Ways to Make Your Business More Environmentally-Friendly (and Save Money Too!)

Earlier this week, we discussed some of the elements of an effective CSR strategy.  One of the most common measures taken by many companies to help their organization’s image is to “go green”.  If you haven’t done so already, it’s something you should definitely consider!  Many assume that ‘going green’ automatically means an increase in costs, but it doesn’t have to – in fact, some of these measures can actually save you some money.

The level of measures you should take and any potential costs (or savings) will depend on the nature and size of your business.  If you’re a business that produces industrial/chemical waste, you’ll need to follow the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and properly dispose of that waste, which is an expensive process, but you can find companies that will perform this service and compare pricing for what you need.  Many businesses (of any size and industry) don’t realize they produce regulated universal waste (in the form of batteries, lamp bulbs, light switches, and pesticides, among others), which can often be properly disposed of according to EPA guidelines at a relatively low cost.

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Large industrial businesses like this one are subject to plenty of EPA regulations on how to store, transport, and dispose of chemical & industrial waste properly.  But did you know your fluorescent lamps could be considered EPA-regulated waste too?

Aside from proper waste disposal, there are lots of other ways to make your business more environmentally friendly.  Re-considering the sources of your supplies is one of them — many products (especially paper and plastic-based products) can be from recycled sources (like post-consumer paper for example).  You can also take measures to reduce your usage of these supplies by implementing more digital ways of doing business (reducing or eliminating the use of “snail mail” or paper invoices, for example, in favor of electronic versions of these documents).

Perhaps one of the best ways you can become more environmentally-friendly AND save money is to reduce your energy usage.  Luckily, there are also tons of ways to do this!  Switching to energy-efficient lighting sources, appliances, and electronics can save you quite a bit on your monthly utilities, as can some basic maintenance tips like sealing up drafty windows and doors, keeping the blinds closed on a hot summer day (or cold winter day), or opening those windows and turning the A/C off on a more temperate day.  If that’s too uncomfortable or not feasible (maybe it’s too windy or noisy), you can also set your office thermostat to a few degrees higher or lower depending on the season to save on your energy costs while keeping the temperature at a comfortable level.

We’re only scratching the surface here, since there are nearly countless ways to improve your environmental footprint, but these basic tips should help you and your business “take out the trash and save some cash”.  OK, maybe that was a little cheesy, but I hope it helps.  Do you have any more tips to give?  Share them in the comments section below.

Things You Need to Know About an Effective CSR Strategy

So you’re one of the lucky ones to be in charge at a successful business (or maybe not so successful…yet).  Congrats!  But do you have an effective CSR (corporate social responsibility) platform?  If not, you should strongly consider implementing one, as CSR is quickly becoming a necessity in today’s world — younger generations are demanding that companies act responsibly and in ways that are sustainable.  You’re probably thinking “that sounds expensive”.  The good news is that not every form of CSR has to come at a big expense to you or your business.  So…what else do you need to know?

The first thing I want you to understand is that CSR doesn’t have to be all about one particular area of concern.  In fact, the best CSR programs generally have an impact across many different concerns.  Typically what we see from most corporations are efforts that focus on societal problems that are not overly political — it’s hard to argue with someone fighting against poverty, hunger, abuse, homelessness, etc.  If you do choose to implement some initiatives that involve issues that are hotly debated — such as gun control here in the USA — just understand that you may experience negative feedback from customers, vendors, or the general public regardless of what position you take.  You may even lose customers or vendor relationships, so be sure that you are prepared for any potential consequences before making these decisions.

Secondly, as I mentioned earlier, not every initiative you implement has to be expensive.  There are plenty of ideas that can result in very little or no cost to the company at all.  For example, you could partner with your local food bank to organize a canned food drive at your workplace, or work with a veterans group to hold a drive for care packages for soldiers overseas.  These are things you could simply ask your employees to bring in on their own.  You could also choose to have some or all of your employees take a small part of a day (or days) off to volunteer for a local nonprofit organization of their (or the firm’s) choice.  If you coordinate this with multiple employees to volunteer together, it can also double as a team-building exercise!  Win-win!

