Business Plus Baby

An environmentally conscious business in today’s world can be a huge competitive advantage in multiple ways. For this exact reason, you might of seen a big uptick in companies promoting themselves as green, environmentally friendly, or other similar terms indicating their care for the environment while conducting business.

Whether a company implements “green” aspects into their actual products, packaging, or even behind the scenes; they can realize the two main benefits: more influential marketing power and lower operating costs. The fact that going green can actually save a company money may come as a surprise, but we assure you that it is in fact beneficial in terms of PR and cost savings to go green.

How you ask?

Think about it. If you could invest in a system which would reduce costs by 50% and virtually pay itself back in 5 years but last much longer, would it be worth it? While yes, the investment may turn some company’s away from it, but for those companies that can see the future benefit they will gain from the investment are the ones who will most likely make the conversion to greener operations. So, enough of what going green can physically do for your business. Let’s get into the 9 ways you can actually go about making your business more “green.” From reducing energy, to reducing waste and using green materials, here they are:

1. Going paperless isn’t just for banks. You might of gotten requests from your banks in the past few years asking you to switch to paperless (if not forcing you). In some cases, they even incentivized it! But, why can’t you take this environmentally and cost saving benefit and implement it into your business? Fun fact, you can. Requiring documents only to be printed when they need to be signed and mailed should be a new office rule. In fact, it’s totally possible to go 99% virtual when it comes to documents these days. All you need is an efficient file management system and you are good to go.

2. Incentivize “green thinking.” It’s impossible for one single person to identify every area of a business and how to greenify it. Instead of trying to do it all yourself, incentivize your employees. Whenever they come up with a unique new idea for you to implement, incentivize them with something. Whether it be pizza, $20, or a nap. Don’t be boring and just let your employees be creative. They are your first line of defense and will surely make your green efforts that much stronger and efficient.

3. Convert your lighting system to LED. Every single one of your commercial lights in your building, car lot, office space, hallways, and so on could benefit from converting to LED technology. It is by far the most efficient lighting technology around, and converting from other technologies to LED could reduce your light fixtures energy consumption anywhere from 30% all the way up to 75%.This sole reason is what is causing many facility managers and building owners to love the technology, and that’s not including the other benefits of LED.

4. Implement green packaging and design. If you currently use old fashioned packaging techniques, you most likely use non-green packaging. In regards to how to actually go about this, talk to your manufacturer or packager as that is not within the scope of this post. But just remember this, it will be a huge marketing play which will allow you to put something like “green packaging” on your product.

5. Install a programmable thermostat. Setting your heat and cooling system to turn off and on when needed can save a great amount of energy associated with your HVAC system. Additionally, setting your temperature to be at a steady and comfortable temperature will ensure you aren’t over (or under) heating / cooling your building. In turn, this will lead to more efficient work and output by your employees (another cost saving benefit).Additionally, make sure your system is well maintained. The filters should be changed often and regular maintenance will ensure it is running at optimal levels. Another thing you could do is invest in a new system which is up to date and specifically an efficient model.

6. Get environmentally friendly company cars. If company cars is a part of your business, stop getting a gas guzzler. Instead, go for the most efficient models which give you the most mileage per gallon. Better yet, go for something which doesn’t use gasoline at all!
   
   Note: This is recommended only when you are in need of new company cars. It could get pricey and the ROI will be virtually zero if you replace completely fine cars with new ones for no other reason than to save gasoline.

7. Solar panels. Solar panels for businesses are becoming more and more popular. Not only will it save your company in a lot of energy costs (if not get rid of them entirely), it will improve your public image of your facility. Like a lot of things on this list, it’s a win-win! Oh and if you produce extra energy, you will typically get paid for it by selling it to the electric company!

8. Turn off computers entirely. Believe it or not, sleep mode doesn’t save any energy. Instead, you have to turn them off entirely for it to truly not suck up any energy. To go a step further, unplugging your system will 100% prevent any energy from flowing throughout your computers when not in use. So by making a new routine to turn off and unplug your computers at night, you will not only save energy but reduce wasted energy.

9. Reduce, reuse, recycle! We’ve heard this statement before, and it certainly applies here. Sure, you might recycle but you may be unaware that no one else does. Why? Most likely because it’s not easy to do. Either your recycle bin isn’t near the trash, or your don’t have one. In either case, make sure you have a recycle bin next to every trash can. To go a step further, put a notice above the bins reminding everyone to recycle.

Conclusion

That about sums it up for our top 9 ways a business can go green. From converting your existing systems and fixtures to more efficient ones to optimizing your packaging to be made of more friendly materials; they all play a role in this process.

If you truly want to make a difference, both in your company’s images and cost saving actions; start implementing each of these things into your business. From there, you employees should help with the on-going process and overtime come up with more and more ideas. Eventually, you might even run entirely green!

