Growing your business is something of a balancing act, securing new opportunities and maximising revenue without massively inflating overheads. A desire to remain environmentally friendly can make this balancing act even more difficult.

Here are a few tips to help control the environmental impact of your company without compromising growth or losing potential leads.

Implement Hot-Desking

With cloud storage, live video chat and mobile internet connectivity – it is easier than ever to manage a decentralised workforce. If it is not necessary to have the entire team working together in the same building at the same time, it may be possible to implement hot-desking.

Hot-desking is an office organisation model which does not dedicate one workspace to every member of the team – but rather allows multiple members of the team share workspaces in shifts.

Hot-desking can allow multiple members of the team to work from home many times a week – only coming in (and adding to the footprint of the office) for meetings, reports and scheduled ‘in-days’.

Sign Up to Recycling Schemes

There are a number of recycling schemes which have been developed for businesses – helping reduce the amount of waste which is carelessly tossed into the bin. From pulping paper to recycling cartridges – there are a number of schemes which can help a business owner reduce their footprint and environmental impact.

>See also: Making a career in the environmental sector

Printer and ink specialists, PrinterLand, enthuse about the potential for ink cartridge recycling schemes: “We always encourage our customers to look into the potential for recycling their consumables, either with manufacturer-led or independent plans. Not only can this open you up to some great money-saving deals – but it’s also great for the environment.”

Even items such as old coffee grounds can be repurposed – so you don’t have to throw those out after the brew has been supped.

Work With Neighbours

If your offices are located in a shared building with a number of other businesses: approach their managers and decision-makers to try and get them on board with your energy-conscious choices.

The more companies and professionals working together to cutting overheads and reduce the building’s overall energy footprint, the more progress can be made.

>Related: Securing investment in cleantech

If a whole building synchronises stationery orders from a supplier rather than placing individual orders with different supplies – this can reduce the number of delivery vehicles on the road. 

Don’t Just Throw Away Junk Mail

The average adult receives 41lbs of junk mail every year and more than 100 million trees are chopped down to be turned into unwanted and ignored correspondence each year. Even if your company does not participate in the act of sending out junk – it is highly likely you receive it, and subsequently, are a part of the problem.

Rather than throwing away junk mail upon receipt and then dutifully waiting for the next unwanted letter – contact the sender and request that your details are struck from their mailing list. Not only will this reduce the amount of paper wasted in your name – it will also mean you no longer have to sift through a load of junk to find something worth reading.

Further reading: Banks and SME should align interests for mutual benefit