October 2006 - Small Business News

Could Your Business Benefit From Going Green?

You may be aware of the growing trend for both business and the public to be environmentally friendly; but a surprising number of business still do not monitor their environmental performance, despite the potential benefits and quickly rising energy costs.

A survey by the British Standards Institution (BSI) showed that 70% of companies are concerned about the rising cost of energy, nearly half (45%) worry about waste management and a third (30%) worry about carbon emissions. Yet nearly one third (29%) of those surveyed do not have any Environmental Management System (EMS) in place.  This is despite the fact that many recognise the environmental and business benefits an EMS can bring.

Environmentally friendly schemes often appear to be for large businesses, but small business can still find big benefits from ‘going green’:

• You can save money on your energy and water costs through simple measures such as turning computers and equipment off at night, and only filling office kettles with the amount of water needed.
   
• Being environmentally friendly can enhance your corporate reputation, giving your company a more considerate and caring image.
   
• As the environment becomes a more important issue (which it is certain to do) over the coming years, you could benefit from increased custom. An environmentally friendly image has helped many small firms to expand rapidly.
   
• You can save money on the cost of office supplies (E.g.: Paper and ink) by printing documents only when necessary.
   
• If you produce hazardous waste, you could reduce the amount you create; saving on disposal costs.
   
• Energy generating equipment such as small wind turbines and solar panels are coming down in cost, and over 6-12 years can pay for themselves in energy savings. In some cases you may even be able to sell electricity you generate but do not use.

An EMS does not need to be a complicated and expensive system; a simple recording of energy costs and other data could be all you need to start finding opportunities to make changes and savings.