Buying goods from outside the country can certainly be attractive for the cost savings. In many parts of the world labor costs are much less. It’s also true that the cost of meeting other countries lesser environmental regulations is reflected in the cheaper price. But consider the cost to the environment while producing and fossil fuel used in transporting these items. Many developing countries have little or no environmental considerations when making the product. This not only makes them environmentally un-friendly but many time unsafe and containing toxic chemicals that would not be allowed to be used in this country. Buy your needed items locally to unsure they are safe and good for the environment. Local businesses are the backbone of the economy and vital to local communities. Buying locally will create more jobs, provide more local suppliers and customers for you, and result in more money being reinvested locally.

Lighting accounts for 20% of the greenhouse gas emissions from a commercial building. You can reduce that figure by as much as 70% with some simple measures. Replace incandescent lights with CFL bulbs (compact florescent) or LED lights. In rooms or areas that are not constantly occupied, install motion switches that will turn lights on when someone enters an area and off when the room is vacant. And the simplest of all savings is to turn off a switch at the end of the day so lights don’t use up energy all night long.

A business can benefit from encouraging employees to donate money to a good cause. But more benefit can be gained by encouraging them to volunteer their time. Voluntary work can help develop skills that add value to your business. Initiative, creativity, and teamwork are all experiences gained through volunteering and easily transferred to work skills. To show your support to employees for this effort, allow a couple of paid hours per month for them to use to volunteer. To be sure it doesn’t become just slack time, make it part of their performance review.

Aligning your business with community interests will have a measurable benefit. It will enhance your reputation, create greater customer loyalty and give you the ability to recruit and retain better employees. It may even give you some positive press. No matter what size your business is, there is a group that can benefit from your support and raise your profile in the community in which you operate.