Green Plus » sustainability in a down economy

Cut Energy, Cut Costs

Elizabeth Liedel — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 15:51:53 +0000

Cutting the amount of energy you use in your business is an easy way to do a favor for both the environment and your bottom line. Businesses waste electricity all the time – by leaving appliances plugged in (even when turned off, many appliances still use electricity – think of the digital clock on your DVD player, for example), or by heating/cooling their office space more than necessary or even when nobody is there. From a business perspective, this makes little sense – after all, you’re paying for the electricity you use, even if it isn’t advancing your business goals or helping you make money.

Inc.com has a slideshow that gives tips – some easy, some more challenging – on cutting down your energy usage. More tips are also available in the Green Plus How-To Guide. Lastly, Microsoft has additional energy-saving advice in a broader column on cutting costs. And we can’t help but notice that other pieces of advice on Microsoft’s list – such as using web technology to limit business transportation costs or cross-training employees to increase efficacy – are all part of the triple-bottom-line sustainability strategy that Green Plus encourages.

States Offer an Alternative to Layoffs

Elizabeth Liedel — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 21:13:22 +0000

Photo courtesy of Job Jabber

The New York Times today highlights work-sharing plans, which offer an alternative to layoffs for cash-strapped businesses. Seventeen states offer work-sharing, whereby businesses can reduce workers’ hours and traditional state unemployment funds will provide a portion of the reduced pay. Participating states include North Carolina and Massachusetts (among others), with a push for this type of program in Ohio.

While it doesn’t erase the fact that the country is in a recession, this type of program is a win-win-win of sorts: workers keep their jobs, businesses avoid high turnover costs, and the program costs states only a fraction of what they would have to pay if workers were laid off entirely. For some workers and businesses, opting in to work-sharing could mean the difference between sinking and swimming in a lousy economy.

For more information on this and other recession-time resources, check your state’s labor and unemployment departments.

March 16 Presentation by the Author of Smart Green

Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 14:29:58 +0000

A public presentation by Smart Green author, Jonathan Estes, will be hosted by the Center for Sustainable Enterprise at UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School on Monday, March 16 at 6pm. At the subsequent reception early release copies of the book will be available. Mr. Estes, CEO of Strategic Measures, Inc., will present his model for creating more sustainable businesses that benefit the environment, the community and the bottom line. He will also highlight the importance of planning for sustainability in a down economy. The Pittsboro General Store Café, a locally-owned business that employs sustainable business strategies and uses local organic food, will cater the reception. The Café is also one of dozens of businesses and organizations featured in Smart Green.