Three Areas Of Business Where You Can Go Green In Next To No Time

Julie Starr • November 3, 2021



There has never been a better time to go green in business. Aside from removing any sense of personal guilt, it will improve client responses and employee engagement alike. In many cases, the short-term outlay will be rewarded with long-term financial savings too.

Climate change is the big talking point around the world right now with governments putting pressure on companies to do better. However, you will naturally want to focus on the upgrades that can yield quick results without disrupting your business. Focus on the three key features below for guaranteed success.

Office Management

The office workspace is the heartbeat of your entire business operation. Therefore, it makes sense to start your transformation here – not least because several easy updates can be made.

Firstly, you should try to adopt paperless tech as this will cut down on physical resource usage. Perhaps the most overlooked task, however, is to find expert cleaning services that use eco-friendly cleaners. Aside from avoiding chemicals, there will be far less waste compared to in-house cleaning duties. Or buying small single-use plastic spray bottles.

Improved insulation and electricity management will be key. If you do not own the business, speak to the commercial landlord about the benefits of going green.

Marketing

Without customers, your business cannot function. However, many outdated strategies are guilty of wasting resources. The great news, however, is that consumers actively seek green companies and brands.

Therefore, adapting your approach to marketing can become a significant part of the brand. Our simple guide to eco-friendly marketing practices will put you in a far stronger position. Perhaps the most important step, though, is to focus your energies on an audience that is interested. Data can be collected at every touchpoint. Spotting trends will allow you to adapt and create an efficient campaign to boost your bottom line.

Conversely, when you persist with reaching out to other demographics, a lot of printed materials, for example, will end up in the trash.

Communication & Travel

Technology has enabled companies to adopt greener practices in many aspects of business. Perhaps none have been greater beneficiaries than communication and travel – embrace it right away.

For starters, switching to hybrid vehicles and EVs will work wonders. Meanwhile, partnering with eco-friendly courier services will indirectly reduce the carbon footprint. Clients will take note of this too. In many cases, tech features like video conferencing and project management tools can remove the need for long travel. Better still, it helps save time and money as well as the planet.

Internal communications can also be supported by tech features. Creating a winning mindset can influence other aspects of the business.

The Final Word

There are many other areas of business that can be made more efficient. From HR responsibilities to automation in manufacturing, you will want to research your options for the months to come. However, each of the above elements can be improved with almost immediate results. 

Focus on those updates in your bid to transform the company, and you’ll never look back.

 

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.