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Becoming a mom changes your outlook when pursuing a higher education. Your schedule will be altered, your priorities upended, and your sleep patterns will be disrupted. These lifestyle changes may deter you from going back to college. How do you balance school, domestic responsibilities or another job as well? Here are three things that every mother should know before they go back to college.

You are not Superwoman

In order not to get easily discouraged, it is important for every mother to know their limitations. When going back to school, set short-term and long-term goals.

While the long-term goal may be completing your course in a period of one and a half years, for the short term, you may choose to reward yourself for little victories. It is normal for anyone to feel stressed and overwhelmed, but remember you are not superwoman.

Do not beat yourself up when you do not accomplish your goals. In order to make up for a bad mark, you may need to extend a course or even study over-time. This is part of the process, so learn step over these hurdles and give yourself a break when you need one.

Set Realistic Schedules

When one of your most important priorities includes doing homework, time management is crucial. Be realistic of how much time you can spend in school and how much can go into catering to your family. Find out what is going to impact you at home and take advantage of any support that you may have.

Part of being realistic includes picking your class schedules and preparing for study hours in the wee hours of the morning. If you are a single mother, find high-quality, dependable childcare. Some colleges recognize the value of offering support services for mothers who want to earn their degrees.

Online vs Traditional Classrooms- Find out What Works Best

Attending a physical college may be hectic, especially if you want to spend as much time as you can with your children. You will need to beat traffic every day in order to make it to your lectures on time.

Mothers who cannot handle the everyday hassles of a traditional classroom should consider getting an online degree. Not only do such degrees account for lower college costs, but they also offer the most flexible studying schedule.

For instance, if engineering is your course of choice, an online masters engineering degree from the University of California Riverside is one that will make you stand out from the crowd. The university’s online degrees are a calibrated blend of targeted engineering skills and management strategies. This ensures that you are well prepared for your career. Online masters in engineering degree courses can be completed in as little as 13 months.

If you have been thinking about going back to college then it is time to begin your journey to higher education. Mothers who are fully employed should, however, be prepared to balance work with schooling. But if you think you have what it takes to make, go out and make it happen. It’s never too late to better yourself!

A lot of us have some sort of altruistic passion. We see something wrong with the world and feel a burning desire to change it. Some of the problems might be on your doorstep; it may even be something you’re facing in your own home. Some of the problems couldn’t be farther away; they’re on the other side of the world, affecting people you’ll never meet. It doesn’t matter: you know something needs to be done.

One of the most effective ways of taking action is by starting a charity business. These can be nonprofit or for-profit; either way, as long as you’re doing something to better the lives of those who are having difficulty changing things for themselves, history will be thankful.

If you want to know the best ways in which you can take a charity business to the next level in its efficacy and spread, then this guide is an essential read.

Spreading the word

Every cause needs the word about it to be spread as far as possible. A lot of people forget to see this activity as a marketing activity for the businesses involved. But this is precisely how this needs to be approached. While it’s for a good cause, making people aware of it is almost the same as running a marketing campaign for any other business. No doubt you see the results of such charity marketing techniques every day.

It’s important to decide how you’re going to go about it. Video has proven itself to be an extremely compelling way to highlight problems; some may make adverts for television and YouTube; others may take it further and produce short films about their subject. Researching how these videos are as effective as they are is essential if you’re looking to do something similar.

Of course, posters and billboards are also great and effective ways of spreading the word. These are often very effective when used on public transport, as it makes it more likely that people will be able to take in all the information required. You could also look into more accessible or even fashionable items. People who care about your cause are often happy to wear things in support of it, like badges and stickers which you can get printed from companies such as Banana Print.

Building a website

All businesses should have a website, and a charity business is no exception. This is where people are going to go to get information about your charity. If you want to ensure that you gain people’s trust and convince them to donate to your cause in some way, then building an accessible and highly informative website is a must.

Photo credit: Howard Lake

Of course, posters and billboards are also great and effective ways of spreading the word. These are often very effective when used on public transport, as it makes it more likely that people will be able to take in all the information required. You could also look into more accessible or even fashionable items. People who care about your cause are often happy to wear things in support of it, like badges and stickers which you can get printed from companies such as Banana Print.

Building a website

All businesses should have a website, and a charity business is no exception. This is where people are going to go to get information about your charity. If you want to ensure that you gain people’s trust and convince them to donate to your cause in some way, then building an accessible and highly informative website is a must.

Photo credit: Joe the Goat Farmer

Of course, your website should have a way of bringing in money for your cause. Setting up a PayPal donation button is one of the easiest and most popular ways of doing this. Some businesses may prefer to work with other payment gateways that cost slightly less money, but PayPal is the most popular payment gateway around, and the one that is trusted by most people. Something else you can look into, if you’re a retail charity, is selling items online instead of solely through brick-and-mortar stores. (Some businesses also choose to use marketplaces such as Amazon and eBay to earn money this way.)

