It’s important that businesses of all sizes look at ways to reduce their impact on the climate. A recent survey by the British Chambers of Commerce in partnership with O2 revealed that 90% of small businesses have yet to put in place any targets to reduce emissions. It also reports that many small businesses don’t even know where to start. Well, companies that hire virtual assistants could be taking the first steps towards doing things better.
Really? How can using virtual assistants make a difference?
For small businesses, outsourcing helps to cover a range of essential tasks. It helps the business to run smoothly and efficiently, and allows the business owner or senior people to concentrate on strategy and delivery. And it can do all these things without the need for people physically being in the office.
So what benefit does that bring in terms of reducing your carbon footprint?
Reducing your transport impact – when you use an outsourced worker, there’s no commuting to be done. They work from home, resulting in no requirement for car, bus or rail travel. Depending on where your business is based, this could add up to a significant saving in transport fuel emissions compared to hiring a permanent member of staff who works from your office.
Reducing electricity wastage – offices are not great places for energy saving. Lights, printers and other equipment is often on all the time, using unnecessary energy. A virtual worker is more likely to be aware of saving money and energy in their own home, and so in general will use less electricity than an office worker. The same goes for water – no remote worker will have a plastic water cooler and is unlikely to have air conditioning in their home. So resource usage should be lower all round.
Reducing plastic consumption – when people come into the office, they buy lunches, snacks and drinks, all of which contributes towards plastic and other waste. One of the benefits of hiring a virtual assistant is reducing that type of plastic consumption – no takeaway coffee cups, no sandwich wrappers and no salad pots.
Reducing paper waste – virtual workers buy their own stationery. By keeping an eye on their own costs and usage, they increase their profit margins. That’s why virtual assistants are eager adopters of technology – including software packages, apps and trackers – that helps to reduce the need for paper and keeps your business running smoothly. There’s also less need to print – we often print out more than we need to when we are in the office. Working remotely means that communications and meetings are handled electronically, so no need for that 50-page printout.
Is a virtual workforce the way forward?
All business owners and managers should be looking for ways to reduce their impact on the planet – and to find positive ways to contribute to the fight against the climate emergency. Using a virtual workforce is a great way to get started – compared to hiring people to come and work in your office, you will have an immediate impact on fuel emissions, plastic waste and energy use. If you have particular green policies or targets, you can make sure that your virtual workforce can work within those – encourage composting, recycling and other green activities, which will help to have a positive impact.
Why not join the growing number of companies that hire virtual assistants? Not only does it help your green credentials; it also allows you to delegate key tasks to experts who can help you in a range of areas, including finance and accounts, marketing, social media, diary management and much more.
If you’re unsure about where to start, feel free to call us on 0800 994 9016 or use our contact form in the menu above.