How to Run a Green Small Business Part 2

For greater green savings while running your business, you’ll have to rethink how you buy equipment.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Use a laptop computer.
   Not only will you be able to take it anywhere when you travel but you’ll pare your power costs. Laptop computers are built for energy efficiency. A laptop’s LCD screen uses 1/3 the energy of a typical Cathode Ray Tube, CRT.
2. Put all your AC / DC converters on power strips.
   Switch them off when they are not in use. So called wall warts for cell phones and cordless phones drain power as long as they are plugged into a live outlet whether or not the devices are in use. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that the annual energy waste from these devices across the US equals the output of 17 power plants.
3. Buy Energy Star Rated Appliances.
   They are available in fax machines, copiers, printers and more. Compare not just initial costs, but lifetime expense when you replace or buy new office equipment. Energy Star Appliances use less energy, save money and have less of an impact on the environment.
4. Buy a Watt’s Up Pro.
   The manufacturer, Brad Volin, is a small business success story. In college his roommate blamed him for high electrical bills due to his waterbed. Volin set out to find a way to monitor the electrical consumption of power devices while they were in use. He created his first unit 10 years ago, and now manufacturers them in Colorado. Buying one will give you an easy, direct way to measure the energy costs of any electrical machinery that you have to buy for business. They are available through www.doubleed.com