If you are thinking about setting up your business in a rural area, you can get usda business loans to help you do this. It is not hard for a businesses to set up in areas like this and brings many advantages to both the business and its workers. But, if this is part of your business plan, you will need to make sure your business is adhering to the countryside around it. When you reduce the negative impact of your business practices on the environment by running an operation that is environmentally friendly, both the natural world and your business will benefit.
The green approach
There are many ways in which to achieve this, such as by purchasing products that make you less reliant on natural resources from eco-friendly and sustainable brands (discover more at onetribeglobal.com). You can also make use of recycled materials, such as recycled rubber for office furniture and recycled plastic in office supplies. You should take a good hard look at all of your business activities to see where changes could be made.
Reduce your costs by recycling
You can reduce all your business costs by reducing, avoiding, recycling and reusing. For example, in the case of office paper, avoid using materials that are unnecessary; reduce the demand by printing double-sided, reuse scrap paper for jotting down messages, and recycle by shredding your excess paper.
Attract new customers with good business practice
Once your environmental initiatives are in place, promote your practices to give you the edge over competitors who haven’t yet adopted any. There are huge numbers of consumers out there who go out of their way to purchase services and products from businesses that are environmentally responsible.
This is especially true of the smaller rural communities, which tend to have a greater ethical awareness because they’re more directly in touch with nature and the seasons. They overwhelmingly opt for local produce produced by local firms that have a smaller carbon footprint.
Create a healthier workplace environment
Organisations that promote a healthier working environment experience fewer sick days being taken by their employees – a reduction of up to 20% in many cases. This has a direct impact on productivity. You can also experiment with initiatives such as organic offerings in the cafeteria and the use of cleaning products that are environmentally friendly.
Use an eco-consultant
Putting in place a range of designs and initiatives to limit a business’s environmental impact can be a daunting prospect. Eco-consultants can greatly assist in this by making recommendations on cost-effective options and by putting the processes in place that will enable you to control waste and reduce energy usage. ERM is one such consultancy, and they are an industry leader in advising businesses on sustainability. Since ERM’s acquisition by a private equity firm, it has gone from strength to strength under the leadership of investors such as Chris Warren of Charterhouse Capital Partners.
Government initiatives
There is a whole raft of government grants and other initiatives designed to encourage more companies to go green. Tax credits, for instance, can boost your bottom line. These are available to organisations that make a concerted effort to adopt green business practices through, for example, shifting to solar power or by adding hybrid or electric vehicles to their company fleets.
Summary
As a heightened awareness of the importance of environmental issues continues to grow, organisations of all shapes and sizes are becoming increasingly interested in “going green”. Many of these organisations are based in rural communities, and are well aware that eco-practices not only help improve the environment but also give them a real operational edge.