5 Small Business Benefits of Going Green

Going green is gaining increasing popularity, especially now that the population of the United States is projected to hit 394 million by 2050, while the world population will reach 9.7 billion by the same year, increasing the competition for resources even further. Companies of all sizes are beginning to realize they can play a substantial role in protecting the environment while those left behind are being pressured by their customers to catch up. In the long term, going green can also result in huge savings for your company. Learn how to go green and what you have to gain below:

The Benefits of Going Green

Stop Small Waste from Adding Up Over Time

The main realization that makes even smaller companies go green is that small amounts of waste progressively build up. So wasting less will eventually have huge savings. Businesses realize that turning off a computer instead of leaving it on standby leads to substantial savings on their electricity bills.

Be smart and conserve your energy. No matter what type of energy you are running on, electric or gas, several ways exist that can help you reduce your consumption. Since long-term savings are the goal, even simple actions like turning off the lights when leaving the office can make a substantial difference.

Save Money By Going Digital

Printing documents costs a lot of money in ink and paper. Although that cost may seem small initially, it quickly adds up, particularly regarding ink. Moreover, it causes substantial damage to the environment, since paper is made from trees — a lot of them. But the most important point is that most of the time, you don’t even have to print your documents. Most of the documents circulated in a business daily can be delivered in digital form.

What’s more, there are tax breaks for companies that opt to go digital. In the end, filing your taxes online instead of doing them on paper will cost you less money.

Get Government Awards for Going Green

With climate change gaining more and more attention, governments too have taken action in order to persuade businesses to go green. In order to start a new business somewhere, you need to get the local population to trust you. And then you need to make the necessary payments.

The EPA government grant is one of the most important business incentives you can take advantage of when you open a new business. Your only requirement is to open your business in a green manner, according to certain criteria. There is also another grant that involves a 30 percent price cut on solar panel acquisition cost.

Realize The PR Dream

There is more to going green than saving money. It does help, of course, but what also happens is that you can make money indirectly through the improvement of your company’s reputation. Customers, now more than ever, care about the general behavior of brands. This includes the policies of brands regarding the environment.

If you are thinking about implementing green policies (PDF), you could be looking at PR heaven. It’s a trending theme at the moment that’s easily promotable, and everyone is interested in it. If your marketing yourself as a company with environmental sensitivities, you are already ahead of the competition. Many companies engage in green actions, but they never promote them, so if you beat them to that, you are in for some serious gains.

There is even the possibility of getting customers from competitors simply by going green.

Go Green Without Demolishing Your Budget

In order to be eligible for government awards you are required to invest a certain amount of capital initially, but there are options available that require no payments at all. You can start changing things from the inside, by adopting green policies, e.g., recycling. Find ways to engage your staff so that they get involved with your green policies because you won’t be able to make substantial savings without their help.

Many companies start their green initiatives without trying to engage their average worker, resulting in less than optimal outcomes.

Conclusion – Where Is The Money?

We wouldn’t be exaggerating if we said that it’s possible for your company to make millions by adopting a green mentality. However, unless you are ready to commit fully to making the necessary changes, this is never going to happen. You should adopt the same behavior outside work, when at home, and you should urge your staff to act accordingly as well. This will ensure a more seamless transition for the company and will also set the foundations for a more successful future.

It can be easier to go green with your business then you might think, and it’s certainly worth doing. What is your preferred strategy?

Go Green Photo via Shutterstock

This article, "5 Small Business Benefits of Going Green" was first published on Small Business Trends