Going Green
Below are a few tips and resources for small businesses to go green in this digital age. We are all responsible for keeping the Earth healthy - we are all in this together.
Print Less Documents
Next time you think about printing a document, pause for a moment and determine if this is something you actually need printed. If not use Adobe Acrobat to "print" it as a Portable Document Format (PDF) file. Adobe's PDF file type has become a globally accepted standard for electronic document sharing. The Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to be able to open a PDF file, however the best part is Adobe offers it for free.
Saving PDF files to your computer will allow you to build an archive that you can search through easily. Don't forget to back-up your archive so you don't loose your precious information. Cyber View started incorporating this practice in our business in June 2008 and it has been very successful. We have reduced our printing supply costs for paper and ink. We encourage you to give it a try.
Collaborate More with Less Travel
Face-to-face meetings and the travel expenses are costly line-times for budgets, especially for small and medium sized businesses. However in today's market forming partnerships with other business entities and collaborating with them is more important than ever before. Adobe has launched a line of services that are free for individuals to use. Compared to the paid-services there are a few limitations, although the benefits are far superior. Adobe Acrobat ConnectNow allows you to host live meetings (up to 3 participants) through the Internet with anyone connected to the Internet. This can be utilized for collaborative meetings, regular webinars, and more.
Computer Power Management
On the Energy Star web site the EPA recommends setting your computer to activate the system "stand-by" mode or "hibernate" mode when you are away from your computer. They recommend configuring the setting to activate after 30 to 60 minutes of inactivity. In addition, you can also configure your computer monitor(s) to activate a "sleep" mode. The EPA suggests having your monitor(s) go into sleep mode after 5 to 20 minutes of inactivity. If you have a laptop don't forget to activate these settings for both when your computer is running on battery power and on AC power (plugged into a wall outlet).
Recycle
If you do need to print a document, avoid playing basketball with a crumbled piece of paper and a trash can. Instead shoot for the recycling bin. This is as easy as placing recycling bins next to trash cans throughout your office. This is obviously not a new concept, but reminders don't hurt.
Communicate with us
We would love to hear from you! Do you have any success stories? Any additional resources? Join us in a dialog on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn.
Adobe, Adobe Acrobat, and Adobe Acrobat ConnectNow logos are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries. Cyber View is an Adobe Solution Partner and a member of the Adobe Partner Connection. Energy Star and the Energy Star logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy in the United States.