Why it pays to be environmentally friendly for West Midlands’ businesses » Communities » 24dash.com

For West Midlands business owners concerned about the impact of an economic downturn, minimising the use of resources is a practical and efficient way to make cost savings and protect your bottom line.
Business Link in the West Midlands, the free business information and advisory service, is a good starting point for finding guidance and support on reducing your costs.
Sandra Harding (pictured), Brokerage Adviser Manager, explained:
Adopting effective business practices will improve the bottom line; however, this is more acute when money is getting tight there are many ways in which being more environmentally friendly will really help your bottom line.
Cutting even a few hundreds of pounds of costs from your cost is equivalent to thousands of pounds of extra sales and this need not affect the level of customer service you offer.
She continued: Start off by considering how you can improve your operational cost, the use of raw material, who you buy from, where and when. You should ask yourself if you can produce the product and deliver the service more effectively.
A more immediate result can be had by looking at your energy use and transport costs, as these are two major areas that you can make savings in quickly.
Elaine Sharp, Envirowise Programme Manager, added:
The current economic climate requires us to be wise spenders both as individuals and business people.
Getting started on the road to resource efficiency can be simple and straightforward. And while senior management buy-in is crucial to success, the fact is that any member of staff in an organisation at any level can make a positive difference.
Its a common misconception that taking environmental steps will be an extra cost to the business. Business Link in the West Midlands offers the following low and no-cost tips to help businesses take steps to lower their environmental impact and add to their bottom line:

Get your staff to switch off computers, lights and high-energy guzzlers, such as electric tea or coffee machines or speakers. Taking these basic steps can cut energy costs by 10-20%.
Consider investing in new, more efficient equipment, as older pieces may use more energy. If financing is an issue, you may be eligible for a Carbon Trust interest-free loan something worthwhile in these credit tight times.
For many small companies delivering goods or running company cars has really begun to hit the bottom line. So make sure that all deliveries or sales team routes are carefully planned to keep mileage as low as possible. If you run a fleet of over 50 cars or trucks, get a free green review from the Energy Saving Trust.
Train your drivers to use minimal fuel, as drivers who have been through a Safe and Fuel Efficient Driving (SAFED) training course use on average 18% less fuel, which typically equates to a £500 saving per van driver each year.
Try to substitute some of your client face-to-face meetings for web-based video conference calls. This will also help you to keep down your carbon emissions by significantly reducing travel.
If you are questioning the need to have actual business premises, then consider working from home. Network with other colleagues and have a dedicated space, which you can use for catch-up meetings. Offering flexible hours so staff can work from home will also reduce their carbon footprint and can often improve productivity and motivation.
Strive to be a paperless office. Encourage staff to minimise the amount of printing in the first instance, but also make changes to extend toner life and reduce paper. Change the generic print default settings so that the quality is always draft and opt to print on both sides.
Businesses keen to learn more about streamlining and becoming more efficient may want to attend upcoming Envirowise events from late September 2008 to February 2009 (dates to be confirmed).
In addition, companies can also take advantage of Business Links guides and interactive tools to help save money by visiting www.businesslink.gov.uk/environment or by arranging a session with an experienced adviser by calling 0845 113 1234.