Going Green on a Budget

Read an interesting article this week in Crain's Chicago Business:

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/mag/article.pl?id=32208

As the author points out, new "green" iniatives may or may not pay off right away, although most at least pay for themselves after a long enough period of time. The main roadblock to "going green" is intial cost--most small to mid-sized businesses can't make large scale investments in the current economic climate, even if there's a good chance they'll pay off later.

However, there are a number of ways you can make a difference, at minimal cost. At the same time, you can position yourself as an environmentally responsible company, so that you are positioned to take advantage of eco-conscious customers when the recession recedes.

The most obvious actions start right in your workplace--replacing traditional bulbs with compact fluorescents, adding (and maintaining!) a recycling program, getting printer ink/toner cartridges refilled (there are a number of places that do this, such as Cartridge World) instead of buying new ones, etc. These are small investments (many of which will actually save you money), but they can still be used to market yourself as a green company.

Promotion is key to making these work for you, and social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) are great for this. Sample Twitter posts or Facebook Updates/Wall Posts:

"Able to donate 10 computers to after-school program."

"Dropping off break room recyclables."

These tools can get your company's name in front of hundreds of people (or more), while also presenting positive messages about your business to an interested audience. With a price tag of "free," there's no cheaper way to broadcast your green efforts, gaining you goodwill, and maybe future customers!