If you want to ensure your website is as informative as it can be, you should definitely be creating a blog. This is where you can update users, in great detail, about the work you’ve done and the successes you’ve accomplished. You can also use it to highlight problematic areas of the issue you want to fight, as well as the errors (or successes) the government have made in their attempts (or lack thereof!) to solve the problem.

Standing out

Some people may wonder why “rival charities” would even exist. Doesn’t it just create a lot of confusion? After all, the more choice you give people, the less likely they are to actually make a decision. With this in mind, won’t fewer people end up donating to a cause if there are several charities that specialize in it?

Pic from pexels

The biggest myth of all about working from home as a parent is that you get the best of both worlds – a career and the opportunity to look after your kids. It’s a beautiful theory, of course, but in practice, things can often get out of control.

The vast majority of first-time mompreneurs often find that their to-do lists are always expanding, and every time they fix something with the business, problems arise with the kids – and vice versa. The key to tackling this enormous issue is to prioritize correctly.

While all work from home parent’s situation will be different, some clear guidelines can help. Let’s take a look at how you can set your priorities and achieve a better balance between work and home life.

Work out the big ticket items

The first step is to think about all the most important things you need to do in the day, regardless of whether they are family chores or tasks for work.

These are the big ticket items and non-negotiables that must be done without fail, within a particular time frame. Feeding the family is a must, for example, as is completing the school run or dropping the kids off at the nursery.

Are you learning anything on a course? If so, you have to prioritize some study time. You will also need to allow time for checking your business emails and replying to potential clients and current customers alike.

You might also need to set aside time for updating your blog, packing and dispatching products, or researching. Finally, don’t forget about setting aside time for exercise and healthy activity.

The occasional essentials

As we all know, life tends to throw up some surprising issues every now and again. So, you have to set aside some time to allow for the occasional doctor’s appointment, extra chores you haven’t accounted for, or a particularly demanding client issue.

Given that these types of events happen often, it’s a wise move to set aside an hour or so every day to deal with them.

As every time management expert will tell you, great schedules are prepared for any unexpected situation and allow for them. The result of better time management is that you won’t get caught out and start having to bump your essential tasks out of the way in the event of an emergency.

The desirables and the impossibles

It’s important to remember that if you want to be successful as a parent and home business owner, other things have got to give.

You can probably give up your dreams of living in a super clean home, for example, unless you are prepared to hire a domestic assistant. Your hobby time will need to be reduced, too – not entirely, of course, because it is important to schedule in some time to relax if you want to lead a healthy life.

Most importantly, however, is to change the way you think. If you want to raise healthy, loved kids and run a successful business, you must lower your expectations in other areas. It’s impossible to do everything, and trying to do so will result in more problems than it’s worth.

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If there is anything that business people and parents have in common, it is that they need good organizational skills to succeed. Running a business can be a lot like raising children: you have to schedule, plan ahead, and be on top of everything all the time. Doing both requires an immense amount of concentration and patience. It is worth it though. Just as you want your children to be in the right place at the right time doing the right things, you need your business to know exactly what direction it should be going in. Both also require great communication skills. Here a few things that can help you keep your life as organized as it needs to be:

Hire an accountant: Tax returns are easily one of the most boring and yet important things about running a business. If they are not attended to properly, there can be very serious consequences for you both personally and financially. On the up side, they are reasonably easy to organize with the help of an accountant or tax lawyer. They knew exactly what each code and subcode refers to and besides, they do taxes all day every day. Rather than trying to teach yourself something that at times can seem like a completely different language, put it in the hands of an expert and concentrate on things that you can take care of without any help.

image credit: 401(K) 2012

Harness the power of technology: The degree to which you are overwhelmed by the organizational demands of your business depends on many factors. One of them is how many people you have working for you and the rate at which this changes. If you are continually taking on and letting go staff, it can be a nightmare keeping track of them. HR departments are working well when you don’t know that they are there. As soon as you start have to paying them attention, you know you have a problem. The digital age has provided solutions to so many problems and now it is proving it can help with corporate organization too. Companies like Pingboard can create an infrastructure for your workforce that makes things simple.

Delegate: You may run your own business, but the reality is that you simply can’t do everything yourself. Your employees are there because you trust them to do the things that they are asked to do. It is why you hired them Everybody needs help in life, and more often than not, it comes from the people around you. Utilize the most versatile and important aspect of your company.

Organize your work space: Einstein is reputed to have once said that if a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty desk a sign? Empty minds besides, the relationship between a cluttered mind and a cluttered desk is two way. If you ensure that you the place that you work is organized and neat, your mind will be more organized too.

Being organized comes naturally to some, but if you are one of those people who has to work at it, these ideas are a good place to start.