There’s a lot of discussion about going green, but many articles I’ve come across advising small businesses on how to go green have focused on actual products they can buy to use in their offices. These include light bulbs, recycled paper, electronic equipment, cleaning supplies, etc., which are very good ideas and most certainly helpful to the environment. But what about actually helping your business run better and being green at the same time?! This is where web based business management software comes in.
Perhaps one of the biggest “green” benefits of web based business software comes from the almost complete lack of paper needed for things like old timesheets. Employees and contractors alike can enter their hours for projects from any web browser on any computer, cell phone, laptop, etc. Stacks of paper with everyone’s hours are no longer needed-so the paper is being saved, along with money, AND time is managed effectively and tracked in real-time.
According to Business Wire, there are many Fortune 1000 clients that have implemented online timesheets and contact manager software to reduce paper, increase organization and improve customer relations. Web software is affordable for SMEs as well…OfficeClip’s Premium Suite can be downloaded for $80 per user or hosted online for $10 a month.
And the ways to go green with web management software don’t stop there…another HUGE benefit is the ability of employees to access their data from anywhere. Patricia Faulhabber mentions telecommuting as a great way for small businesses to easily compete with the larger companies that are going green. Enabling employees to telecompute from their homes once or twice a month or even once a week will save them money in gas, wear and tear on their vehicles and give them greater flexibility in their schedules, which can lead to improved productivity.
Web software provides all the means to make this happen and so, while making your company more productive, organized and efficient, and your employees happier, you can also boast being green.
SK Dutta is a software architect and creator of OfficeClip Suite of products. He loves to design and develop software that makes people do their job better and more fun. He always explores ways to improve productivity for small businesses. He is also an avid reader in many areas, including psychology, productivity, and business.