Going green is now a worldwide trend – as it should be! As a small business, you also have a part to play in protecting the environment by adopting sustainable practices. This will improve your bottom line in the long run because consumers are more inclined to purchase sustainable products and choose businesses that make efforts to be eco-friendly.  https://www.tycoonstory.com/tips/simple-ways-your-small-business-can-be-more-environmentally-friendly/

1. Simple Ways Your Small Business Can Be
More Environmentally Friendly
Going green is now a worldwidetrend – as it should be! As a smallbusiness, you
also have a part to play in protecting the environment by adopting sustainable
practices. This will improveyour bottom line in the long run becauseconsumers
are more inclined to purchasesustainableproducts and choosebusinesses that
make efforts to be eco-friendly.
Let’s look at some simple ways your small business can be more eco-friendly.
Procure Sustainable Goods and Services
Oneof thetop waystokeep yourbusinessenvironmentallyfriendlyis to procure
goodsand servicessustainably.It’sasimpleenough practiceto adopt,and doing
this is not too difficult because there are many companies and organizations in
your supply chain that offer products and services in a sustainable fashion.
To begin with, it’s best practice to seek out the services and products of local
businesses instead of dealing with businesses that are located far away. This
helps the environment because your business won’t need to transport goods
over long distances, which increases carbon emissions and your carbon
footprint.
Another way to sourcegoods and services sustainably is to ensurethat they are
made in a way that does not negatively impact the environment. For instance,
some goods rely heavily on the use of fossil fuels and generate toxic materials
or ozone-depleting free radicals. It’s best to avoid dealing with such suppliers.

2. Instead, you can find a better supplier that offers goods made from renewable
materials that can be recycled. Last but not least, you should avoid goods that
come with excessive packaging. The waste paper contributes to environmental
pollution and also uses more energy during the manufacturing process.
Look for Smart Ways to Reduce Energy Consumption
When you consider that energy bills are one of the major expenses small
businesses have, it becomes worthwhile to adopt smart practices that reduce
energy consumption in the office. Fortunately, there are many ways to lower
your energy bills. You can begin by getting an energy audit to determine how
much energy your business is consuming and discover ways to minimize that
consumption.
If you wantto savemoney on energy in the long run, then your next step should
be to purchase energy-efficient office equipment. Office technology is one of
the most crucial investments for small businesses, and investing in energy-
efficient equipment helps you save more money while benefiting the
environment.Other waysofminimizing energyusageincludeprogrammingyour
office thermostat so you don’t use energy during off-hours. You should also
encourage your staff to switch off lights and computers when not in use. It also
helps if the lights are energy-efficient, as this is one of the simplest ways of
saving energy and being more eco-friendly.
Utilize Digital Resources
In today’s world, office technology has improved in leaps and bounds, and it’s
now possible to run business operations digitally. The great thing about going
paperless is that it impacts the environment positively and helps reduce
overhead costs. One of the best ways to go paperless is to switch to electronic
payrolland accounting. There are many cloud-based solutions that allow you to
reduce the number of paper invoices your business produces and to easily track
expenses. Another effective way to go paperless is by focusing on online
marketing instead of utilizing direct mail campaigns, which can consumea lot of
paper resources. Similarly, you can also switch to digital communication with
the right office technology and reduce the wasteful use of paper.
However, keep in mind there’s always going to be some need for paper in your
office, so you should keep the room in your budget for office materials

3. like quality printers and ink. Although going paperless does have its benefits,
there’s still an essential need for printers and ink when you need hard copies.
For instance, you may need to providehard copies for authentication purposes.
Sometimes hard copies are better for long-term storage, especially for backup
purposes, in the case of data breaches or hacks.
Hopefully, these simple suggestions will prove that you don’t have to expend a
lot of effort or break the bank to make your small business more
environmentally friendly.Therearemany other practicesyou can adoptto make
your small business greater, but you’ll often find that even the simplest of
changes can significantly and positively impact the environment. The most
importantthing is that you’resteppingto the plate and making the environment
a better place by shrinking your carbon footprint.