Going green is a process, like most everything else. It’s absolutely OK to break it down into baby steps so it’s more manageable. Use the K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Sweetie!) approach and do what you can.

Greening your business really is good for your bottom line, both in terms of reducing your expenses and by pulling in the new generation of environmentally committed consumers who are looking for green businesses to patronize.

Here are ten simple baby steps you can take:

1. Power down all the computers in your office when your business is closed.
2. Banish your phantom power vampires with power strips. We like the Smart Strip.
3. Replace regular incandescent light bulbs with florescent bulbs; “CFL” (Compact Florescent Lamp) bulbs are no longer have the annoying hum and harsh light they once did. CostCo has great prices for multi-bulb packages of CFL’s.
4. Go Digital.

• send invoices via email (we use Quickbooks Online)
• use email for: marketing programs, promos, ezines and newsletters, printable coupons (Constant Contact is very popular)
• develop an electronic press kit (EPK) for your business
• use pdf’s for sharing documents (including those being edited back & forth) & forms (they can be locked for security)
• testing this new bullet (Shift-return is a “soft return”… Option8 give the bullet point character)

1. Buy 100% recycled, 100% post-consumer paper for your printers and copiers. We like the Wausau Exact Eco 100, it’s processed chlorine free, is Green Seal and Forest Stewardship Council certified. You can get a carton of 10 reams from Office Depot for around $75.
2. Use Green Print to eliminate unwanted pages from being printed.
3. Recycle your office paper by inserting it back into your printer/copier to use the blank side.
4. If you’re a restaurant, sell your cooking oil for use in converted diesel vehicles; offer your food scraps to farmers and gardeners for animal food and compost.
5. Park your website with a company that offers solar and/or wind powered servers. (We can help with that! http://www.integrishosting.com/)
6. Calculate and Offset Your Business’s Carbon Footprint