Small Business owners are always looking for ways to trim costs and fatten their bottom line. But in recent years a new concern has started to slowly make its way towards the top of the list: being green. Environmental sustainability is a buzz word in many circles, as well as a legitimate concern for everyone on the planet. Businesses are one of the biggest dangers to our environment, with all the waste created for the sake of higher profits. But small business owners are beginning to find that green initiatives don’t always come with higher costs. It is possible to save money and save the environment at the same time. And the banking methods you use for your small business are a great place to start. Here’s a look at how you can do your small business banking in a more eco friendly manner, while saving time and money in the process. Read the full story

While traveling on the highway, most of us have experienced days when we’ve seen an electronic sign telling us that the air quality in our city is low. The reason why we notice those while commuting is because it’s a way of letting us know that we might want to find a less traditional way of going back in forth; that in order to keep the toxins in the air down (the ones that often come from our individual cars), we might want to be proactive in looking for greener ways for going back and forth. In doing so, it’s not just good for the environment, but in this economy, it can also be great for your bank account as well. Read the full story

As Europe leads the way in environmentally-friendly practices and design, more innovation is providing the United States, among other countries, with better ideas and efficiency. Europe has a variety of companies that sell energy efficient glass for residential use while America maintains merely one. Read the full story

Italy is known for the Roman Colosseum, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and the Renaissance art of Florence. These tourist attractions make Italy a popular vacation spot and therefore bring in a substantial source of revenue; the estimate for this past year is $23.5 billion. Although these sites contribute to the reputation of Italy, the country is most known for its love and production of food. From the pastas to the wines to the olive oil, Italy is brimming with delectable dishes that contribute to the financial stability of the country. As the food market has long  been a source of revenue for Italy, businesses are starting to realize that going green helps generate revenue, save money and contribute to global climate control. Read the full story

Internationally and within the U.S. , the global trend of conserving energy, utilizing resources wisely, and decreasing carbon footprints is beginning to perceive future success. As smaller businesses begin to model larger companies that pursue sustainable initiatives, competition for strategy, incentives to reduce climate change and increase revenue have seen promising outcomes. By starting environmentally friendly practices early on companies will maximize profits, hire more willing employees, and benefit the globe. Read the full story

Who would have thought that a member of the global south could also be one of the world’s greenest countries? Nestled between Panama, Nicaragua, and the beautiful blue ocean within Central America, Costa Rica is demonstrating that it has what it takes to support major sustainability initiatives. Some might find it surprising that Costa Rica is one of the greenest countries in the world, and more importantly, that environmental sustainability can also lead to greater economic growth. Read the full story

A soon-to-open suburban Philadelphia bank has sustainability on the brain. e3bank in Malvern, PA is built around people, planet, and profits. The bank understands that profit and sustainability don’t have to be mutually exclusive.

e3bank’s web site says, “By leveraging the full spectrum of available technologies, reducing our real estate presence to a bare minimum, and employing a broad range of sustainable business practices, we have decreased both our environmental footprint and our operating costs.” Read the full story

Why do some companies boom while others fizzle? The short answer is companies will fizzle if they aren’t attracting new customers while retaining their current clients. In a recent Wall Street Journal article “Restaurants Burned by Deep Discounts” companies learned that innovation beat out discounts, because discounts aren’t enough to entice customers that weren’t interested in visiting the business in the first place. Read the full story

The idea behind what Terracycle is doing is quite brilliant – take items that no one wants, and make something with it that someone does want. This reuse is far better than recycling for the environment, and for the business, provides raw materials at very low costs.

Hearing about the story is one thing. Seeing it is even better. With apologies for the low production values, we have added some video to the site that shows how Terracycle does what they do. Check out the first video that will show you how worm poop gets turned into fertilizer. As Albe says, good for the environment, and fiscally responsible.

Small businesses have an opportunity to simultaneously cut costs and reduce their carbon footprints as the use of technology increases. The Small Business Administration estimates that the right energy savings plan can save businesses up to 25% in energy costs. Read the full story