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4 Random Ideas To Green Up Your Small Business

Written by: Max Lee

Article Overview: To be competitive in todays business world, think about incorporating sustainable practices and ideas in your overall strategies to stand out and remain competitive. This article presents 4 Random Ideas to Green Up Your Small Business.

4 Random Ideas To Green Up Your Small Business

Whether you run a restaurant or a dry cleaner, there are things you can do to lower your carbon footprint. It all starts by taking an assessment of your enterprise and looking around at your various departments. You can do a complete overhaul, or you can start small and build from there.

Educate yourself on green issues and research possible solutions and providers. When you go green it imparts a message of sustainability that will grab the interest of todays savvy consumers. It isn’t enough anymore to recycle and call yourself eco-friendly. It will take more than that, but keep in mind it should not turn into a competition of who is greener. The mission of becoming more socially aware and responsible should more or less align with your overall company goals and mission.

Let’s take a look below at 4 Random Ideas To Green Your Business.

The 3 R’s (Recycle Reduce Reuse) - What are you recycling? Are there more things that can be recycled at your company? PC equipment is a big e-waste issue today as most landfills are brimming with discarded computer units, monitors, printers, scanners, etc. It may be costly to find a proper solution and provider, but you will reap rewards when you let your current and prospective customers know, that you are different and you care enough about our planet to discard properly and safeguard our future. Resource: Earth 911.org

Save Money and Conserve, Too - Again all it takes is for you to take a good look around and see where, what, and how you can conserve more. Take a look at something as simple as the ink in your office printers. The ink can be refilled at Cartridge World, versus buying brand new each time. This method is two-fold in that it conserves and will save you money, too. The ink for my small home office printer brand new costs about $25, but to refill at Cartridge World, it sets me back all of $13.

Use Energy Efficient Products - More and more major manufacturers are creating energy efficient products. Look for the EPA’s label titled “Energy Star” which certifies the item as meeting standards for energy efficiency.

Enlist a Consultant - If your wanting to go big, and perform a complete overhaul of your operations, your best bet is to seek the services of a consultant. Find an architect or interior designer that specialize in green design and/ or green renovation. If you’re wanting to green the outdoors part of your company, seek the services of a professional eco friendly landscaper.

Stay tuned for my next article, as i will cover More Random Ideas to Green Your Business including: Green Your Site or Blog, Educate Your Employees on Green Issues, and Have a Green Giveaway or Contest.

As i stated earlier, there are many strategies to green your business, these 7 are but a few random ideas to get you going, and to ignite additional ideas.

Please share below your thoughts and ideas on how you have managed to green your business, and the results.

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  Green Business Ideas
  Green Biz Idea #32 - Certify Your Business as Green

Article Tags: 911, big e, carbon footprint, cartridge world, company goals, computer units, creating energy, energy efficient products, landfills, office printer, office printers, possible solutions, proper solution, prospective customers, random ideas, rewards, savvy consumers, scanners, sustainability, use energy



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My entry - 1. The Best Business Books Ever: The 100 Most Influential Business Books You'll Never Have Time to Read - this is a fascinating book about the history of Business theory, and I'd recommend it to anybody. 2. The Big Book of Small Business: You Don't Have to Run Your Business by the Seat of Your Pants, by Tom Gegax. Ditto. 3. PADI: The Business of Diving Book Okay, so this book won't be of use to anyone who doesn't want to start a scuba store, but I did, and this book was of course invaluable to me in reaching that goal.
Re: Are you a Blue, Red, or Green? - Hum... a lot of reds responding... Business owners must be a very aggressive community. Now, I was surprised when I took the course personally to find out I was a Green, secondary Blue. Of course, not believing this, the first thing I did was turn to those around me to get their opinions on my colours (typical Green!). The only thing I can really say about STRUCTOGRAM is that it was fun to explore the depths of my social and physiological make-up... I did this a over a year ago now and still use it in my daily interactions (always be on your toes with Reds).
These maybe the coldest franchises out there: - Here are the worst 15 performing franchises in regards to having the highest Small Business Administration (SBA) loan failure rates. The list is dotted with sub sandwich shops, fitness centers and car shops. WORST FRANCHISE LOAN FAILURES Failure % 1 OBEE'S SOUP SALAD SUBS 55.56% 2 LADY OF AMERICA 41.94% 3 COUNTRY CLUTTER (BED & BREAKFAST) 41.18% 4 COPY CLUB 36.36% 5 ALL TUNE AND LUBE 35.71% 6 PICKERMAN'S 35.71% 7 PHILLY CONNECTION 35.59% 8 ROLY POLY ROLLED SANDWICHES 34.78% 9 COTTMAN TRANSMISSION 34.48% 10 HAIR COLOR EXPRESS 33.33% 11 LEE MYLES AUTOMOTIVE TRANSMISSIONS 33.33% 12 GODFATHER'S PIZZA 33.33% 13 SMOOTHIE FACTORY 33.33% 14 BLIMPIE 31.39% 15 GOLF U.S.A. (RETAIL GOLF EQUIP.) 30.77% Source: Small Business Administration, SBA Loan Performance Within Franchise Code for the Period of FY 2001 - 2005
Exclusive: Interview with Results - Hi Forum Members, I'm helping start up a Business Coaching and Consulting company here in Toronto, Ontario, Canada (a Subsidiary of RSC Business in Los Angeles). As a Research and Development Intern I am required to practice my listening and interview skills by surveying Small and Medium Businesses on thier Business. This Survey is designed by RSC Business to also assist the Business being interviewed more insight into their own business. I am looking to interview about 30 businesses across North America over the span of 3 months. At the end of these interviews I will be publishing a report of the results and they will be made available for free to the Interviewees. The Report data will include responses from a minimum of 100 interviews. I would like to extend this opportunity to members of the Forum. If you would like to have this short 20-30 minute interview conducted on your Business and you reside in North America please send me an email or PM. Please contact me at andy[at]jvprosperity[dot]com to arrange our interview and to get free access to the results when they are published.
Re: Biz Plan Competition - i just wanted to say that posting Small Business Events on CanadaOne is a great resource. Thanks Julie!


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