Green Things Come in Small Packages

May 12 , 2009

Start ups, independent professionals and other small business owners may think they don’t have a big impact on the environment, but according to the Center for Small Business and the Environment in Washington, D.C., these businesses are responsible for about half of all commercial and industrial energy consumption. The good news is that many small businesses can reduce their environmental footprints by choosing to operate from workspace alternatives like executive suites and virtual offices.

The Executive Suite

An executive suite is a single office located in an office building or park that shares resources with other single offices. What kind of resources? Receptionists, telephone systems, Wi-Fi access, break rooms, conference rooms, etc. Sharing resources reduces expenses by spreading them across multiple businesses. Fortunately, sharing resources also reduces environmental impact. Utility consumption that a company would have used in a traditional office now becomes a shared cost -- for example, consumption related to cooling the conference room, electricity for refrigerators, phone systems, Wi-Fi technology, etc. In addition, sharing a receptionist means only one person traveling to and from the office, saving gas and reducing emissions.

Executive suites can be an ideal option for start-ups or independent professionals with minimal staffing needs. Executive suites are also an excellent solution for businesses that require a presence in more than one city, or for those expanding to a new territory. The benefits include a prestigious address, lease and space flexibility, and overall cost savings.

When choosing an executive suite location, businesses can reduce their environmental impact even more by selecting an executive suite in a LEED-registered or LEED-certified building like Offices at Park Place in Clearwater. The strict LEED guidelines adhered to during construction make the executive suite option even greener.

The Virtual Office

A virtual office is one where a number of individuals and companies share a common address but take up no actual space in a building. They continue to do most of their work off-site and visit the location of their virtual office only to pick up packages or use a conference room for a short meeting.  This option works best for businesses downsizing from a conventional office, expanding from a home office, or upgrading from a post office box. Virtual offices are a cost efficient way to put a professional “face” on a business with minimal expense.

Many virtual office options, including those offered at Airport Business Center in Clearwater, offer use of a conference room when needed and the professional handling of correspondence. In addition, even though a company does not have a physical office on the premises, its business name may appear on the building’s directory.  Most virtual office ‘tenants’ use business support services and access common facilities on an as-needed basis. Energy consumption is shared with very little waste, and utility and cleaning bills are kept to a minimum.

Incubator Space

Start up businesses are sometimes nurtured to maturity by business incubators. These incubators may be operated by venture capitalists who exchange services (e.g., financial and technical expertise) for a stake in incubating companies. Or they may be a group of startups with related missions that pool resources to get their businesses off the ground. In still other cases, business incubators can be sponsored by a third party such as a chamber of commerce.

Business incubator space is desirable to start ups because it delays capital expenditures until the business is less vulnerable. Incubators may feature work areas with access to copiers, fax equipment, conference rooms, audio visual equipment, a mail center, a hospitality or break area, internet access, etc. Even with all these amenities, incubators still make a positive environmental statement because energy consumption and expenses are typically shared among tenants, as are other common expenses such as landscaping and cleaning.