5 Green Solutions that Make Financial Sense

TLDR Version:

• Forget the rhetoric, being green isn’t bad for business

• This is also true for small businesses, even one-person operations

• Five green solutions that make financial sense:

  • Switch to LED lights

  • Use automation to shut down energy hogs

  • Rethink business printing

  • Use remote work tech

  • Rethink eating at work

• The bottom line is that being green is actually good for your bottom line!

More context:

When I first started blogging, I chose a very niche project. I was going to write about how Hi-Fi audio equipment could be more green. In the end, this niche topic proved to be a tough one. The reality was that people who spend tens of thousands of dollars on a pair of speakers don’t really concern themselves with being environmentally friendly.

The Hi-Fi manufacturers had similar sentiments. I suspect they were just trying to meet the minimum regulation requirements that they mostly considered to be restrictive and anti-competitive. As the political climate became more hostile towards green solutions in the last few years, my blog fizzled out as well.

However, I never lost my interest in writing about green initiatives and while it does seem like there is some growing interest today, it is still a tough sell for most people, and this is also true for small businesses.

In a post-pandemic, downward economy, small businesses are more concerned with staying profitable, if not just surviving. Environmental regulations are still considered an impediment. This is a pity because many greener options can actually save small businesses money. Here are some examples:

1.       Use LED lights

Replacing incandescent and fluorescent/CFC lightbulbs with LED versions will result in cost savings. While LED bulbs are still more expensive, they also have been coming down in price as demand has increased and supplies have grown. LED bulbs are also more resilient to being turned on and off than fluorescent/CFC bulbs.

This makes LED bulbs a better option for dimmers and timers, which will also save you money over time. Many workspaces can use less light, which also keeps spaces cooler as temperatures have risen. Using automation allows these lights to be controlled based on occupancy and working needs.

How much savings can you expect? Well, I used to have four large 3’ light boxes which used fluorescent tubes, in my garage where I do my packing. According to some rough calculations based on how many hours they were in use; this cost about 15 cents per day. Not a huge amount, but over the course of a year, this was notable. Switching to LED and a motion sensor I now use about 1/8 as much energy to light my garage.

When you consider the many other lights in use while you work, from overhead lighting to, desk lamps to security lights at night, switching to LEDs can make a difference. I’m not saying you should switch out all your lights immediately, but as they burn out, you should switch to LED versions.

P.S. One annoyance that people have is with the brightness of LED lights, so I try to purchase lamps with a diffusing shield. Alternately you can make your own, as described in this comical video.

2.       Shut down tech when not needed

While laptops use very little energy, desktop computers, screens, servers/NAS units and networking equipment (i.e. you router) use quite a bit more. Likewise, if you have a music playing in the background, a TV on while you work, or fans on, these all consume energy as well. When you are not using them, I know it is a hassle to turn these on & off, so I automate them.

Most equipment these days can be shut down or switched to low-power modes when not actively used. You should consider using these features. For electronics like fans, appliances, and older music equipment, you can install automated timers that you can even control with your voice or with your phone when you are out of the office.

I also use automation on my servers and networking equipment at night. Turning these off regularly has additional benefits:

• It allows for needed reboots after software updates

• It keeps the equipment secure when not in use because late at night is when hackers, particularly those from different time-zones, tend to be more active

One way I manage this when the equipment itself does not have automated shutdown capabilities is by using powered batteries (aka UPSes) that offer this functionality. UPSes are a bit outside the scope of this article, but if you want to learn more about this, here is an informative video on the subject.

As with the topic of switching to LED lights, shutting down electronic equipment is one more way to be greener and save on energy expenses. By using automation, this does not need to be something you need to remember to do.

3.       Change how you print

Most small businesses need to print invoices, reports, client proofs, receipts, and advertising materials. This requires printers, toner/ink, paper, and sometimes special types of paper. Not only are these expensive, but they are also not good for the environment because of how they are produced and the waste they create. Fortunately, being green will help save on those costs.

