What does this mean for a business? It means the increasing need for us all to meet our responsibilities to future generations and to each other in safeguarding the earth's environment can begin at the office. This is not simply a case of ticking some boxes to carrying on with normal routines. When your business goes green you make definite savings, while helping to inspire your employees and clients to take similar steps towards lowering their own personal carbon footprints. One of many possible steps is to look into a unified communications platform.
What steps can my business take quickly and efficiently?
Some of the most efficient ways to reduce your business' carbon footprint can be done cheaply, and save you a great deal of money as well. A first one of these is to follow government advice on energy-saving lightbulbs.
Of these energy-saving lightbulbs the most effective kind, which can cut costs at an astonishing rate, are LED lightbulbs, which can save you £40 per bulb every year on your business' electricity bill, drastically reducing the cost of lighting your building and paying for themselves quickly.
Another excellent step towards reducing your costs while also increasing your business' green credentials is to look at merging and simplifying your communications setup. The easiest way to do this and to get your whole business onto the same page is to have a policy of using a unified communications platform.
What is a unified communications platform?
A unified communications platform is a way of arranging all of the communications made internally in your business on a single virtual platform. This would mean that all forms of communication, phone calls, video conferencing and the sending of internal data and important messages, can be handled by a single service provided outside your business.
One such platform is Unified Communications by Gamma, which is designed to give a generous set of tools with their own technical support service. Additional tools are able to be added to the roster easily as and when they are developed or when you feel the need to expand your bundle of communication options.
These tools will allow for increased ability to video-conference effectively. This can reduce the need for in person meeting which can lead to high emissions. It can also open up options for greater home worker flexibility. If people are able to work from home this will radically reduce both their and your carbon footprint, slashing commuting time, stress, and expenses, and letting you have more flexible workspace. If a large amount of your business' work can be done by homeworkers alternating which days they travel in, you can reduce the amount of expensive commercial office space you need to rent and heat.
With commercial rents as high as they are, reducing the need for office space and communications support, while reducing your business' carbon footprint, is a good and effective way to make a difference to your business and the environment.
