The Cyberworld Is Changing The Workplace, But You Can Keep It Eco-Friendly

Julie Starr • June 10, 2021



Alongside the advantages and opportunities that work from home creates, it invites quite a few challenges, the most central of which is information security. The traditional cybersecurity concept, underlying the insight that the organization, campus, or data center can be protected internally, is no longer relevant. Today, organizations connect to their databases from the living room.  It is great in theory but other issues can easily arise. With the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, there has been a significant increase in phishing and identity theft-based cyberattacks, an increase in the number of remote users, and the constraint to expand the organization’s boundaries towards the Cloud. After all, the privacy of any company is the most important aspect. The Cloud is a sustainable way of managing data because it is sustainable and there is no carbon footprint. However, in order to keep it secure, companies are seeking to keep it protected. You may want to look at secure file sharing for access control so that you know your data is safe at all times. 

Digital Software is also available which is also a sustainable element for businesses, that verifies and monitors who connects to the organization or enterprise applications (users, suppliers, customers), verifies and monitors what connects to the organization (devices and components), and verifies and monitors who and what services and apps consume. This way you are protecting your business from outside threats as well as maintaining an eco-friendly approach to security.

This understanding of the need to change the protection approach begins to penetrate the consciousness of organizations and businesses. The “new normal” for businesses is not necessarily a bad thing, in fact it means moving forward in an eco-conscious manner, making life easier for all. It is vital to enable infrastructure, which secure work is at its core. 

Alongside the technological aspects, it is impossible to ignore the huge cultural changes that occur with the transition to work from home. The human interaction in the corners of the cafeteria, the hallway conversations, and chats over coffee breaks have been eliminated; however, working from home does in fact cut down emissions from cars, it stops people from using too much power at work such as coffee machines, printers, etc.

Innovation is on the cards

Most of the time innovation comes from all levels of an organization. We must enable the existence of the office atmosphere, and maintain security and communication safely and virtually from home. We need to allow workers to have the same amount of communication to avoid them feeling isolated. This is how we progress further and still maintain an eco-friendly workplace. When workers do return to the office in a staggered fashion, you must ensure that you are utilizing the technologies available to keep costs and emissions down. After all, technology is propelling sustainability forward. In modern times, the increasing use of digital allows us to be closer to Generation Z , who were born into the digital world, and connect better to employers who today enable a hybrid world. It’s time to make positive changes.

5 Everyday Items That Can Quietly Boost Your Brand

By Julie Starr • July 17, 2025
The best branding doesn’t always come from big campaigns or expensive graphics. Sometimes it’s the smaller stuff that leaves the biggest impression. Things people actually use, touch, or carry with them. That’s where your brand can quietly make its mark without needing to shout about it. If you’re only focusing on social media and business cards, you’re leaving a lot on the table. Here are five overlooked ways to get your name out there that feel natural, useful, and more personal. Thank-you slips If you’re already sending out orders, there’s no reason not to include a short thank-you slip. You can easily get these made through any decent online print shop , and they’re usually pretty cheap to run off in small batches. Just a simple note that says thanks, maybe with a reminder to follow you online or a cheeky discount code for next time. It’s quick, thoughtful, and makes the whole order feel more finished. Customers notice that kind of detail, especially when everything else they buy online comes with zero personality. You don’t need a complicated design either. Just something clean with your logo, a message that sounds like you, and maybe a social handle. The point is to give them a reason to come back or remember your name without it feeling forced. Branded zip pouches If you sell physical products, offer services, or run events, small zip pouches are surprisingly effective. Think of the kind you’d use for stationery, receipts, or travel bits. You can get your brand printed on the side and hand them out with purchases or include them in welcome packs. People keep them because they’re actually useful. They get tossed in handbags, school bags, or glove boxes and your logo just keeps turning up. Cleaning cloths for glasses or screens This one works brilliantly if you’re in tech, health, beauty, or anything involving screens or eyewear. A simple microfibre cloth with your branding on it can go a long way. Everyone needs one. Whether they use it for glasses, a phone screen, or their laptop, it’s something they hang onto. It’s not the kind of thing people throw away, and that means your name sticks around too. Receipt envelopes You might already use little envelopes to hand over receipts or business cards. Branding those envelopes is a small change that makes a big difference. Instead of someone getting a scruffy bit of paper in a plain sleeve, they’re handed something that feels a bit more finished. You can even add a message inside. Doesn’t need to be anything dramatic. A simple “thanks for visiting” or “see you next time” is enough to add a personal touch. Wet wipes or mini hand gels If your business is in hospitality, food, or anything hands-on, branded wet wipes or pocket-sized hand gels are surprisingly popular. People actually use them, especially at festivals, food stalls, pop-ups, or kids’ events. They end up in handbags or cars and stick around longer than you think. They don’t scream “marketing” either. They’re practical, and when done right, they make your business feel thoughtful. That’s what good branding does, it shows you’ve thought ahead.

How Student-Led ‘Energy Audits’ Are Cutting School Costs (and Lighting the Way Forward)

By Julie Starr • July 14, 2025
What happens when students stop waiting for adults to fix things and start conducting their own energy audits? Money gets saved. The lights get switched off. Data gets analyzed. And a quiet revolution in sustainability begins—inside schools that once overlooked their own inefficiencies. Across the globe, student-led energy audits are proving that change doesn't always need to come from a policy shift or a major capital budget. Sometimes, it begins with a clipboard, a spreadsheet, and a group of curious minds asking: Why are the hallway lights on at noon when sunlight floods the building? The Energy Detectives These audits aren’t science fair projects. They’re rigorous investigations, often done in collaboration with facilities staff, local environmental nonprofits, or even engineering mentors. Students go from classroom to classroom measuring electricity usage, checking for phantom loads , and identifying where heat is escaping in winter or air conditioning is leaking in summer. One high school in Ontario saved over $12,000 a year after its Grade 11 physics students ran an energy audit and suggested simple changes—LED upgrades, motion sensors in bathrooms, and smarter heating schedules. They didn’t just propose ideas. They pitched them with spreadsheets, thermal images, and payback timelines. It worked. Learning That Pays Off—Literally Unlike textbook learning, these audits blend real-world math, environmental science, economics, and persuasive communication. Students aren’t just learning about sustainability. They’re doing it. And the savings add up. From dimming overlit hallways to reprogramming HVAC systems that run all weekend for empty buildings, students are surfacing blind spots that administrators often overlook. In some districts, their findings are influencing energy policy. Elsewhere, the audits have inspired school boards to hire sustainability coordinators—often alumni of the student programs themselves. There’s something poetic about a school funding new books or laptops from money saved by students who found out the vending machines didn’t need to be plugged in 24/7. Why This Matters More Than Ever With education budgets tightening and utility costs rising, every dollar saved is a dollar that can go back into classrooms. And here’s where it gets interesting from a family finance perspective, too. If you’re a parent setting aside money for post-secondary savings, every bit of school efficiency helps. Fewer energy costs might mean more programming, better STEM facilities, or even bursaries. That raises a broader point: when families save for their children’s future, they often look into RESPs (Registered Education Savings Plans). And many wonder—is a RESP deduction available on my taxes? While contributions themselves aren’t deductible, the gains grow tax-free, and students often pay little to no tax when they withdraw the funds during school. A Movement Worth Replicating These audits aren’t just an exercise in environmentalism. They’re leadership labs. Students learn how to spot inefficiencies, speak up in board meetings, and make a business case for change. They don’t just flip switches—they shift mindsets. And they carry these habits into adulthood. The result? A generation growing up not only with climate anxiety, but also with tools to tackle it.