Converting Your Small Business Into a Green Business

As the world moves towards a more globally accepted environmental solution, there is an increasing responsibility being placed upon individuals and businesses to adopt a 'greener' outlook.Businesses are being scrutinised more now than at any time in the past. Legislation dictates that rules and procedures are stringently adhered to in a series of areas including utility use, waste disposal and emissions.Although much of this legislation has a bigger impact on larger companies, the implications are slowly but surely trickling down to the smaller business.Compliance is vital, and failure to meet standards can results in legal action, loss of reputation and even closure.But there are many things that a small business can do to make things more environmentally friendly today.Equipment should always be turned off when not in use. This not only reduces energy use by around 25% to save costs but also has a beneficial effect on the environment. Turning computers off at night can reduce PC usage costs by over 50%.Management should encourage staff to communicate by e-mail. Not only is e-mail a greener option due to the fact that natural or recycled sources aren't being wasted, but they're free and there's plenty to be save on telephone costs if everybody complies.Fax paper can be saved by making use of fax modem facilities that are probably already on a business computer anyway. These modems allow fax copies to be sent over a computer without the need for a hard copy. If printing is absolutely necessary, printing double sided documents will shave 50% off of paper usage and costs.Taps in washrooms should be tightened thoroughly after use. Just one drip per second from a tap equates to the loss of 10,000 litres of water in a single year. If a tap needs a washer, fit one.Another washroom must is the addition of one or two plastic containers filled with stones into toilet reservoirs. The displacement caused will save around 4 litres every time a receptacle is flush, which equates to a massive yearly saving.When choosing suppliers, especially for office goods, try to find somebody with a creditable green company policy that makes good use of recycled materials in the paper or products they sell. If a supplier takes back their packaging for re-use, even better!Try to make sure these suppliers are within your local area. Having to travel further to deliver leads to more emissions from the delivery vehicles. If possible, try to send a member of staff to pick up small items. It's good for the environment and good for the employee as well!When considering buying new office equipment, stop for a moment and see whether or not your existing furniture can be refurbished. This will not only save large sums of money but also won't produce any waste.Making a small business greener needn't be expensive or time consuming. The application of a little thought, some common sense and getting everybody pulling in the same direction will usually be enough.

Green Business Is Spiritual Business

The green trend in business has everything to do with spirituality. This may not seem so obvious at first, but ultimately I believe this to be precisely the case. This article is about making the connections more clear between spirituality and the green movement.The green movement is largely defined by sustainability, and sustainability in terms of business covers what has been termed the "triple bottom line," that of economics, social sociability and environment. In the search for better understanding of the benefits of this approach it is useful to examine the roots of this movement.Certainly the economic portion is rooted in our survival. We've translated necessary commodities such as food and tools into the symbol of money in our societies. This category is perhaps the most tangible.The second category, sociability, relates to our mutual benefiting from our choices. For example, if I have two choices, the first benefits myself and perhaps a few others and generally hurts others either directly or indirectly. The second choice being one that includes all in terms of its benefits. The idea being that in the scope of "green" or sustainability, a person no longer makes the first choice by principal. In fact if the real spiritual component is there, they don't even desire to do something that would only benefit them selves and hurt others.The third category, that of environment is perhaps the greatest stretch for humanity to include in its bottom line; however, environment is really the most important because it includes all three. Our very survival in both the long and short term and our quality of life depend directly and indirectly on how well we treat the environment. In a very real way, what we do to the environment, we do to ourselves.So how does spirituality factor into this equation? The degree to which we realize the relevance of these factors has everything to do with our spiritual awareness. Consider this, it does not take any mental leap of faith to comprehend the three components of sustainability, yet it does take meaning to an individual. In short, these ideas have to matter; a person has to care. They need to see and "feel" themselves as part of the environment. They need to see themselves as inherently dependent and depended on in terms of helping the human race.So how does one make more real for themselves this spiritual awareness? There is not just one way, but here are some suggestions that may prove useful.1. Visit nature regularly. Observing nature helps us better understand natural processes, but also makes an emotional connection that binds us to our environment, which in turn helps us foster appreciation and respect for it.2. Meditate. Meditation has been proven to relieve stress, transmute internal blockages, increase awareness, enhance focus, and help one remain calm and centered in daily life and stressful situations. This is the body's restful awareness response, which helps foster connection to humanity and nature.3. Eat healthy. The healthier we eat, the better we feel, the more energy we have. The point is, the better we feel inside, the better we want to treat the environment and each other.And so it all comes full circle. It is in our best interest, to have everyone's best interest in mind, and in everyone's best interest to keep the environment healthy.