGY STAR qualified compact fluorescent lights.
3. Invest in office equipment that carries Energy Star rating.
4. Use computers and monitors that meet EPEAT environmental standards.
5. Reduce the amount of toxics in your cleaning products.
6. Become a collection center for recycling of used customer materials like paint, batteries and fluorescent bulbs
7. Encourage your employees to use mass transit and if possible subsidize or incentivize the use.
8. Reduce the use of disposable plastic utensils, cutlery and dishes and increase the percentage of recycled content in your paper products.

Understanding and implementing these eight elements will get you on the way to being green.

Small business owners sometimes find it harder to “become green” because of the type of lease arrangement under which they operate. No matter how you manage your business space, there are several things to consider that can help your cash flow help you become green.

Consider simple solutions to hold in the heat and keep out the cold like window treatments especially for south or west-facing windows. For some businesses, open windows are important for crime prevention (the register is out front and can easily be seen); however, for those windows not critical to crime prevention, consider insulating drapes or blinds. Sealing air leaks is another simple way to help with the cost of heating and cooling. If you can, replace or clean the HVAC system filters on a regular basis.

Understanding some simple things you can do may yield dividends that will save you money. Green behavior for more of the “green.”

Proverbs 9:6; (NIV) Leave your simple ways and you will live; walk in the way of understanding.

Copyright © 2009 by P. Griffith Lindell