Creating a green office is an endeavor that has being taken on by many businesses. The reason for this change in office procedure is to not only provide green services but to also reduce office costs and possibly gain business grants or tax exemptions. With several business grants and tax exemptions for green office procedures, the need to go green is even greater in the smallest of companies or the largest of businesses. This guide will discuss creating a green office not only in a large corporation but also within a home based office setting.
The first aspect of creating a green office is to discuss the benefits of a green office. We will also be discussing the five ways to create a green office easily, becoming a certified green business office, going green with a home office, benefits of hiring a green consultant, and hiring a green business consultant .
Benefits of a Green Office
There are several benefits of having a green office. These benefits are the same regardless of the size of the office, location of the office or green office procedures.
Financial
The financial benefits of a green office can be staggering depending on the procedures that are implemented. By simply going paperless, an office can reduce their overall supply costs by up to 65%. When you consider that going paperless means reducing the amount of ink used in printers, the energy used to run those printers, paper in the printers and resources should the printer breakdown then you can immediately see where the financial benefits are for going green. Other financial benefits in going green are energy conservation and reduction, which in turn will reduce the energy costs for the business.
Increased Production
Increased production may seem like a benefit that would not be associated with going green. However, many of the green options for offices allow for greater production. The going paperless option, which is the most common going green option in a business or company , offers several production benefits that can be seen immediately or later down the road. One of the benefits is maintaining several copies of a business document virtually. An example where this benefit is shown clearly is with hurricane Katrina in the New Orleans and gulf coast United States areas. Companies who had already begun going green with a paperless system were able to retrieve their documents quickly and easily. By keeping a copy on hard drives, a copy on a flash drive and a copy in the cloud companies were able to retrieve documents regardless of the damage done to the office during the hurricane. In fact, following hurricane Katrina, many law enforcement and correctional facilities began using a paperless and cloud based system to keep records of inmates and inmates on probation. This change was due to the loss of paperwork and loss of tracking information for inmates. In fact, many of the sexual based offenders and offenders on probation or parole who were missing at the time of hurricane Katrina are still missing today because the lack of paperwork due to hurricane damage.
Communication
By going green, an office can increase their communication with other offices, customers and business associates. Going green, for the most part, in an office will revolve around going paperless and securing communication channels. This communication security stems from going green but leads to better communication and a paper trail of that communication should an issue arise.
Government Assistance
The small business association and other government-based organizations for businesses have begun offering special grants, loans, and upgrade loans to businesses that are willing to go green. If a business is willing to go green, they can apply for a government-funded loan that would help them pay for the green upgrades. These upgrades can cover anything from implementing a paperless system to implementing solar generated backup plans and better energy efficiency for the business. These grants and loans vary in amount as well as in the regulations require receiving these loans. It should be noted that it could take up to six months to receive word on these loans and for approval to be given.
Five Ways to Create a Green Office
There are five ways to create a green office that will make a green transition easier for everyone involved in the business. These five ways can be implemented during normal business hours or can be implemented over a single weekend to create a green office environment.
Going Paperless
Going paperless, as previously mentioned, is the first step for many offices to start a go green campaign. Going paperless means that invoices, bills, documentation, contracts and other business related forms are available online or through e-mail communication. The most common form of going paperless is offering invoicing or billing statements through e-mail or cloud based communication. This cloud based communication method may also offer an E-signature option or payment option to make the entire process paperless. Going paperless can also mean that documentation backup and services are kept within the cloud and if someone needs a copy of those services that would be the only time that the item is printed. If an electronic document is an option, that electronic document can be offered.
Solar Power Components
Several solar power components can be integrated into a green office. One of the most popular is the solar powered keyboard and computer components options. These options can be implemented throughout a business for each employee of that business. The solar power options can reduce energy costs up to 55% or more depending on the amount of components used. Solar keyboards and solar power backups are the most common solar power components used in green offices.
Air Purification Systems
When a home converts to being a green home one of the first appliances they purchase is an air purification system. These purification systems can be used to create a green office as well. A green air purification system can be a small as a desk fan or as large as a full building system. Air purification systems will create an environment with clean air they also will reduce energy costs. The way the air purification systems reduce energy costs is by cleaning the air so that dust particles will not be trapped in heating and air ducts. If dust particles are not trapped in heating and air ducts the airflow will remain clear and clean and allow the heating and air system to run efficiently year round.
Recycled Office Supplies
Purchasing recycled office supplies such as recycled paper and refillable ink cartridges can make an office go green. By purchasing these recycled items, the office is helping other businesses go green and maintaining a recycled atmosphere . This reduces waste in landfills and reduces waste in local trash receptacles. There are also several recyclable companies that will come out and recycle paper items, plastic items and glass items for use within the community or for other businesses.
Purchasing Locally
By purchasing items locally, a business can help reduce costs across the board. Shipping costs will reduce dramatically which will help increase the profitability of the business. By buying and purchasing items locally, a business will support local businesses, which will improve local economy and reduce emissions caused by long distance truck driving. Purchasing locally also has the added benefit of allowing a business to get the supplies they need when they need them. If, for example, a business runs out of a certain supply that is provided by a local company they will be able to obtain that supply quickly and easily without having to wait or pay a special shipping charge.
Becoming a Certified Green Business Office
Becoming a certified green business office is a little tricky. There are certain government programs that will certify a green business and allow them to carry the green business label on their website. However, this is difficult and somewhat rare to obtain . In fact, certain guidelines and restrictions may prohibit many businesses from receiving this green business office certification.
For businesses and offices that would like to be certified as a green business, there are certain methods, the business can provide to their customers to let them know they are green. Going paperless is one of the many ways than a business can be labeled as a green business. By offering the paperless option for invoicing and billing, a business can state that they are a green business. Though they are not a certified green business, the ability to say they are green business and offer certain green options will go far within the green community.
