Are you in the process of building your business? Are you hoping to hit it big in the months and years to come? Are you also concerned about being environmentally friendly along the way?
There is nothing more exciting than building a business from the ground up. This is one of the best ways to take control of your life, both from a professional and personal point of view.
However, there’s one thing you need to remember: making money shouldn’t be your only goal. You should also consider the many ways you can better yourself and the world as a whole, such as by taking environmentally friendly steps as your company grows.
1. Cut Back on the Use of Paper
Entirely too many companies use entirely too much paper.
Did you know the average American uses approximately 700 pounds of paper products every year?
While this doesn’t sound like a big deal, it can have a negative impact on the environment as a whole. As a business owner, there are steps you can take to cut back on the use of paper.
For example, stop printing out every document you receive via email. You can save these to your computer for future access. Also, get into the habit of printing on both sides of a piece of paper.
2. Hire People Who Share Your Passion
If you are passionate about being environmentally friendly, it’s important that you hire people who share the same thoughts as you.
The last thing you want to find is that your employees are doing things that harm the environment. This can undo all of the good you set out to accomplish, so you want to avoid this situation at all costs.
During the interview process, don’t hesitate to ask questions pertaining to how employees can be more environmentally friendly. You may be surprised to find that some candidates really share your passion.
3. Give Back to Charities
With so many eco-friendly charities out there, you shouldn’t find it difficult to locate a few to get involved with.
There is more than one way of giving back. For example, you could make a donation to your favorite charities every year. Along with this, you could spend time volunteering at a local foundation.
Better yet, let your team take time away from work to help out their favorite eco-friendly charity. This is a great way to have a positive impact on the environment.
4. Choose Sustainable Construction Materials
Are you in the process of building a new space for your company? Are you wondering which steps you can take to reduce your footprint on the environment?
One of the best things you can do is choose sustainable construction materials. There are many of these to consider, so make sure you keep an open mind.
It’s easy to believe that sustainable construction materials will cost you more money during the building process, but this isn’t always true. You may come to find that some of these materials actually allow you to save money.
5. Opt for a Distributed Workforce
When you require employees to commute to and from work, it’s safe to assume that some of them will take steps that negatively impact the environment.
To protect against this, while also making life easier for your employees, you could allow everyone to work from home.
This setup may be difficult to get into place, but once you are comfortable with your team everything will come together. With roughly 25 percent of people doing some or all of their work from home, if you opt for a distributed workforce your company won’t’ be alone.
Conclusion
It doesn’t matter if you are launching an online store, a company that helps people or some other type of venture, you will feel better about yourself when you act in an environmentally friendly manner.
What are your thoughts on the five ways above to be environmentally friendly when building a business? Can you think of any other ways to do this? Are there any steps you should take or things to avoid along the way? Share your personal ideas in the comment section below. Your tips could go a long way in helping another entrepreneur build an environmentally friendly business.