Three easy ways for small businesses to go green and save green

April 11, 2008; 02:49 AM

/24-7PressRelease/ - SMITHVILLE, MO, April 11, 2008 - As consumers swap out their incandescent light bulbs for the more eco-friendly florescent bulbs and switch to more efficient appliances, many businesses are making strides toward a greener workplace too. And as many companies are finding out, going green can mean big savings.

Toni Oesterle, owner of Tower Innovations, a local web site design and custom software company, can attest to the money-saving power of going green—especially for small businesses.

"Companies spend a huge amount of money and resources on paper," said Oesterle. "From brochures and catalogs to letters, invoices, and other documents, small businesses generate a mountain of paper. Taking steps to reduce the amount of paper a company uses is not only beneficial to the environment, but also to the company's bottom line."

Oesterle says a well-planned company web site can dramatically reduce a business's dependence on paper. By moving things like job applications, sales invoices, and even marketing materials to the internet, business owners can eliminate the printing and mailing costs while reducing paper consumption at the same time.

Many aspects of day-to-day business lend themselves to the efficient—and green—world of the internet:

• Marketing - Online catalogs, brochures, and marketing materials make it easy for customers to learn more about your business. By offering these things on your web site, you provide 24/7 accessibility to customers anywhere around the world with no printing costs, no mailing costs, and no use of paper.
• Correspondence—Whether you're processing job applications or conducting customer surveys, your web site can automate the process to save you time and printing and mailing costs.
• Online payments—From sending the invoice to processing the payments, your web site can do most of the work for you. No printing, no postage, and no paper. With a fully integrated system, your web site can automatically do the invoicing and keep track of your clients' payments—without using a single tree.

Perhaps the biggest benefit of conducting business on your web site is the accessibility of the information. If you're looking to fill an open position, your online job applications are in one place. If you need to know what your best selling products are, just view your online sales reports.

"The more business you do online, the more you save," said Oesterle. "Whether your web site is just a marketing tool or an online business of its own, the internet is a great way to save money and the environment."

About Tower Innovations
Tower Innovations is a ten-year-old Kansas City area web site design and software development firm. The full-service company offers award-winning capabilities in web design and application development. For more information about the Kansas City area web site design and software development company, visit http://www.TowerInnovations.com.