Home Wealth Project
Extensive Research On How To Build Wealth From The Comfort Of Your Own Home.
What’s the Green Benefit of Telecommuting?
Oct 29th
Many small businesses already participate in an easy and low-cost way to be environmentally friendlier: letting employees work from home – either every day or just on occasion. But how much of an impact does that really have?
You must account for several factors, but the heftiest savings comes from taking cars off the road. Let’s look at the numbers:
- The average U.S. commute is about 32 miles round-trip, according to a 2005 poll by ABC News, analyzed by Gary Langer. That’s about 7,840 miles per year, assuming an employee works five days a week, 49 weeks per year (with 3 weeks of vacation).
- If the employee drives a standard midsize vehicle — which typically emits around 0.9 pounds of carbon dioxide per mile — he or she would emit 29 pounds of carbon per day commuting, adding up to a commuting footprint of about 7,100 pounds of CO2 per year.
- Have five full-time employees? That’s nearly 35,500 pounds of CO2 emitted into the atmosphere each year – the equivalent of what an average American four-person household generates annually. (See CO2 emissions of various things here.)
However, the calculation isn’t quite so straightforward. When employees work from home, they generally use extra electricity and heating fuel to keep their home office lit and climate-controlled and to power their computers and other peripherals. (The extra emissions created by using a furnace to heat the home during the day, for instance, can nearly offset the CO2 savings from not commuting, a 2003 study found.) If you’re able to turn off the equipment and close the office because nobody’s there, however, the savings will be more significant.
Though the total green benefit may not be quite as powerful as it first seems, it can be quite impressive depending on the circumstances. And keep in mind there are other non-green benefits that come with telecommuting. For one, surveys repeatedly find that telecommuting make employees happier by providing them more work-life balance and less time on the road. Moreover, businesses can save money by reducing their operational costs. Studies have also shown telecommuting leads to higher employee productivity.
Do you or your employees often work from home? Do you think there’s a big environmental benefit?
What’s the Green Benefit of Telecommuting?
View full post on Small Business News, Tips, Advice – Small Business Trends
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Sep 5th
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5 Mistakes Businesses Make When Going Green
Aug 20th
We often talk about all the things businesses are doing right with environmental sustainability. And that’s how it should be: Being an environmentally conscious company is a positive thing and worthy of applause. But there’s also value in evaluating what’s not working so well – what can be done better.
In that spirit, here’s a list of five common mistakes that small businesses make when going green:
1. Not rolling out sustainability broadly enough. Sustainability can’t be a one-trick pony. Consumers are becoming leerier of companies branding themselves as “green” because they, say, installed energy-efficient light bulbs. They’re looking beneath the surface and seeking validation that companies they support are incorporating green practices across the board – from office energy use to water use to supply chain management. To avoid being accused of “greenwashing,” you need to show a commitment to lowering your carbon footprint as much as you can.
2. Trying to do everything at once. While it’s wise to think about sustainability broadly and how you can improve your overall footprint, don’t let it overwhelm you or you risk making some big, costly mistakes. Small steps, such as starting an office recycling program, are important and worthy of promoting to your customers. Being green isn’t something you can do overnight, so take your time to do the research and do it right. Your customers should understand that, too. Writing a sustainability plan can help you flesh out your goals and pursue them in an organized fashion.
3. Not effectively communicating how you’re going green with your customers. There’s a big opportunity to explain your sustainability progress to your customers. You can’t assume that just because you’re doing the right thing, your customers will find out about it. There’s a huge opportunity now to connect green initiatives to the consumer.
4. Leaving your customers out of the solution. There’s also a big opportunity to not just inform but also engage your customers in your green mission. Find out ways to let them chip in, whether it’s by donating to an environmental cause or explaining how they can be environmentally friendlier in their daily lives.
5. Overlooking no- and low-cost steps. Some companies automatically assume that sustainability is an expensive undertaking. And while it can require an investment, you should focus on the inexpensive measures before spending a lot of money. Sure, solar panels might cost $50,000, but have you fully addressed ways to reduce your energy usage? Do you have efficient lighting and have you enabled power management settings on your office equipment?
Have you made, or seen, any mistakes when businesses go green?
5 Mistakes Businesses Make When Going Green
View full post on Small Business News, Tips, Advice – Small Business Trends
How Much Does Your State Support Green Business?
Jul 26th
Where your business is based can impact on how green you are. That’s the takeaway of a recent top 10 ranking of states by Site Selection magazine that ranked U.S. states on how well they engage in environmentally sustainable practices.
The rankings look at attributes such green industry projects, the number of projects certified by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), financial incentives offered to support green projects, per capita renewable energy generation, funding for brownfields redevelopment and use of alternative-fuel vehicles.
Topping the list, unsurprisingly, is California, followed by Washington, Oregon, Minnesota and Colorado. The rankings also rate metro areas, with San Francisco; Portland, Ore.; Los Angeles; Chicago; and New York City as the top five. Interestingly, the United States doesn’t make it onto the magazine’s list of top sustainable countries; Canada is No. 1.
Though it may seem pointless to follow such rankings – especially since most businesses can’t just pick up and move – the Site Selection rankings do highlight the importance of building green communities and offering incentives to help businesses become environmentally friendlier. One part of the rankings is based on state and local financial incentives listed in the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency, which is compiled by the North Carolina Solar Center and the Interstate Renewable Energy Council. This is a great resource for finding out what your state actually has to offer.
Knowing your state’s ranking can help you get a feel for whether it’s worth your time and effort to seek business incentives for energy-efficient activities, such as retrofitting lighting or installing solar panels. Such incentives can tip the financial balance and make it actually worth it for a small business to make such upgrades.
