Why Should Your Small Enterprise Go Green?
Green Energy Advantages for Small Business Owners
By Mark Harbeke
Green is the new black. That is, efforts by organizations to "go green" are paying dividends beyond the environmental kind. More small enterprises than ever are warming up to the notion that they can save money, boost the value of their brand and make a difference in their communities by implementing green workplace practices.
Their customers certainly seem to be moving in this direction. Research by Colorado-based nonprofit Conscious Wave finds that consumers have established a nearly $230 billion stake in the U.S. marketplace devoted to health and sustainability.
And they’re not alone – more workers are realizing the benefits of greener workplaces, too. Bob Willard, a former leader at IBM and the author of The Next Sustainability Wave, conservatively estimates that 20 percent of job candidates are drawn to businesses that tout green practices.
The following are accounts of three very different small organizations, encompassing a range of industries, that made the decision to go green inside their workplaces. While they vary in their green initiatives and how they have gone about implementing them, they share one commonality: They are all good workplaces that are made even stronger through their focus on doing more to do less harm to our planet.
Let There Be (No) Light
The government’s Energy Star program reports that U.S. small businesses could save more than $15 billion a year by cutting their energy consumption by 30 percent. In order to manage costs while remaining competitive as an innovator in the metal forming industry, Illinois-based IRMCO has joined this club. Despite its origins as an old-line manufacturer in a warehouse facility that has served the firm for four generations, the family-owned business is showing that a workplace with a rich history needn’t hesitate to adapt.
It starts with the simple things. "If you’re not in a room, shut the lights off," says IRMCO’s Operations Manager, T.J. Kirkman. He claims it used to be common practice for his staff to arrive and turn on every light in the warehouse. Now, following an energy audit of the company’s electrical usage last year, it’s light out when the last employee leaves a room.
Numerous groups across the country offer free energy audits for businesses and nonprofits. In addition, ENERGYguide.com provides a basic but effective online tool to help you evaluate your usage. Kirkman describes the results of IRMCO’s energy audit as "eye-opening." "We’re looking at last year’s electric bill and this year’s electric bill and … we’re talking a 50 percent savings," he says.
LEED-ing the Way
Recently, Christy Webber Landscapes, a growing enterprise that develops projects at commercial and residential properties throughout the Chicago area, took advantage of an opportunity to build a new central office that would be LEED certified. Much touted, the designation means that the firm’s facility meets or exceeds U.S. Green Building Council benchmarks for building design, construction and operation. Besides LEED’s obvious environmental benefits, it carries a level of national recognition for facility construction and – HR managers take note – the promise of a higher-quality work environment for potential hires.
Currently, Christy Webber’s facility makes use of solar and geothermal heating/cooling, a vegetative roof cover, weather-responsive lighting, rain water conservation and methods for harnessing wind for power and ventilation. The result is a facility that now uses 55 percent less energy than the average commercial property, according to Midwest Real Estate News.
The landscaping firm’s transition to LEED certification is even more interesting given its diverse (and often seasonal) workforce, for whom even the notion of recycling was new. To match inside practices with its environmentally friendly facility, the firm’s existing "Green Team" helped to establish the following workplace initiatives:
- Small recycling bins on everyone’s desks
- The use of only "green" cleaning products
- Substituting flatware for plastic ware
- Using the dishwasher only once per day
- Training supervisors on how to practice conservation in the field
Mission-driven Take-home Practices
Seventh Generation, a Vermont-based marketer of environmentally responsible household products, uses many of the same eco-friendly measures as the two firms mentioned above. In addition, they are working to encourage employees to use green behavior far beyond the workplace.
The company offers a unique benefits package that includes subsidies for employee-purchased hybrid and electric vehicles and financial assistance to help workers build greener homes. Manager of HR Stephanie Lowe says these incentives evolved from the firm’s core value of "regenerative thinking." This concept no doubt trickled down from President Jeffrey Hollender, who also defines his role as "Chief Regeneration Officer."
Gregor Barnum, director of corporate consciousness, points to a focus on critical design – not only in the development of its products, but also in shaping employees' lives. "We’ve got 60 different employees, with different lifestyles. The way we look at it, that’s 60 designers on our team," Barnum says.
In 2005, the company let its employee-designers loose to shape their work environment when it moved into a new facility in its hometown of Burlington. Design consultations between the entire staff and the building architect yielded eco-friendly measures including carpets made from recyclable materials and a place in the firm’s parking garage to plug in their company-subsidized electric cars.
The (Triple) Bottom Line
As these examples of green workplace practices show, small enterprises can go small or big, and as deep into the pocketbook as they feel comfortable. (IRMCO’s and Christy Webber’s measures in particular show that going green can cost nothing or next to nothing.) And as we’ve illustrated, beyond making sound business sense, a move toward a more eco-friendly workplace can align actions with core values and, thus, boost the brand.
