The terms entrepreneur and eco are not always synonymous, although recent years have led to a rise in the adherence of eco standards in business. If you are thinking about starting a business and want to still prioritize our environment, you are in luck. More and more customers opt for environmentally friendly companies, so it’s becoming easier to save the planet while still making a good business decision.
Arguably, so long as you address carbon consumption and embrace carbon neutrality, then a business in almost any sector can be environmentally friendly. Here we look at some of the best options for being environmentally friendly and entrepreneurial.
Offset Carbon
There are several ways to offset your company’s carbon consumption. Many of these can be encouraged across the company, to create a culture of care for the environment. This includes switching monitors off overnight, and having lights which switch off after a certain amount of time, along with ensuring the building is well insulated, to keep in the heat during the winter and out in the summer.
Ensure that company cars are low emission and staff are trained on how to keep emissions low through sticking to speed limits, etc.
Work Online
Anything from copywriting to web design and accountancy to admin can be done online, which means remote working. This cuts down on carbon emissions in travel to and back from work, reduces overhead due to less people commuting.
Monecor’s Spread Betting is one way to make money through digital platforms, by simply working from home.
Reduce Paper
Wherever possible, keep everything stored on a cloud system and therefore remove or significantly reduce paper copies. Encourage staff not to print unless it’s really necessary.
Digitalize all resources, banking and invoicing, and ensure that you use recycling services.
Consider Using Solar Panels
If your business is of a certain size, then you may be able to use solar panels, which will reduce electricity bills, and in some cases you can even sell excess energy back to the grid and make money.
Installing solar panels does involve an initial outlay, which is why it’s best to seek financial advice about the size of the company.
Reduce Water Consumption
Depending on the nature of your business, you may not need to use a lot of water, but fostering a culture of ensuring taps are turned off, washes are put on eco settings, and water is not wasted are behaviour changes that make a difference to the environmental soundness of a company.
There are many other things that you can do to be friendly to the environment without sacrificing your bottom line. Hopefully, this post has given you a few ideas on how to move your business down this path.