Let’s begin with the printers. I used to print all my shipping labels with a laser printer, typically one label per page. I then placed this in an adhesive plastic label envelope. If I ran out of those, I would simply just use packing tape to affix it to the box. This was wasteful and time-consuming. I have since switched to a thermal printer which doesn’t require ink/toner and it prints on adhesive labels, so I don’t need to worry about attaching it, either.

For other print jobs I first replaced my deskjet printer for a laser printer, and then switched to a laser printer that prints on both sides. This saves on toner/ink and paper. I’ve now set it to print on both sides by default, so that everyone else remembers as well. I also increased the margin sizes as a default, so each printed page uses slightly less ink – no one has noticed, so it isn’t something anyone is missing. For much longer print jobs I’ll print 2 pages per side whenever possible – still legible, but half as many paper & toner/ink.

What about color printing? I have a separate color printer, but it must be specifically selected whenever anyone prints. I encourage everyone to print only the pages they need in color (like cover pages and charts pages) and print the rest on the laser printer. Since color printing is so much more expensive per page, this helps reduce cost & waste.

Consequently, I have also set the printers to shut off automatically when they are not being used. Since they are on one end of the house, it typically takes a couple of minutes for everyone to get to the printers, so by the time a print job is sent to a printer, it has had time to turn on, initialize and print whatever was needed.

I also set the print jobs to use the tray with the least expensive paper by default. If someone needs thicker, more expensive paper, then they need to select that tray manually. I realize that this does hinder productivity slightly, but no one has complained.

For more complex jobs, especially those requiring many colors and specialty paper, I’ve made it very convenient to print to Staples. I’ve experimented with requiring my approval for any large or complex print job, but this seemed a bit too draconian, wasn’t necessary often enough, and I really didn’t want to be micro-managing it to that extent. Instead, everyone uses their own judgement, and this has worked well enough.

Finally, consider other ways that you can reduce printing by implementing paperless office solutions, from invoicing via email to sharing documents with clients via the cloud, there are many ways you can reduce your printing costs and become greener in the process.

These are simple and easy ways that anyone can reduce printing expenses and waste. Maybe some of these options aren’t necessary in your business, but the options are there, if you want to implement them.

4.       Use remote work options and the cloud

Using remote work options can significantly minimize expenses and waste by reducing travel time while still retaining a collaborative environment. There are many excellent products for achieving this from household names like DropBox to Google Workspaces to Zoom. I still use these with clients who prefer them.

However, for our own team, we needed something that had a consolidated interface, was cross-platform, offered simplified management, and centralized billing. This is why we now use Microsoft Office 365 and all the associated collaboration options (Exchange, Teams, OneDrive, etc.). While it does have a slight learning curve, once everyone understood that these were so similar to the Word and Excel programs they had used for years, we were quickly able to standardize on it.

Many people use Google as a platform, which is a less expensive solution and very capable with unique features. Other options are Zoho, Salesforce, Apple’s iCloud which many small businesses who use Macs rely on as well. Whatever solution you chose, remote work and leveraging the cloud is an excellent way for your team to work remotely.

In addition to being more green and saving on travel costs, remote work has other benefits as well, including providing more flexibility to your employees and finding quality talent much further away. Here is the CEO of Wordpress.com explaining the these and other benefits of remote work in a TED talk.

Also consider that remote work technologies are still in their infancy. Eventually virtual solutions will become more common place, and these will also be more green than travel and physical proximity. By using these remote work technologies now, you are also keeping yourself and your business at the forefront of innovation, and this could give you a technological advantage in the future.

5.       Reconsider how you eat

While this is typically a recommendation for larger businesses, there are lessons here for smaller ones, including those who work from home. While I work from home, I have also changed my eating habits to be more productive, create less waste and use less energy.

Americans waste a lot of food, but the most damaging for the environment is the production and packaging. This is especially the case with fast food, which also tends to be less healthy and more fattening too – definitely not ideal for someone like me who sits in front of a computer all day.