The article also touches on a greater debate as to how much green incentives and green focus play into economic growth. Are the states that engage businesses on environmental sustainability weathering today’s economic troubles better than ones that don’t ?
“Top-ranking areas for sustainability don’t just pass restrictive laws or put token solar panels on every edifice,” the article notes. “They nurture an ecosystem of business, institutions, government and individual citizens all striving to place a proper value on their locality’s limited resources, and sometimes to make or save money in the process.”
California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsome claims that the state’s energy efficiency policies have produced 1.5 million jobs and $45 billion in payroll over the last 35 years.
How Much Does Your State Support Green Business?
View full post on Small Business News, Tips, Advice – Small Business Trends
Worm Farming: a Green Way to Earn Easy Money
Jul 21st
Worm Farming is clean, green and environmentally friendly. And it’s so easy that anyone can do it. But what’s more: you can earn a considerate amount of money by wormfarming. From only houshold waste the worms make you the best compost you can wish for!
Worm Farming: a Green Way to Earn Easy Money
4 Ways to Engage Your Customers in Your Green Efforts
Jul 8th
It’s great to be a green business. But even better is being a green business with customers who are highly passionate about your sustainability initiatives.
Many of today’s popular “green” brands – think Seventh Generation or Whole Foods – have found ways to get their customers involved with their environmental good work, whether it’s offering free parking spots to hybrid drivers or giving tips on how to be eco-friendlier at home. This is certainly not a quick process, but rather an evolution that involves thoughtful and ongoing communications.
Here are four strategies for engaging customers in your green initiatives:
1. Use social media to talk about green. Social media can be a great tool for communicating your sustainability goals and achievements and making your customers aware of them. Use your blog, Facebook and Twitter accounts to let your customers know what you’re doing to reduce your environmental footprint. Of course, avoid “greenwashing” – or suggesting your company is green without demonstrating results. Whether it’s recycling, energy efficiency or locally sourcing products, provide specifics. Social media can also help spur your customers into greener behaviors. For example, you might offer a discount if they swing by your store on a bike or by foot. These types of challenges are also a great way to see how much reach and impact your social media really has.
2. Donate a portion of profits to charity. Let customers feel extra good about their purchases by donating a portion of your profits to an environmental cause aligned with your sustainability goals. This is also a good way to generate awareness about the environmental issue you’re trying to solve. Make sure it’s a reputable organization. Guidestar.org and CharityNavigator.org are great websites for researching a nonprofit’s financials and making sure most of the donations actually go toward the cause, not the charity’s employees.
3. Give customers an easy way to help. Find ways to let your customers play at least a small role in your sustainability mission. A recent study by the National Restaurant Association found that 85 percent of Americans adults sort their trash at quick-service restaurants when recycling receptacles are available. The takeaway: Customers are eager to help you meet your goals and become more sustainable — so let them help.
4. Inspire them to go beyond. Green communications has become more than just communicating your own sustainability progress. It’s about empowering your customers to take it a step further. You might suggest ways for them to be more eco-friendly at home or enlist them to help with a cause. One company that makes footwear out of recycled yoga mats, for instance, encourages its customers to support Surfers for Cetaceans, a nonprofit that promotes marine life conservation.
How you engage customers will ultimately affect how connected your customers feel to your sustainability mission. And that’s an important part of making it successful.
4 Ways to Engage Your Customers in Your Green Efforts
View full post on Small Business News, Tips, Advice – Small Business Trends
4 Ways to Engage Your Customers in Your Green Efforts
Jul 8th
It’s great to be a green business. But even better is being a green business with customers who are highly passionate about your sustainability initiatives.
Many of today’s popular “green” brands – think Seventh Generation or Whole Foods – have found ways to get their customers involved with their environmental good work, whether it’s offering free parking spots to hybrid drivers or giving tips on how to be eco-friendlier at home. This is certainly not a quick process, but rather an evolution that involves thoughtful and ongoing communications.
Here are four strategies for engaging customers in your green initiatives:
1. Use social media to talk about green. Social media can be a great tool for communicating your sustainability goals and achievements and making your customers aware of them. Use your blog, Facebook and Twitter accounts to let your customers know what you’re doing to reduce your environmental footprint. Of course, avoid “greenwashing” – or suggesting your company is green without demonstrating results. Whether it’s recycling, energy efficiency or locally sourcing products, provide specifics. Social media can also help spur your customers into greener behaviors. For example, you might offer a discount if they swing by your store on a bike or by foot. These types of challenges are also a great way to see how much reach and impact your social media really has.
2. Donate a portion of profits to charity. Let customers feel extra good about their purchases by donating a portion of your profits to an environmental cause aligned with your sustainability goals. This is also a good way to generate awareness about the environmental issue you’re trying to solve. Make sure it’s a reputable organization. Guidestar.org and CharityNavigator.org are great websites for researching a nonprofit’s financials and making sure most of the donations actually go toward the cause, not the charity’s employees.
3. Give customers an easy way to help. Find ways to let your customers play at least a small role in your sustainability mission. A recent study by the National Restaurant Association found that 85 percent of Americans adults sort their trash at quick-service restaurants when recycling receptacles are available. The takeaway: Customers are eager to help you meet your goals and become more sustainable — so let them help.
4. Inspire them to go beyond. Green communications has become more than just communicating your own sustainability progress. It’s about empowering your customers to take it a step further. You might suggest ways for them to be more eco-friendly at home or enlist them to help with a cause. One company that makes footwear out of recycled yoga mats, for instance, encourages its customers to support Surfers for Cetaceans, a nonprofit that promotes marine life conservation.
How you engage customers will ultimately affect how connected your customers feel to your sustainability mission. And that’s an important part of making it successful.
4 Ways to Engage Your Customers in Your Green Efforts
View full post on Small Business News, Tips, Advice – Small Business Trends
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