Your business is always fighting to stay ahead. Ahead of the competition, ahead of government regulation, ahead of expenses chewing up your bottom line… It’s hectic!
Keeping your business afloat is difficult enough, let alone trying to improve or innovate. And, on top of keeping your business afloat, how are you even supposed to innovate?
Go Green
The environment is a hot topic around the world. Governments, charities, school, and businesses are all hopping on the “Going Green” bandwagon, but what exactly are the benefits of going green?
That’s right, if you want to save some green, you’d better go green. While there may be occasional up-front costs, putting energy efficiency, paper savings, and cutting electronic use can mean spending less and profiting more.
Here are some ideas to get you started:
Switch to LED and CFL bulbs in your office to reduce electricity usage.
Get rid of printing by switching to digital forms so no customer or office forms need printing.
Add a water filter to your sink and get rid of single-use water bottles. (25% of bottled water is just tap water anyway.)
Have an energy audit done (Some energy suppliers will do one for free!)
Turn up the thermostat a few degrees in the summer and a few degrees down in the winter. (Will anyone really notice?)
Green Marketing
You know what gets your customers’ attention? Saving the world. And that is what green marketing is all about. Green marketing is the process of selling products or services based on their environmental benefits. Typically, green marketing is about how you directly impact the environment with your business, however, you can also use a green initiative as a way to differentiate yourself from your competitors.
Is there value in bragging about going green? Absolutely!
In 2014, Nielson conducted a Global Survey on Corporate Social Responsibility to determine consumer preferences. What did they find? 55% of consumers were willing to pay extra for products and services from companies committed to positive social and environmental impact.
Beware: You can’t just talk the talk about how “green” your company is if you don’t walk the walk. The backlash from disingenuous attempts at Green Marketing can be vicious! Make sure that you take the appropriate measures to show the world you and your business are worthy of praise (and patronage).
Government Rewards
Did you know that the government will pay you to be energy efficient? It actually pays to be green!
Whether it’s your local, state, or the federal government, you can receive rebates and tax incentives for your business going green!
Wondering what you can get for your efforts? Find out using this handy tool by the North Carolina Clean Energy Technology Center.
Generate Good Will
Let’s face it, people like it when you do the right thing, and nobody is going to tell you that you’re wrong for trying to be eco-friendly. Like we said before, people care about doing the right thing and right now, going green is what’s right.
So, get out there! Plant a tree by the office, volunteer with a local charity that tries to improve the environment and donate to green causes!
Show people that when you say you’re going green you mean you’re going green!
Do Your Part
This one should be obvious.
We only get one Earth, so do your part to keep it clean, and fight against environmental degradation. While you don’t have to live in a mud hut and compost your trash for fertilizer, small efforts can make a big change.
Going green can save you green! Save some trees and your profits with digital forms.
naturalForms – Smart Forms for Smart Business
About naturalForms®
naturalForms is an innovative software company based in Dayton, Ohio USA and is the leader in natural input technologies and provides an end-to-end mobile data capture platform that automates the collection of natural input (such as handwriting, photos, notes, drawings, and signatures) instantly at the point of entry. Information captured with tablets or other mobile devices is immediately converted to digital data and seamlessly integrated to backend systems. Straight-through processing eliminates cycle time delays and human data entry errors, creating an unsurpassed workflow optimization and significant cost savings. naturalForms’ solutions are used around the world, delivering value in multiple industries. To learn more, visit http://www.naturalforms.com.