Therefore, I have also reduced my meat intake considerably – I realize this isn’t for everyone but for me, this has improved my health, lowered my weight, and reduced kitchen waste and packaging waste in my home. Meat production is extremely wasteful for the environment and so this is something I recommend.

Meat products also tend to be more expensive. If your business does a lot of catering, parties, or provides lunches for your employees, then consider reducing the amount of meat used in dishes and offering healthier options that typically will also cost less. This will be more green and more economical.

Encourage your employees to bring healthier lunches and provide a place where they can eat those lunches. This will build camaraderie among your employees, but will also have other benefits because it will:

• reduce the consumption of fast food

• reduce the need to travel to a restaurant

• reduce lunch expenses for your employees

For your business, this will also have the added benefit that your employees will stay on-site and reduce the early afternoon productivity slump that employees typically experience after a heavy off-site lunch.

Lunches brought to work typically will be eaten cold, but even if they do need warming up, this will be typically with a microwave. This is an inexpensive appliance for you to provide, that also happens to use far less energy than a stove. This is both green and cost-effective for you.

If you provide coffee for your employees like many businesses do, you can set a green example by offering organic, fair-trade options, teas and cups that are made of recycled materials. While green coffee, tea and supplies may not be much less expensive, it does set an example that being green is welcomed. Generally speaking, employees are more receptive to this type of work environment, which surveys suggest is a growing trend.

Consequently, many of these concepts will also have a positive impact for smaller businesses and those who work from home. I have implemented some of these myself, and I can say without hesitation that my own productivity and the productivity of my staff has improved as a result.

Conclusion

The conversation about environmentally conscious business practices is an ongoing one with many different opinions. Most of those conversations are broad and generalized for the ears of CEOs, politicians, and the heads of large organizations. So let them continue to debate this.

You have a business to run and being green just makes more sense simply because it positively impacts your bottom line. Consequently, being green also has a positive impact on employee morale, so it’s a win-win for you, either way.

It is time to stop thinking of environmental initiatives as an unnecessary expense, a burden to bear for your team, and an impediment to your business’ bottom line. It isn’t, even if the popular rhetoric continues repeating that mantra. Let them continue to debate if they like. In the meantime, just do what’s best for your business, and in this situation, this does include being more green.

Using Music to Improve Your Productivity

When digital music became available in mass quantity, first through MP3s and then by streaming, I did what everyone did and queued my favorite music to play in the background all the time. I still enjoy listening to music intently on high-quality equipment, but I have to be honest, it had become just pleasant background noise.

As I was listening and working, I began to realize that some music motivated me to be more active while other music allowed my mind to wander off and I became less productive. That is when I started alternating the styles of music around what I wanted to accomplish. This made me realize that music doesn’t need to be just background noise – you can actually use it functionally.

As I wrote in a previous article that some of you may remember, large factories use music to motivate their workers on the assembly line. Like most people I have a knee-jerk reaction to this and I consider it manipulative, especially without the worker’s consent. Yet I now work for myself, so why not use this to improve my own productivity?

Choosing Music To Motivate Myself

In that previous article, I used jazz as an example. Now I realize jazz may not be for everyone, and it may also not be for every situation. This is also the case with me - sometimes I require classic rock to get me motivated to churn through repetitive work. Then at other times I need some classical to help me stay focused at the computer.

For example when I exercise, I really have two genres, depending on the type of workout. For walking, hiking and running, I listen with earphones to to melodic Electronic Dance Music like Deadmaus, Groove Armada, and more modern acts like Showtek to keep me moving. I suppose that the repetitive beat encourages me to keep pace with it, which then leads to longer workouts.

Some days, I need a bit more than a beat to get me moving (we all have of those days). That's when I reach for harder rock like Metallica, some Ice-T infused preaching from Body Count, or I’ll go full on Viking with some Tyr. The bottom line is that I usually need something heavy or fast to get me moving because my exercises tend to lag when I have to listen to other stuff like a podcast.