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Finally, let’s talk about CSR in terms of a strategy.  You’ll want to to make sure that whatever CSR initiatives you plan to put in place will match up with the overall values of the organization and the image you wish to portray to the public.  If you want to have the public see your company as one that cares about the environment, for example, your best options for CSR programs would be ones that contribute to a cleaner environment and improve the environmental sustainability of your company.  Or perhaps if you want the public to see your company as one that cares about children, you might want to focus on supporting nonprofit organizations that benefit children’s welfare and health.

The ultimate idea is that your CSR strategy should mesh well with your overall strategy as a business.  If your business values and strategy don’t match up with your CSR strategy, it’s possible that neither will be effective.  If you understand the basic concepts we’ve talked about here and follow good common sense, you should be well on your way to implementing a solid CSR program at your business.

 

 

 

Go Long!: Why Your Focus Should Be On Doing The Right Thing Rather Than Short Term Profits

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“Are you motivated by money?”  What a silly question, right?  Who isn’t!  We all have to find a way to provide the very basic necessities:  food, water, shelter, etc., and we satisfy those needs through our labor.  Whether you’re self-employed or work for someone else, you’re providing someone your services in exchange for money, which is then used to help you meet your needs (with the exception of bartering – but then you’re still trading your services in order to obtain something that will help you meet your needs).  All of this is fantastic, unless your priorities get “out of whack”.

Here’s an example of how it can go wrong.  Stop me if you’ve heard this one before…..the Enron / Arthur Andersen scandal.  Clearly Enron had its own monetary interests in mind when it carried on such massive fraud, but why would Arthur Andersen – then one of the most-respected auditors in the world – choose to participate in such egregious activities?  It’s not like Enron was their only client and they absolutely needed Enron’s business to survive.  Yet, this former pillar of accountability chose money over integrity and ended up “going down with the ship”, so to speak.

“OK”, you say, “so don’t do illegal/unethical stuff or help my clients hide illegal/unethical stuff”.  Well, that’s not enough.  If you really want to get ahead and succeed, you’ll want to make sure you and/or your organization are doing the right thing first rather than being second to shareholder returns.  It sounds like blasphemy, but some reports actually show that companies who focus on doing business in a just and ethical manner outperform those who focus on shareholder returns by a wide margin.

It may not always be pleasant fiscally for you or your client, but the odds are that you will gain respect and credibility for handling a problem correctly in the first place.  So don’t lose sight of your long term goals just to have some short term success today.  Do the right thing and results will eventually follow.

Have you ever faced a dilemma where you could profit from looking the other way?  Leave a comment below.  (Be smart.)

Don’t Ruin Your Reputation!

How many of us worry about how others perceive us?  We might worry about our appearance, how impressive our résumé looks, or even how good our home or lawn looks to someone else…but how about our character?  All of these things affect our reputation, whether it’s a reputation as someone who takes care of their physique, their lawn, or their career aspirations, yet none of these matter if you don’t have a reputation as someone who does the right thing.  Allow me to provide an example.

Quick show of hands:  How many of you would buy a TDI diesel-powered vehicle from Volkswagen following the emissions scandal?  Better yet – how many of you would buy the EXACT vehicles that were found to have the defeat devices and software installed?  Even if Volkswagen promises you it will fix the emissions problems?  Me neither!  But that is just exactly what Volkswagen is hoping to do – offload those vehicles to customers who may still be willing to buy them.

Snake Oil anyone?  (image credit:  https://s3.amazonaws.com/skinner-production/stories/featured_images/000/018/115/large/snake-oil-salesman.jpg)

Given VW’s history, could you even trust them to do what they say?  After all, the entire scandal came about because VW deliberately deceived both its customers and numerous government regulators across states and countries, and even engaged in a cover-up.  What’s to stop them from not fixing them at all, and simply not selling the vehicles in areas that have strict emissions standards, or only fixing a portion of them, or even building the repair costs into their re-sale price (which would force a customer to pay to fix a problem they had nothing to do with)?

Whether it’s a car, a book, a complex financial product, or simply the service or labor you can provide, no one will be interested in what you have to sell them if you don’t have credibility.  Don’t let a poor decision to “look the other way” today turn into a lifetime struggle to play “catch-up” and gain back what you’ve lost.  VW’s former CEO is now being indicted by the US government for fraud, and it’s possible he’ll never be employable again.  Ever.

Would you buy “damaged goods” from a company whose reputation has been tarnished by cheating if they promised to ‘make it right’?  Leave a comment below.