Online content delivery and virtual meetings are all the rage in our 24/7 world. After all, both are convenient and cost effective. And then there's that whole environmental component. You're probably already familiar with these three "green" benefits:
1. Less travel. Less travel for physical face-to-face meetings means less burning of fuel, which means a happier ozone layer.
2. Less paper. The beauty of online content delivery is that everything is delivered, well, online: registration, event confirmations, collateral materials, follow-up items, etc. This means less paper (and, thus, happier trees and rain forests). For example, instead of handing a room full of people printed copies of your presentation's slide deck, people can download and view the presentation online.
3. Less waste. Fewer printed materials means less paper to recycle, fewer toner cartridges to replace, printers that last longer...the list goes on and on.
But how can you translate these green benefits into even more benefits for your company? Here are three ways:
1. Turn former travel time into family days or volunteer days. Calculate how many hours you and your employees save on traveling to airports, waiting in airports, and riding in planes when you use online content delivery options such as web conferences, audio conferences, video conferencing, and streaming media. "Give" this time--or a portion of the time if it's a really large number--back to your employees in some way: offer birthdays off, allow an extra family day, or promote company-wide volunteer days. It's this sort of boost to employee morale that can make a huge difference, especially during tough economic times.
2. Donate office supplies to a non-profit or school. Determine how many reams of paper, envelopes, toner cartridges, and other office supplies you save per year (or will likely save) when you use online content delivery methods. Donate some of these office supplies to a local non-profit or school.
3. Promote your green activities to prospects and customers. While it might not be easy to measure how this type of message affects prospects or current customers, promoting the fact your company follows and implements green initiatives can't hurt, and it might positively influence buying decisions on a subliminal level. Many people prefer working with organizations that promote environmental awareness.
Can you think of other ways to turn green benefits into even more benefits for your company? Let us know. |