When I drive to a meeting, I typically listen to classic rock. The quality of car radios is not very high, so music sounds bad already; then there is the road and car noise (no I don't drive a Maybach around town). Because of this, my car music is more mid-range and vocal. It's mostly classic rock – anything from early 60's The Who to 80's Journey will do.

Not only do I look to adapt the music to my environment, but I also adapt it to the mood I need to be in. If I'm feeling cheeky, I may even venture out to country and blues, like a little Old Dominion or Kris Barras. Since I’m driving, it also needs to keep me awake so I need to be able to crank the volume up, too. YMMV.

In sharp contrast to this, when I write, I need to slow things down a bit. That is when I reach for music that focuses me, that has less bass and less dynamic range. This is when I’ll chose jazz, typically, easy jazz like this saxophonist from London that I discovered recently called Nubya Garcia. Sometimes jazz also has to be listened to with attention and no distractions from work, but when I'm writing smooth jazz is my go-to style.

At other times I will opt for classical and for writing I’ll chose baroque styles like Georg Philipp Telemann, or some Arcangelo Corelli, over something more boisterous like a Beethoven symphony. Yes, Beethoven can have beautifully moving slow passages, but you always know that this is just to lull you into a hole of anticipation, only to be ambushed by a full jolt of emotion shortly thereafter.

The symphonic works of Beethoven, Wagner, Mendelsohnn, Sibelius, and even young Mozart don't always make for good work music to me as I always find myself wandering off. For these pieces I need to take the record back to my home theater room, turn down the lights and listen with full attention. I know it may seem strange to some people, but listening intently can be an emotional rollercoaster and turn into a concerted mental workout.

No, not all classical is relaxing; and no, that is not work-music.

Why this matters for productivity

Well, over time, our mind starts to associate music with the activities performed when that music is  playing. This is very helpful if we need to get motivated for an activity when we really would rather watch funny TikTok videos. Music becomes a tool we can use to generate motivation - all we have to do is turn the right music on for each activity.

In turn, familiar music keeps us concentrated on the task we have come to associate with it. This is most obvious when working out. It just becomes a habit. Exercises become easier when the mind is not on deadlines, bills, and personal problems.

In this way, the music transports me away. When I listen to EDM when I exercise, my mind wanders to distant places and helps me forget how tired my muscles are. I measured this effect some time back. I found that I cover at least 25% more distance running or walking with music than without.

So the next time you need to “get in the mood” to start on your presentation, get moving on dinner for the kids, or get your but off the couch and outside, consider the music you listened to the last time you did that activity. Chances are, just putting on the same music will motivate you to get going again.

It's such a simple thing to do, yet it can definitely improve your productivity. If you’re going to listen to music while you work anyhow, why not make it useful for you. Become selective about what you listen to and when and you will become more productive because of the power of association.

What do you have to lose for trying it?

It is now OK to Share Your Personal Experiences on Linked In

Yesterday, someone I follow online responded to a question she had received: “why do you post sexy pictures of yourself?” She does, and to be frank, I wondered myself, but I was too polite to ask. Since this platform was Linked In, a professional networking site, it seemed a bit out of place. After she gave it some thought, she responded with the simple answer: “Being fun, sexy and flirty is part of who I am.”

Now before we dismiss this response, she mentions that she was a dancer and knows a bit about performing, so it really is part of who she is. It is what makes her the person she is representing online. It shows honesty and confidence, two qualities that are important for potential clients and/or companies she may want to work for or with.

Another person I follow shared a story about how she made the difficult decision to have an abortion during a violent and abusive relationship. This was on Linked In, so again, people asked, why should this be shared on a professional platform? Obviously with the recent news on the possibility that the US Supreme Court may overturn Roe v. Wade, this is current news as well, and this is part of the reason this person shared her story.

She also had other valid reasons for posting the story. For one, it’s in her professional wheelhouse as she is a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) specialist. She works on gender equity issues professionally. So this experience is part of who she is personally, but also professionally. Again, it also shows honesty and confidence - if someone were looking to work with her, this is key information.

