Companies are turning green like never before - and we're not talking money. Green business is now viewed as being cutting edge, environmentally-friendly, and an asset to future growth, all at once. And now is a great time to get involved. Small changes can have a big impact, so don't think you need to have millions or even thousands dedicated to make a difference. As you'll see, it's all about creativity and personalizing solutions based on your specific industry. Read on for inspiration on ways that your company can turn over a new leaf, so to speak.
Green Buildings
Major corporations are playing it green from the ground up. For example, JPMorgan Chase uses the roof of its 53 story headquarters to collect rainwater which is filtered and then used for toilet flushing. Even more impressive, Bank of America recently announced that its new building will employ a heat exchange system that will gather heat from groundwater and use it to help heat the building in the winter. In the summer, the system will force the heat beneath the building. This, in addition to other green advancements will contribute to the large building only using half the electricity normally needed to power a building its size.
Green Machines
Dyson has created a new hand dryer that uses half the energy of a standard hand dryer unit. Best of all, it does it in half the time and pays for itself in a few years. And technology developed by Microsoft called EcoDrive will record car performance information using a USB key. Simply plug the USB into a computer for tips on how to lower emissions among other helpful details.
Green Transportation
Sometimes the best way to cut down on CO2 emissions is to avoid driving altogether. High gas prices, coupled with environmentally-friendly motivations have resulted in many companies allowing their employees to work from home. In fact, 56% of Sun Microsystems's workforce is made up of virtual commuters. Another popular alternative for companies is to provide incentives (in some cases, up to $5000) for purchasing hybrid vehicles.
Green Packaging
Refining packaging decisions not only eliminates excess materials and waste, it can also have an impact on your bottom line. Concentrated liquids, more efficient packaging, and using environmentally-friendly materials - many companies are stepping up the green-packaging plate. Smaller packaging also means less delivery trucks on the road - and lower CO2 emissions. Talk about a win-win.
Green Business For Sale
It can cost hundreds of dollars to mail out invoices, receipts, and other bills to your clients. First you have to pay for the production of this material, and then you have to pay for the distribution. However, e-billing is a low cost alternative that even a small business can afford.
Especially if you work with international clients, e-billing is a foolproof and vital method to deliver important information at a very low price.
Benefits of E-Billing
Clearly, the money saved on production and distribution of paper billing gives e-billing a large financial advantage over alternative billing methods.
E-billing is obviously beneficial to the environment, but there are other benefits of e-billing to be aware of.
The environmental benefits of e-billing also affect the perspective of a customer. When a business offers the option of paperless billing, this builds rapport with an environmentally conscious consumer and can help to increase customer satisfaction, retention, and even referrals.
Not only does e-billing cut costs and environmental waste; but paperless billing offers a whole new element to billing that simple ink and paper can't provide. The end user benefits are limitless. More information can be made available in a statement provided through the internet, and there is less confusion on the clients end. (Nobody likes to feel confused over a bill!)
In fact, when the right information is given, you will also save money by cutting back on customer service calls!
A good e-billing service provider will offer useful templates and resources to ensure that an end user receives the most important information (based on independent research.)
One of the greatest benefits to paperless billing is how quickly an e-bill can reach the client. Instead of waiting days, even weeks, for the information to arrive… a valued client may instead receive important information in a matter of seconds, or minutes after being sent. (The quicker a bill or invoice is received, the quicker a payment is received.)
In Summary
Paperless billing saves environmental waste. Both businesses and consumers are participating actively in “going green” not because it is a trend, but because it is important to conserve and reduce waste.
E-billing is a green business solution that will build rapport and increase sales by increasing customer satisfaction.
By cutting back on the costs of production and distribution of paper billing, you will save a whopping amount of money and time. Important information will reach clients much quicker if you use paperless billing, and each transaction can be completed in a shorter amount of time than would be possible with paper billing.
Finally, e-billing allows a client to receive all of the important information they need so there is no confusion over a statement. The benefits of e-billing are endless!
Both Laura Watkins & Shelley Veazie are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Laura Watkins has sinced written about articles on various topics from Advertising Guide, Home Based Business and Gardening. Laura Watkins is a contributing business writer for Goliath. Goliath is one of the Internet's largest collections of business research, news and information. Learn more about
Book Review By Chapter The author also maintains a blog with his recollections from the past at Old Time Writer.