Green business tips

Business

100 Green small Business Tips
By Readers of Small Business Trends, October 2009

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© Copyright 2009, Small Business Trends LLC – www.smallbiztrends.com Reprint/ posting permission granted so long as this work is published in its entirety.

100 PRACTiCAL TiPs
We asked the readers of Small Business Trends to contribute their best tips for making their smallbusiness practices green and eco-friendly. You’ve shared 100 practical and easy to implement green business tips. The following tips and pointers represent the combined wisdom of small business owners and stakeholders.

Anita Campbell
Anita Campbell, Editor in Chief
Small Business Trends http://smallbiztrends.com

bestbuy.com/hpbusiness
© Copyright 2009, Small Business Trends LLC –www.smallbiztrends.com Reprint/ posting permission granted so long as this work is published in its entirety.

100 Green Small BuSineSS TipS

Conserve
Joel Libava Web: The Franchise King Twitter: @FranchiseKing USE A PoWEr STriP “Turn off your PC’s power strip every night. Saves over $150 a year!” Susan Oakes Web: M4B Marketing Twitter: @m4bmarketing TAKE AdvAnTAgE oF nATUrAl lighTing “Position yourdesk to capture all the sunlight when possible.” Kathy Breitenbucher Web: The Pedestal group Twitter: @k_breitenbucher liMiT YoUr PrinTing “For three days, disconnect your printer from the network and connect it to one computer in the office. If every time you have to print you have to save the doc to a thumb drive and go somewhere else, you really only print those things that are must-haves.You’ll be amazed at how much less you need to print!” Matt Cowall Web: Appia Communications TrY An E-FAx SErviCE “If you still need to fax documents, retire the old paper machine in favor of a scanner or eFax service. No more separate paper, toner, power and maintenance, and you only print the ones you really need to (if any).” Amanda Stillwagon Web: My Finds online Twitter: @myfindsonline TUrn oFFYoUr WirElESS MoUSE “I turn my wireless mouse off every evening. It seems to really extend the life of my batteries which means fewer batteries in the landfills.”

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bestbuy.com/hpbusiness © Copyright 2009, Small Business Trends LLC – www.smallbiztrends.com
© Copyright 2009, Small Business Trends LLC – www.smallbiztrends.com Reprint/ posting permission granted so long as this work is published inits entirety. Reprint/ posting permission granted so long as this work is published in its entirety.

100 Green Small BuSineSS TipS

Todd Allison Web: www.toddallison.com Twitter: @todd_allison SAY no To ShoPPing BAgS “A local retail business I worked with started a program called ‘change for bags’. They asked everyone if they wanted to refuse a bag—notice they didn’t say ‘do you want abag’. Every time someone refused a bag they dropped a nickel into a jar on the counter. When the jar filled they donated the money to an environmental cause. Double Green!” Angela Web: www.hp.com Twitter: @AngelaAthP PoWEr doWn YoUr ElECTroniCS “Did you know that Energy Star recommends that you power down all electronics—computer, monitor, printer, and other peripherals—when not in use? This includesunplugging power strips at the end of the day, because they consumer energy even when the equipment is shut off. But be sure to power down all equipment connected to the power strip first. You can find more tips at hp.com/ PowerToChange” Barry Benjamin Web: going green CollECT dATA on YoUr USAgE AMoUnTS “Everyone is different so the best way to go ‘green’ is to first get an accurate reading of whatyou are using and how much. This can be of anything like energy, water or paper for example. This is called getting a base line. If you don’t get a base line first you will never REALLY know if you are doing better or not with all of the different ways to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. All of the ideas are great and they will work but for maximum benefit you need to know where you are starting...