Preserving the Environment While Saving Your Business Money

It’s more evident now than ever that it pays to be environmentally-conscious. Whether it’s recycling or using renewable energy, everything makes an impact. You may find it hard to believe, but an eco-friendly business can actually also be wallet-friendly.

Your business will gain a reputation for going green, and your proactivity can result in easing some financial strain. There are a variety of options that can assist your business in the fight against climate change. You might consider:

For many businesses these days, there’s no reason why employees have to work on location. Cloud is the office that goes where you go. There are many applications available in the cloud, allowing documents to be easily shared and co-edited.  Whether you’re telecommuting or physically in the office, now there’s really not much difference.

Need to have a meeting? You no longer have to be on-site to have a face-to-face conversation. Just log on to a virtual meeting program. You can share your computer screen and documents at the same time and in real-time, as well. All of these options can even be shared and accessed on the go via cellphone or tablet.

 All of these options can even be shared and accessed on the go via cellphone or tablet. Avoiding a commute reduces greenhouse gas emissions and saves gasoline. Skipping the commute to the office even one or two days a week can make a positive impact on the environment and your wallet.

Utilizing cloud-based technology can benefit your business in a variety of ways. Among its many features, the cloud accommodates collaboration, even when your collaborator is thousands of miles away. The cloud can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection.

All in all, the cloud is excellent for everything from storage, to computer backup, to accessing software that lives in the cloud. Leveraging the cloud means reducing or totally eradicating the amount of space that you need for housing your own servers.

Servers require special air conditioning systems that control temperature, humidity and particle filtration. Because it’s imperative that these systems run 24/7, a tremendous amount of electricity is required. Cloud computing will reduce your business’ carbon footprint, as well as its utility bill while creating a much more versatile workspace.

If your business manufactures products, this aspect of going green may be easier than you think. Since 3D printing involves creating items layer upon layer, there’s virtually no waste. You’ll no longer be paying for the excess materials that would otherwise be discarded.

Instead of sending your design off to a production company to fabricate the products and subsequently waiting for the shipment, you’ll have it in your hands immediately upon creation.

Since the means of production is in-house, it also means that you’ll need less warehouse/storage space because you can make the item on an as-needed basis. For many businesses, the amount of electricity used to maintain a warehouse is substantial.

Investing in solar panels can reduce or even eliminate electric bills. Your business could possibly even turn a profit; the energy can be harnessed, stored and sold to municipal power grids.

Solar panels have become more affordable over the years, and there are also government tax incentives that can really help out financially. However, if you don’t want to jump in head first, there are always options for leasing solar panels.

Harvesting rainwater is one method of going green that’s often overlooked. A catchment area and pipes direct rain to a rainwater tank. This tank can be connected to your building’s plumbing. Filters are available to sift out pollutants before the rainwater enters the pipes. Some of these filter options don’t even require energy to operate.

Using your local municipal water main uses a great deal of energy from fossil fuels and other non-eco-friendly sources. After all, the water is having to travel to/from the processing facility and throughout the town.

There’s the initial cost of the collection system, but rainwater is free, so it’ll save your business money in the long run and will undoubtedly benefit the environment.