A New Business Guide to Going Green

Many start-ups find that the competition for attention on the web is fierce. And these companies are finding that by going green, they’re showing their corporate responsibility, but they’re also finding that there are financial benefits to going green. So how does a new business go green responsibly? Start by doing some research on the web and list the ways a business can go green. If a company wants to be green, it must be consistent in all aspects of the business model. If your business claims to be green, then you have to practice what you preach.

Top ten ways a new business can go green:

1. Comply with all environmental regulations that are relevant to your industry. Compliance not only reduces your company’s environmental footprint, but it also protects the company from legal action or government fines.
2. Develop an environmental plan for the entire company. Developing a strong environmental plan will help define corporate culture and drive your company’s energy efficiency to minimize your footprint. The plan should clearly detail the company’s green strategy and encourage divisions throughout the company to pursue greener business practices that help shape the company’s overall green goals.
3. Build green. If your business is opening a new office or expanding locations, now is a great time to include as many energy efficient features as possible. You can look into installing energy-efficient heating and cooling systems, as well as appliances, equipment, and lighting.
4. Buy green products and services. When purchasing necessary supplies or producing service providers for the business, it is important to think green. Business owners should consider stocking supply cabinets with products made from recycled or recyclable materials, bio-based, and non-toxic. Look for office equipment that has an energy efficiency rating, such as Energy Star.
5. Choose a green web hosting. Many business owners have decided to go green with their website in order to be more consistent with their green action plan. Choose a web host that is carbon neutral and offers wind or solar powered web hosting that is environmentally friendly. Moving a website to another web host is not a difficult task, and many web hosts even offer a free site migration service.
6. Adopt energy efficient practices. Using more energy efficient office equipment and implementing energy reduction practices in the office will help save the environment and your bottom line. Employers should stress to employees to be careful and conservative with their energy use and provide them with energy saving tips.
7. Reduce, reuse, recycle the waste generated. Streamlining business operations can reduce waste and lead to substantial savings and increased productivity. To save money and reduce waste, small businesses should use post-consumer recycled products and reduce excess product packaging.
8. Keep the water. A water efficiency program not only reduces your company’s pressure on our nation’s water supply, it also reduces your company’s water purchase, heating, treatment and disposal costs. Small businesses can reduce water waste by implementing water saving equipment services and should always try to minimize discharges to sewers.
9. Adopt a company-wide pollution reduction plan. Every business creates waste, but it’s how you handle it that separates you from the pack. Take steps to minimize waste, whether it’s paper, dirty water, or hazardous or toxic waste that requires special handling or disposal.
10. Create a green marketing strategy. Get the word out about your green business by incorporating “green” claims into your marketing strategy to boost your brand image. Check out tip #5 again. Many green web hosts offer a badge or certification program for webmasters who want to use their website to showcase the company’s “green” status.

A final piece of advice. Join industry association and management programs to help you stay abreast of the latest developments in green processes and equipment, but also help build relationships with other green business owners in the industry.

As demonstrated, there are numerous shades of green, so going green can amount to many different things. If choosing a company-wide green plan is important to you or your organization, take a closer look at your business plan to find out what green practices exist in the plan and what changes need to be made. Consider, for example, the day-to-day practices you plan to implement and the company’s policy on green practices such as “reduce, reuse and recycle.”