So yes, sharing this information should be included on professional sites like Linked In, if the user chooses to do so.

Why should things like this be shared on social media?

Some social media platforms exist primarily as forums for discussing social and political issues and an issue like Roe v. Wade should be permissible there. The platform should respect civil discourse, of course. There are differing views on Roe v. Wade, some more accepted than others, but everyone likely to take part in this discussion will have their own unique connection to it at some deep level.

These discussions do need to occur on public forums, so that through a fair, safe, and equitable democratic processes, solutions can emerge to potentially form public policy decisions on. In today’s society, there really is no other place like social media to engage in this process. Unlike ancient times when democracy was still a new concept in early city-states, we are now too numerous to have speaker’s debate at the Pnyx in Athens.

Televised debates are also outdated. This is exemplified by the Republican National Committee’s recent announcement that they would rather skip the 2024 presidential debates. While I don’t agree, their argument hinges on viewership. If advertising interruptions don’t tire out the viewers, there are enough alternative sources of entertainment that people would rather watch. The fact is that most people would rather view the last season of Gray’s Anatomy or tune out all the noise with that old opiate of Monday Night Football.

Social media, on the other hand, provides a different platform. Sure, there are still ads here and there, but for the most part, the discussions can be had online without too much distraction, and at a slower pace allowing for some reflection. This makes it possible to keep the debate more civil and to open it to a much larger audience who can then read and reflect on their own time. Social media is like a slow-motion debate.

It has become the debate stage of modern times. It is a pity that it doesn’t receive that type of attention from politicians and government officials, the ones who are tasked with making decisions on such important issues as Roe v Wade. Perhaps this is why so many people consider many politicians out-of-touch with current events.

Gender dynamics

Since I brought sports into this discussion, I should confront my own male privilege. The choice to ignore the Roe v Wade debate and watch sports is a uniquely male one to make. The reality is that I can’t possibly know how deeply personal abortion is to a woman. The very concept of debating it is physically invasive in a way men cannot comprehend. I don’t just mean this metaphorically. For some women the discussion actually causes physical pain that men cannot feel.

Let that sink in for a minute…

Because of this deeper connection that women have, men need to acknowledge that, for women to share their personal stories about abortion, it becomes an integral part of who they are. To be more specific, it is a big part of how they want to be seen online. Yes, sharing these stories is a choice and men need to fully respect that.

Men need to stop asking why women are sharing this online. Women do not owe men an explanation about that choice. Insisting on one is also a manifestation of privilege.

Let’s be honest. Having to see these stories is not really a burden for men, at least not compared to experiencing birth and/or an abortion. Therefore, it is so often repeated that if men could bear children, abortion would be a sacred part of all our lives.

It likely would have been codified into religious texts long ago. One can imagine those monks in their monasteries fervently incorporating this sacrament into the scriptures between spasms of back pain, bloating, peeing every few hours, mood swings, nausea, and yes, also tender, swollen breasts. Surely, if that was the case, it would be understandable that childbirth would not be the only option available.

In all seriousness, the experience is very real for more than half of all Americans: women. Yet even today, any decision on abortion is made primarily by the half that has the least experience with it: men. Even when women are part of the discussion, it is always as a minority voice simply because in government, they are a minority.

At the risk of oversimplifying this, the abortion debate is less about biology or legality and more about simple arithmetic: a supreme court with six men and three women cannot and should not in good conscience decide this. Those six men cannot simply “empathize” and reach a fair decision – they are just too far removed from it. It would be more equitable if they would recuse themselves and let the women on the court decide the case. The same can be said for lower courts which are also overwhelmingly seated by men.

Allowing men to decide this for women is unfair, as it has been for a very long time. The pro-choice and anti-choice sides may never agree on exactly when life starts, from when an egg is fertilized to when a viable child is born. However, neither side can ignore the fact that women should have a larger say in that decision. That should be simple enough to agree on.

