| Going "green" is big business today. Not only | | | | Teleconferencing provides many of the |
| is going "green" an environmentally | | | | benefits of "being there" in person and now |
| responsible approach for businesses of all | | | | with the advent of Web conferencing (which is |
| sizes to take and one that is the current | | | | video with telephone conferencing combined |
| rage, but going "green" can leverage profit | | | | and includes computer application sharing), |
| dollars to your bottom-line too. | | | | putting in "face time" with a client just got |
| | | | significantly easier and less expensive. |
| First, what exactly do we mean by having your | | | | |
| business go "green"? When we talk about | | | | When you as a business owner, do not have to |
| "green", we mean making a concerted effort to | | | | pay for employee air travel, rental car |
| save our natural resources concerted action. | | | | expenses, hotel rooms, meals, long distance |
| Actions such as: 1. Saving on paper supplies | | | | calls, mileage, and airport parking fees for |
| - consider going digital for all of your | | | | even one less trip per month, the savings can |
| internal office correspondence thereby saving | | | | be huge! Over the course of a year the |
| on office supply costs and saving trees at | | | | potential savings and benefit to your profit |
| the same time. 2. Lowing office energy | | | | can be so significant that you may change |
| consumption - lower your thermostat in the | | | | your employees to a very limited travel |
| winter and raise it in the summer. Consider | | | | schedules. What might be some of your actual |
| using an electronic programmable thermostat | | | | cost savings? Here is just one example of |
| to lower your energy consumption when people | | | | actual travel expenses for an employee based |
| are not in your office in the evenings and | | | | in Washington DC to traveling to Groton, |
| weekends. 3. Recycling drink bottles - get | | | | Connecticut for a three day business trip: |
| your employees to sort their lunch trash and | | | | |
| recycle bottles and cans. Encourage the use | | | | Air fare ;$400 Hotel for three nights ($120 |
| of environmentally friendly alternatives to | | | | per night) $360 Per Diem ($50 per day) $150 |
| Styrofoam cups. 4. Using recycled paper - | | | | Airport Parking ;$50 Mileage to airport and |
| whenever possible use recycled paper in your | | | | back $20 Total Expense $980 |
| print marketing materials saving trees and | | | | |
| forests. 5. Using biodegradable alternatives | | | | This is just one example of a potential |
| - replace plastic packaging and plastic | | | | travel saving and is calculated at the |
| shipping materials with new biodegradable | | | | government per diem rates. Your own company's |
| "plastic-like" alternatives. Many of these | | | | per diem reimbursement rate may even be |
| new alternatives do not cost more and warrant | | | | higher. It is clear that not every trip can |
| your consideration. 6. Driving less - drive | | | | be replaced by teleconferencing, but what |
| less by consolidating the trips that you do | | | | about the quick one day trips and meet and |
| need to make in your car saving fuel, mileage | | | | greet type contract reviews or routine sales |
| expenses, and decreasing air pollution in | | | | calls. These can effectively be replaced by |
| your city. 7. Using mass transit or | | | | regular teleconferencing saving a business a |
| considering car pooling - save money, | | | | huge amount of travel expenses over the year |
| conserve our natural resources, and lower air | | | | and leveraging a significant amount of profit |
| pollution all at the same time. 8. Buying | | | | to the bottom-line. |
| Energy Star products - when you need new | | | | |
| appliances or heating and cooling systems | | | | Before you comment "my clients need to have |
| purchase those with the Energy Star label for | | | | me in the same room", consider trying out Web |
| increased efficiency and lower energy | | | | conferencing first. You may be pleasantly |
| consumption. You'll recover your initial | | | | surprised to find that the positive statement |
| investment and then start saving money in | | | | you make as a "green" company resonates with |
| just a few years. 9. Stopping the Use | | | | your clients. Your clients may appreciate |
| Aerosols - use office and beauty products | | | | your efforts and willingly embrace your |
| that are aerosol free. Consider letting your | | | | change to only occasional travel and more |
| cleaning staff know to limit the use of | | | | frequent Web and teleconferencing contact in |
| aerosol based cleaning products in your | | | | their effort to help with your company's |
| office as well. 10. Limiting your travel by | | | | "green" thrust. |
| teleconferencing - not only will you minimize | | | | |
| the pollution you would normally create in | | | | Going "green" can help leverage money to the |
| traveling but will make a significant savings | | | | bottom-line. Just how much flow-through you |
| on travel expenses improving your bottom-line | | | | get simply depends on you and the efforts |
| significantly. Although you may not be able | | | | that you are willing to take. Web and |
| to embrace each item in our list above, one | | | | teleconferencing are easy to try, are fairly |
| of the biggest items that will leverage | | | | inexpensive to use, and can leverage the most |
| profit directly to your bottom-line is to | | | | profit to the bottom-line in the long run. |
| increase your use of teleconferencing and | | | | Consider putting a "green" face on your |
| decrease the amount of your travel both for | | | | business and improving your bottom-line in |
| long distance and in-town trips. | | | | the process. |
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