Green Business practices can help save money, attract customers, enhance your reputation and help make a business more efficient. A company policy of environmental stewardship or mission that includes sustainable practices will help create the vision. There are three main areas where a business can become more green and sustainable:

• Improve Energy Efficiency: implement staff guidelines for turning off computers, peripherals, as well as office and meeting room lights.
• Improve Water conservation:water conservation in outdoor landscapes can save thousands of gallons of water each year (see Florida Yards and Neighborhoods ).
• Changes in Work Practices: To become a green business, employees need to be a part of the practice changes that will make it successful. Creating a green committee that promotes these new practices will be a good start, as well as educational programs for staff. Discussing green purchasing practices, energy conservation, double- sided copying, green meetings , reduction of paper use through electronic sharing, telecommuting and other innovative sustainable practices will help the team get started. Start small and build on these practice changes gradually until they become habits. Develop a staff pledge program and rewards around the new practices.

Additional Resources

http://www.progress-energy.com/custservice/flabusiness/efficiency/CA/index.asp

http://pinellas.ifas.ufl.edu/fyn/index.shtml

http://pinellas.ifas.ufl.edu/sustainability/green_purchasing.shtml

http://www.business.gov/start/green-business/green-guide.html