And yet, that is not where we are as country.

So, what can be done?

Since most people can agree that women should have a larger say in this decision, then why is this “say” not possible online? When men tell women that they should not share their personal abortion stories online, they are doing exactly what the supreme court is doing; they are perpetuating an unfair system that has oppressed women for millennia. With social media, there is an opportunity to bring a little more fairness to that discussion.

The issue of abortion is uniquely a women’s issue. Inserting men into the decision is limiting their voices and harkens back to times when a woman’s voice was worth only a fraction of a man’s. This is what is being done when men criticize the choice to talk about abortion. Surely, today, online, men can see women in their entirety, not just the “fun, sexy and flirty” parts?

Yes, this post is primarily directed at men, but also at those women and others that frown upon courageous women who chose to speak about their abortion experiences online. I am not saying everyone should do so, but if they want to share this part of who they are, even on a professional platform like Linked In, then they should do so!

And to those who are just standing on the sidelines, you need to do that without prejudice, repression, or vitriol; expressing that discontent only betrays how little the rest of us really know about you.

Why Diversity Should Matter to Your Small Business

It is difficult being a small business and also having to keep up with the latest social trends. I get that. One topic that has been trending online the past couple of years is Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion, a.k.a. DEI.

I’m sure you’ve seen those same articles and posts on your LinkedIn feed. It can be overwhelming and with so much on your mind, you wonder if you should even be considering this for your business. After all, like most of us, you probably didn’t major in Ethnic Studies in college.

To give this some background, DEI is more than words, it is a framework that helps you see and understand the importance of difference. Diversity in the workplace brings new ideas and new perspectives. Equity is when everyone gets what they need to succeed, and it will be different for different people. Inclusion allows for those who are ordinarily excluded from important tasks to be represented accurately and included intentionally.

The emphasis should be on accuracy and intention. It recognizes that things were not fair before, but that this is not the way it needs to stay. It asks everyone to work together to make things fairer for everyone else in the workplace.

You’re probably wondering what it has to do with you and your small business. You might think that your business is very small, maybe just a family business, a micro business with just a few employees. You may even be a one person operation. So why should DEI matter?

Well even for the one-person operation, you still have clients, referrals, and fellow contractors (i.e. a bookkeeper, a graphic designer, a coach, etc.) that are necessary for specific tasks for your business. No matter how small your business, you still deal with other people. Those people aren’t always going to look just like you, have the same religion, or be of the same gender.

Let me give you a few specific reasons why I think you should care:

Reason 1:
You don’t want to stay small forever, right? You want to grow, innovate, and expand. You want your ideas/products to not just exist in your little corner of the world. You want to expand so that the rest of the world sees and hears what you have to offer. To do that, you must understand and embrace DEI.

Reason 2:
You and your company are part of a society… at the very least you are part of your local community. If you are an ethnic, racial, or religious minority, you don’t want to be excluded from opportunities outside of your own community. Sometimes this happens because someone forgot you were even there or didn’t think you should be included in the first place.

Reason 3:
We all run out of ideas at some point. Adopting a DEI framework gives you the mindset and understanding to hire or consult with different types of people knowing that your interactions will lead to mutually beneficial outcomes. Why? Because you are also an integral part of the DEI framework that creates a mutually beneficial outcome.

I hope I’ve convinced you to see how DEI is not just important for others, but for you! One of my pet peeves is when people use the term “common sense”. It assumes we all are the same: same history, same background, same, same, same. That’s boring. As a small business you excel because you are unique and bring a different perspective to the marketplace. In essence, you could embody DEI.

Difference, diversity, inclusion, equity… all these terms are vitally important to small businesses, especially those who want to excel in the 21st century marketplace of ideas. DEI provides a source for innovation, creativity, and passion. So, if you want to ensure you don’t stagnate and get left behind, learn about DEI and make it a central part of your business plan.

When it comes to DEI, be intentional, be strategic, and you will thrive!