One of my favourite things about business is attending events and networking with other business owners, colleagues and people in the community – and last week was full of it! A couple friends and I went to unplugged on the avenue, hosted by the Westshore Chamber of Commerce. There were several restaurants and cafés along Goldstream Avenue taking part of unplugged by hosting dinner via candle light! We decided to dine at Evedar’s Bistro & Espresso Wine Bar, which turned out to be a fabulous choice. One of the best features of the evening was the live acoustic music by Terry Brennan, who had a beautiful blend of rock, country and poetry. To say the least, the night was a hit!
During dinner, we also met a PowerSmart plug-in, who gave us great pens with a few energy saving tips for around the home or office. A few of my favourite tips were:
- unplug chargers when not in use
- turn off your monitor instead of using the screen saver
- turn off your computer when not in use
These are all so simple and easy to do, but somehow we usually forget about them! I know after attending unplugged, I’m going to make more of an effort to reduce my energy consumption. I’ll report back in to you all soon!
Here are a few more energy conservation tips for those of you looking to make a difference around your home or office:
Have you made any changes around your home or office to conserve energy? I’d love to hear any of your tips!
P.S.: If you did attend unplugged on the avenue, you can take their quick survey here: unplugged survey.
More than ever, small businesses are doing their part for the environment. Adopting environmentally friendly business practices provides benefits to business owners looking to control costs, attract new customers and be environmentally responsible.
Here are a few simple, effective steps to make your business greener:
- Reduce energy costs. Turn off unnecessary lights and equipment when not in use, consider using motion sensors or automatic timers to make this easier.
- Increase virtual communication. Instead of mailing a hard copy document or report, e-mail it; encourage online meetings or conference calls to save travel costs and greenhouse gas emissions.
- Use environmentally friendly products. Replace toxic cleaning agents and non-recyclable products with environmentally friendly ones, such as biodegradable knives and forks, earth-friendly hand soap and cleaning products, and recycled paper for all necessary printing.
- Recycle. Almost everything used in business today is recyclable: paper, old or broken electronic devices, ink and furniture.
Here on Vancouver Island, customers, clients and employees want to know about your green success! Most people will be happy to learn they’re dealing with a responsible, environmentally conscious business. Post on your blog or website what you’re doing to be environmentally friendly, or make it obvious when clients walk into your premises.
To inspire and encourage local businesses to achieve ambitious conservation targets, the Westshore Chamber of Commerce is hosting unplugged on the avenue on Wednesday, March 16 from 6:00pm – 9:00pm. The public is invited to visit cafes, restaurants and bars on Goldstream Avenue to enjoy an evening of appies, dinner and drinks by candlelight and acoustic music. I know I’m looking forward to attending!
Introducing eco-friendly practices into your business can save money, while creating happier customers and contributing to a healthier planet. If you want a few more tips on becoming environmentally conscious, check out the BC Hydro PowerSmart Workplace Conservation Awareness page.
Successful entrepreneurs constantly step out of their comfort zone. You know, that artificial and mentally restricting area that sometimes paralyzes us? As the theory goes, that false sense of security creates inertia. To step out of a comfort zone, you have to experiment with new and different behaviors and then experience the astounding results. You might respond with, “I’ve already tested my comfort zone by making cold calls,” or “I’ve stretched by doing presentations to groups,” or “I’ve raised my rates.”
I think the key is to recognize that every new step leads to another comfort zone; once you’ve raised your rates, where do you go from there? Try different approaches to the dreaded cold call, think of new and creative ways of making concise and memorable presentations, focus on bringing added value to the work you do at little or no expense to yourself.
Planning to achieve goals that make you stretch will release you from the fear of leaving the comfort zone. How have you jumped out of your comfort zone lately? Make a splash… or even a wave and show the world what you’ve got!
Events, Small Business | Katrina March 21, 2011 | 
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