by Linda Allen, Bluefire PR
There are tons of good reasons for choosing the eco-friendly route. And believe it or not, most of them benefit you. The New York Times interviewed Dan Mishek, managing director for Vista Technologies, a company that specializes in providing plastic products for equipment manufacturing. Mishek said his company spent $450,000 on new technology in 2011. Additionally, the company hired only two new workers who received a combined annual salary and benefits package of $160,000. “Everything should be as automated as it can be,” he said.
Countless reports have shown that companies are choosing technology over people to get the job done, but is there a way you can save on both?
Bring Your Own Device (BYOD).
Even back in 2011, the Pew Internet and American Life project reported that nearly 90 percent of Americans own a cell phone, computer, e-reader, MP3 player, game console or tablet. A 2013 survey by Deloitte indicated that 26 percent of consumers own a laptop, smartphone and tablet, while tablet ownership alone increased by 177 percent over the past year.
Why should you care? Because it means your employees are highly likely to own one or several of these high-tech devices themselves. Therefore, you don’t need to provide them with separate business equipment to perform at work.
The trend of BYOD has exploded across multiple industries, and comes with the potential of reducing device costs and improving employee satisfaction. BlackBerry’s Mobile Device Management program seeks to foster a more seamless integration of BYOD into your business. This service provides better management and security for your employees’ personal devices — two of the biggest challenges of implementing BYOD.
The Cloud.
After switching from on-site data storage to the cloud, business-development director Bill Hipsher saved up to $7,000 per month on IT for his small business USstoragesearch.com. As a result, the company could afford to scale down on third-party IT services and is expected to add 40 new members to their team.
The cloud is a simple, cost-efficient solution that not only saves your company money, but also offers enhanced security and increased access to your files from anywhere at any time. More and more small businesses are upgrading to the efficiency of the cloud, with around $3.5 billion spent on cloud technology in 2011.
ENERGY STAR Office Equipment.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently published an article detailing how small businesses in particular can save on energy costs by practicing more efficient measures. One notable measure includes purchasing office equipment and related products that have been given the ENERGY STAR stamp of approval. These devices feature convenient, automatic functions like stand-by and sleep mode. These adjustable settings help you save energy by making sure the device is fully powered off when not in use, so you can cut costs and maintain your equipment for longer.
A related tip from ENERGY STAR recommends installing occupant sensors, which turn lighting off when no one is in the room, and on as soon as movement is detected. This improves convenience and prevents the whole team suffering from the higher costs of one employee neglecting to turn off the lights.
Linda Allen is a public relations specialist with Bluefire PR who covers banking, business and finance.
