I’m not sure if ours is, but I’d like it to be.

Small business should be the home of sustainability. We know how to live off a shoestring, to use our resources until they are well and truly done for. We like to save money, we like to achieve things, our livelihood depends on us standing out.

Simple measures we can take

I’ve been thinking about it a bit recently and talking to others about potential small solutions that make a big difference. We aren’t necessarily doing all these things, but I think we should make it our 6 month aim to be. I’m also very interested in hearing what other small businesses are doing and how they can save money doing it.

Live close to work

If you have less than 10 people, you should all try to live within walking or biking distance, or at the very least, use public transport. Why hire people who live far away? Build your daily exercise into getting to work - My sister often walks an hour to get home to the suburbs and arrives refreshed and relaxed.

Try to cut paper waste

We send out our invoices via email. We’ve had one or two customers complain and politely tell them that they can print them at their end if needed, we can’t justify the waste… And it saves us tonnes of money!

We also ask customers to set up direct bank transfers instead of sending cheques. We don’t have a 100% hit rate, but the time and hassle it saves when cheques aren’t sent is enormous! I use the envelopes we get as srap paper for all the notes we jot down throughout the day.

We store copies of all our valuable information online instead of in printed version. If you do print stuff, print on both sides!

Recycle

It is a shame that for some reason in the last two offices we’ve had, there has been no recycling. We do put recyclables aside and Tim sometimes takes them home, but if the cleaners get in first, I suspect it all goes in the bin. One aim for the next 6 months is to sort the recycling situation in our office.

Every time you get rid of a computer or a cellphone or any electrical junk, THINK before you bin it. There are recycle stations, companies like Vodafone do have drop off days. if it’s not broken, someone else might want it… Take it to the Salvation Army or charity store.

Turn off your computers and lights at night

Once again, we’re guilty… some stay on, for no reason at all. We live in a world so full of waste that we forget it’s actually no burden to flick the switch when you leave the office.

Avoid Taxis

If you work in a city like Wellington, there is virtually no need for taxis. Bus lanes enable busses to get there just as fast or faster, and walking in the middle of the day gives you the chance to get some fresh air. There is no reason why you can’t plan to finish meetings and events with 15 minutes to spare before the next one.

Or why not get a company bike? Slap on your logo and make it the first point of call for transport. I’ve heard of a company that did this recently and replaced an entire company car with a bike. Needless to say, they are gleeful about the extra money in their pocket.

Support a charity

While organisations like Greenpeace wont accept corporate sponsorship, you can do it individually. Surrounding yourself with information about what people ARE DOING, keeps you inspired to do something yourself.

It may not be world changing… But it’s a start

I know these sound small. It’s the same argument with plastic bags - why bother cutting yours if the rest of the world don’t? Because your usage however insignificant compared to the billion other people on the plant, IS SIGNIFICANT compared to what it could be.

It’s not going to be long before we actually have no choice in the matter, so why not get prepared now? It’s always better to be a leader, not a follower.

Today’s lecture is now complete. :)