If a business would like to have some form of certification, they can also contact a local green business consultant or online consultant. Both a local consultant and a green business consultant online can meet with the proper business officials and discuss what methods the business is taking in going green. They can make suggestions to the business and monitor that the business is, in fact, working on a green business plan. If the business meets with a local business consultant or online green consultant then that consultant can certify them as a green business . Though this is not a government issued certification it can still have great meaning to businesses and consumers by telling them you are serious about having your business go green and that you provide green services to your consumers.
We will discuss the benefits of a green consultant and how hire a green business consultant later in this guide.
Going Green with a Home Office
It has become increasingly common for businesses to hire contractors to work from home. If you are an at home contractor you may still want to go green . There are many governments grants offered by a small business associations as well as local tax officials that will help reduce or offer a grant for the business if they choose to go green. Several ways that you can go green within a home office are quick and easy. These ways are also available for certification if you go through a green business consultants.
Solar Energy Back-up
Having a solar energy backup plan is an easy way for a home office to go green. The solar energy back up can be as small as having a solar recharging station for phones , batteries and other rechargeable items. You can go as large as having a complete solar backup for your home office or for the home itself. If you have a solar backup for the home itself, you will need to designate how many square feet is devoted to your home office in order to receive any kind of tax reduction or deduction for your home office being green. A solar energy backup can also be used with solar keyboards to prevent the use of batteries or electronic energy sources.
Going Paperless
Big business is not the only business that can go paperless and still go green. A home office can go completely paperless and have a higher success rate of going paperless that a bigger business. By keeping documents in the cloud through resources such as Google Docs or Zoho Docs, a small business owner can ensure that their clients can see the documents, presentations and links too important documentation. This will allow the home office owner to reduce supply costs as well. By going paperless, a home office owner can reduce the costs of printer paper, printer ink and the energy used to supply energy sources to printers and other components.
Going Smaller
One of the ways that many home office owners are using to go green is to reduce the size of their office. A few years ago, a home office consisted of a desktop computer speakers, modem, telephone and other business appliances. With the invention of netbooks, tablets and smartphones, many home office owners are finding that it has become increasingly easier to go smaller and go greener. By reducing a desktop to a netbook and by swapping a landline phone for a smartphone, a green home office owner is able to reduce costs for their energy bill dramatically.
Benefits of Hiring a Green Consultant
When a business considers going green they often overlook the most important aspect of a green office. That aspect is hiring a green consultant. It is true that a business can come up with their own methods of going green or that a home business owner can come up with methods of going green, however the methods a green consultant can offer are far reaching and will offer far more benefit in the end. Here are a few benefits of hiring a green consultant that should be considered.
Financial
There is an old saying that you have to spend money to make money. In the case of going green, this is very true. Going green is not inexpensive and does usually have an upfront cost of some kind. By hiring a green consultant, you will have to pay a little more. However, hiring a green consultant means that you will have all of the alternatives available to you that will reduce your financial costs within the first 30 days and throughout the fiscal year. The cost of a green consulting can be anywhere from $100 for a quick consultation to $2000 for a full onsite consultation. The green consultant will evaluate what your business is and explain the ways you can actually implement green business methods. They will also offer a way that business methods can be an implemented at a reduced cost for the business rather than the business running out and trying to handle the process on their own, which may result in huge financial issues.
Greener Alternatives
A green consultant will have the experience and education to offer a business greener alternatives than they would be able to offer themselves. Many green consultants have worked with several types of businesses throughout their career. This means that they can handle a small office in the same way that they can handle a major corporation. A green consultant will be able to look at your business and evaluate that business based on several factors. An individualized plan for going green can be created which means greener alternatives for the business that the business may not have considered on their own. In fact, many of these alternatives lead to the business saving more money over all rather than spending money on green alternatives that do not work for their business or will not work in the end .
Expertise
If you wanted to implement a bookkeeping plan for end of month expenses you would hire an experienced a bookkeeper . You would not choose someone who had no experience and background in bookkeeping . This same can be said for green consultants. Many business owners will try to opt out of hiring a green consultant in lieu of hiring a standard business consultant . If you want the job done right and want the proper green alternatives in order to become certified or to obtain government grants and tax reductions then expertise is the way to go.
Hiring a Green Business Consultant
Hiring a green business consultant can be overwhelming for many business owners. In order to hire the right consultant for the job you will need to know what type of consultant to look for. There are a few things that business owners should know before hiring a green business consultant.
Education and Certification
It is very rare for a green business consultant to actually have a certification or education in green business . There are very rare colleges or career schools that offer any kind of green business certification. Therefore, instead of looking for someone with an education that no one will have or a certification that is simply not available you will need to be looking for a green business consultant that has references. The education or certification of a green business consultant can be summed up in their references and resources.
Background
The background of a green business consultant can come from green living experience , renewable energy experience or a background with businesses dealing in this type of green business. The best green business consultant is one who has a record of converting a business to a green level. You will want someone with a background in going paperless, going solar and a strong background and what green living is. The only way to check the background is to check the references. Look for references that are for companies or small businesses. Individual references will not help. When speaking to references ask each reference what the green business consultant did for their business and ask for some kind of proof or letter that will back up their background.
Fees
The fee for a green business consultant can range dramatically depending on the type of consulting your business needs. The standard fee for a green business consultant is $100 for a quick evaluation over the phone. A quick evaluation means less than an hour of giving you some general ideas of how your business can go green. For a thorough evaluation of your business as well as the ways your business can go green and implementation for those green options you can expect to pay upwards of $3000 total. This fee generally includes the time, consultations and guided methodology for implementing the green concepts into the office.