The point is to do something. There is a sense of urgency behind all eco-friendly workplace practices, as Fast Company magazine recently pointed out in summarizing its green-themed list of the "Fast 50" growing companies. However, as the magazine also stated, "Companies of every size and in every part of the world are now waking up to humanity’s impending and interlocking crises, and the vastly lucrative rewards that solving them might bring."
Winning Workplaces’ goal is to provide small and midsize employers with proven, practical, and affordable people practices. Too often, the information and resources needed to create a high-performance workplace are out of reach for all but the largest organizations. Winning Workplaces is changing that by offering employers affordable consulting, training and information. We help employers assess needs and develop strategies to improve their workplace practices.
For more information, please contact us at: http://www.winningworkplaces.org
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Department of Energy Hydrogen Program News
Grants & Funding Opportunities for Hydrogen Fuel Cell Research
Manufacturing R&D for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Systems (DE-PS36-07GO97012)
July 23, 2007
In support of the Advanced Energy Initiative, DOE seeks to fund manufacturing research and development (R&D) for hydrogen and fuel cell systems. This funding opportunity announcement focuses primarily on technologies that are near commercialization and includes the following topic areas:
- Alternative Electrode Deposition Processes
- Gas Diffusion Layer Fabrication
- Novel MEA Manufacturing
- Process Modeling for Fuel Cell Stacks
- Process and Device for Cost Effective Testing of Cell Stacks
- Manufacturing Technologies for High Pressure Composite Tanks Applications
Total estimated funding available is $38M, pending Congressional Appropriations, with an expectation of about 15 selected projects and an individual award ceiling of $4M.
Applications are due October 10, 2007. Applications must be accessed, completed, and submitted through www.grants.gov to be considered for award.
VERY IMPORTANT: To complete and submit applications through Grants.gov, there are several actions you must complete. You are highly encouraged to register as soon as possible in Grants.gov and should allow at least 21 days to complete the registration process. When done, call the Grants.gov Helpdesk at 1-800-518-4726 to verify successful registration.
For more information about this opportunity, please visit: http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do?oppId=14876&mode=VIEW
Article Source: U.S. Department of Energy Hydrogen Program
Help the Environment and Earn Extra Cash by Reconditioning Batteries
New Eco-Friendly Business Opportunity: Recondition Batteries for Portable Electronic Devices
Would you like to earn some extra cash every month and also keep the environment healthy? Reconditioning batteries might be worth looking into. Online businesses are rapidly expanding, and these companies are raking in money hand over fist. With the right know how you can find cheap batteries at auctions, recondition them, and sell them for a profit.
Using cordless devices has become a way of life, but has also made the problem of how to dispose of millions of batteries. There is an easy way to turn a used battery cell into a brand new battery. Batteries, specifically rechargeable ones, are much simpler to use than having to plug in electrical devices. What if there are no outlets around? What do you do then? Batteries are often the only option available. Rechargeable batteries, however, are not without drawbacks.
Longevity can be a problem even with rechargeables. No battery runs forever. There is a limited number of charges, and then the batteries will not accept one anymore. They can even burn up the charger, rendering it useless. So how can you fix this situation? And how can a person take this data and spin it into an opportunity to recycle and earn some extra cash?
For one thing, there are smart chargers. These great chargers do not get the same type of burn out experienced by other chargers. An unlimited amount of batteries can utilize this type of charger and it will keep charging. A lot of batteries burn out and then hurt the charger. This happens because the charging procedure keeps going even though the battery is done charging. Smart chargers quit charging when the battery is fully charged.
Obtaining the necessary information is crucial to complete the job successfully. It is also needed make certain that the jobs are done safely. The other major element in order to be successful is to have the right equipment.
In order to test the batteries, you will need a computerized battery analyzer. A slow battery tester or slow tester is also a must. For fast twenty minute jolts, a thirty amp quick charger will do the job. Some other equipment that you will need are: a battery load tester, a battery hydrometer, and test cables. Equipment to protect your body is also vital. This refers to eye and face protection and also protective clothing. An adequately lit, well ventilated space should be selected for your work area.
The wave of the future is renewable energy. Conservation does not just help the environment, it is also in great demand by every business that consumes energy on an ongoing basis. Just about every company utilizes energy to some degree, even if it is as basic as batteries in their cell phone. This shows the reason why reconditioning batteries has the potential to be such a wonderful side business.
Gathering your own customers is just a matter of advertising and targeted marketing. Reaching a variety of companies concerning your service is an easy process of determining what they need and devising a method of getting it to them for less money and more efficiently. Companies run smoothly when they are working at the most cost effective level. Creating ways to save businesses time and money will reap a demand for all types of services. Reconditioning batteries is an uncomplicated method of doing this as long as you have the proper knowledge, training and equipment.
Millennium Services Group, run by R.T. Markovsky, hosts an informative web site with a wealth of free information on starting your own Service Business. Check out http://www.Service-Biz.com to see more.
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