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Businesses can launch energy-saving initiatives with money-saving strategies
Businesses that go green this year could stand to make some green. According to a report from Burst Media, consumers will pay a premium price for green products and services from companies that boast eco-friendly practices. Plus, green initiatives at the office can be money-saving moves.
Inc.com took a look at some of the green moves companies made in honor of Earth Day last week, but there’s no reason these simple, eco-friendly office solutions can’t save businesses some cash year round.
To start, business owners can take a close look at their corporate energy consumption. The Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star program offers a Portfolio Manager to businesses looking to gauge their energy and water use. This gives insight into what jacks up energy bills, and sometimes raising awareness about wastefulness in the workplace is the catalyst needed to get staff on board with making changes.
Once workers understand the impact of their actions, employers can suggest simple steps to making a greener office (and saving some operational costs). For instance, it’s important to tell staff to turn out the lights.
Not only do overhead lights cost money to illuminate, but they also generate heat that taxes a building’s cooling system. In addition to asking workers to flip off the switch before they leave, Inc.com suggests business owners invest in light sensors that rely on motion and natural sunlight levels to turn lights on and off.
Another way to ask employees to help a company go green is to encourage workers to carpool. The source reports that Clif Bar, founder of Gary Erickson, launched a Cool Commute program at his company that offered employees a cash reward for carpooling or riding a bike to work. The initiative gained so much press coverage, he has generated more than enough business to cover the cost of the reward. Moreover, these programs will cut down the cost of rented parking spaces needed for a company.
In addition to cutting operational costs and drawing eco-conscious consumers’ cash, finding ways to put green motives into a business model may help draw investor dollars for new or expanding companies. Venture capital firms have invested almost $20 billion in hundreds of green startups in recent years, reports CNBC.com.
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