posted by Catherine on Mar 19
Could your travel plans help to promote a new business agenda?
Yet another ‘day’ has been put into place to try to get companies and individuals to think more about their impact on the environment and how to change things for the better.
People sometimes get so used to certain procedures or suppliers or activities that they don’t even consider the alternatives. And those people who looked into alternatives a few years ago and found that they were not viable may well now be quite surprised at the options now available to them.
In the same way that the thought of drilling for tiny amounts of hard-to-get oil in remote parts of the world was once written off as pointless (ie it would cost more money to get at the oil in the first place than they would make for selling it) business ideas may well also have been ‘out of reach’ of most small businesses and ‘not worth the time’ for larger firms. But times have changed!
Long Haul Travel:
Many businesses have certain staff that will travel to other countries as part of their everyday running. And this has long been widely accepted – and even a perk – as part of a job.
However, with the added expense of flying (due to rising oil costs) and the added pressure from society (ie: their customers) it is now seen as somewhat ‘bad business practice’.
Why fly one person all the way across the Atlantic Ocean to talk to someone when they can call them up on the phone, talk to them over the internet or video conference them for an almost face-to-face meeting?
Action can be taken on laptops at either end these days, and we can communicate with virtually every person and place on earth if both people have a hand held device.
Live news can be beamed from a cell phone in the middle of a desert in a war zone; safari guides in the middle of the Kalahari desert can send images to UK wildlife charities reporting poaching, and marine biologists can communicate with scientists around the world whilst sitting on the bottom of the ocean!
So why on earth businesses can’t decide which book to publish or which policy to agree on unless they are sitting in the same room?
What Can They Do?
Well, for a start they can take a look at the latest video conferencing equipment – either on their own or with the professional help of an expert in the field.
By just thinking about alternative means of communication within their own business and between other businesses, it is possible that they could find a viable option that will not only save the planet – but also save themselves money and time, as well as increasing the productivity (and happiness levels) of their staff.
Planet: Less carbon emissions from travel
Money: Not paying for travel and accommodation
Time: Staff could be working rather than travelling
Productivity: More time spent working – more targets reached
Happiness: Not leaving family for days on end – and being tired!
Also: Updating your business’ technology and reducing your climatic impact can also be seen by others as a positive attribute – and could therefore improve your customer base, ‘green-up’ your company image as well as letting other businesses know that you are a serious player in the future of your industry.
See for yourself at Climate Care Day.
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