I am passionate about recycling. This passion started as a hobby and has led to the beginning of my small business. Since my business is cleaning, appliance removal, and computer recycling it is paramount that everything I do is green so I have spent a lot of time doing exactly that. Something I learned quickly is that there are many little habits that are easy to implement that will begin to show big savings. I am not advocating changing your entire business model to accommodate recycling. My goal is to promote recycling in a way that is beneficial to the environment and the small business owner.

An easy and inexpensive step to take would be obtaining smart power strips or surge protectors for your computers. A smart power strip will recognize when the computer is shut off or in sleep mode and shut off any accessories connected to that computer. If you have an office full of computers this will cut your energy usage which will lower utility expenses. Take a look around the office and consider if there are any other ways to cut energy usage. Is your air conditioning set at 68 degrees all weekend while the office is empty? A programmable thermostat will fix that. The savings will be small at first but will quickly add up. Small and inexpensive efforts to cut energy usage will cut utility expenses. Who can argue with lower expenses?

The growing trend today is for companies to market themselves as green. It is important to note that if you are going to market your business as a green business then by all means you should make every reasonable effort to be green. If your business is to dump toxic waste into rivers then please stop reading this and go jump in that river. Do not ask me for a paddle. If you can make that reasonable effort and you advertise to that market you will see more customers. In my experience, customers who have as one of their criteria that a business be environmentally friendly those customers tend to be very loyal. Have you checked your competition? If your biggest competitors are marketing themselves as a green company then you are losing customers and do not even know it. If they are not then here is a chance to gain an advantage. Let's face it; going green is good for business.

A very effective method of announcing to the community that you are a green business is to have an E-waste recycling day at your business for your employees and the local community. You will need to establish a relationship with a local computer recycling company to help coordinate. You may even be able to get your city recycling center to help. A press release to your local newspapers, radio stations, and TV stations will help you get the word out. The advertising expenses will be minimal and the E-waste recycling company will do the heavy lifting. You have introduced yourself to a plethora of new customers.

It is essential to consider the importance of recycling when running a successful small business. The good recycling habits you practice now will lead to lower expenses and more loyal customers.

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Source by Rick Lucas