How To Make Your IT Systems More Environmentally Friendly

Julie Starr • April 27, 2021



As part of being a responsible business owner, you are probably already looking at ways to reduce your company’s impact on the environment. After all, it’s an issue that affects everyone in one way or another. We have to make an effort both in our personal and professional lives to make a difference. 

By assessing different areas of your business, you can find ways to improve your processes and reduce the energy consumption and carbon footprint of your company. This can come from reducing waste and introducing an environmentally friendly supply chain policy. 

One of the areas of your business to look at is your IT usage. Here are some ways in which you can make simple changes to your IT systems. 

Don’t Print Unnecessarily 

Gone are the days when you needed to print and file every document you were sent. Most documents don’t need to be printed at all. Make it policy in your organization to not print unless necessary. Not only will you save paper, but you’ll also save on printer consumables and energy too. You can get advice on leasing printers from your IT support company . They can also help you to set up your systems in the most efficient way possible. 

Switch To Cloud Computing 

Servers require a lot of power and cooling to keep them running efficiently. Rather than house your servers, move your computing to the cloud. By doing this you’ll drastically reduce your energy consumption, as well as avoid the need for buying and eventually disposing of server equipment . 

Set Your Systems To Turn Off

Many employees get into the habit of just leaving their screens on, or pcs in standby mode when they leave the office for the night. Multiply this by a large number of PCs, 5 days per week and you’re looking at a hefty energy bill across the year. You can set your IT network to power down PCs after a certain time in the evening when you know people won’t be in the office. 

Buy Energy Efficient Equipment

Modern IT equipment is far more energy-efficient than some of the older tech. If you’re running multiple pcs, printers, and monitors across the business, this can add up in terms of energy costs. 

Replace your old, electricity-guzzling tech with a newer model. 

Buy Refurbished Equipment 

Keep equipment out of landfill by buying refurbished where possible. Buying second-hand equipment can save you money too. 

The same goes for when you’re getting rid of equipment. If it’s in good working order and you’re just upgrading, then sell or gift your existing equipment so that it can continue to be useful. 

Use Renewable Energy

Businesses have a choice about who they use as their energy provider. There are now energy companies that use entirely renewable energy sources, meaning that you can power your business with less impact on the environment. 

Final Thoughts 

There are many advantages to reducing your carbon footprint. Not only will you be helping the planet, but you’ll also be going a long way towards reducing your business costs.  Using less energy leads to cheaper utility bills and equipment costs.

5 Everyday Items That Can Quietly Boost Your Brand

By Julie Starr • July 17, 2025
The best branding doesn’t always come from big campaigns or expensive graphics. Sometimes it’s the smaller stuff that leaves the biggest impression. Things people actually use, touch, or carry with them. That’s where your brand can quietly make its mark without needing to shout about it. If you’re only focusing on social media and business cards, you’re leaving a lot on the table. Here are five overlooked ways to get your name out there that feel natural, useful, and more personal. Thank-you slips If you’re already sending out orders, there’s no reason not to include a short thank-you slip. You can easily get these made through any decent online print shop , and they’re usually pretty cheap to run off in small batches. Just a simple note that says thanks, maybe with a reminder to follow you online or a cheeky discount code for next time. It’s quick, thoughtful, and makes the whole order feel more finished. Customers notice that kind of detail, especially when everything else they buy online comes with zero personality. You don’t need a complicated design either. Just something clean with your logo, a message that sounds like you, and maybe a social handle. The point is to give them a reason to come back or remember your name without it feeling forced. Branded zip pouches If you sell physical products, offer services, or run events, small zip pouches are surprisingly effective. Think of the kind you’d use for stationery, receipts, or travel bits. You can get your brand printed on the side and hand them out with purchases or include them in welcome packs. People keep them because they’re actually useful. They get tossed in handbags, school bags, or glove boxes and your logo just keeps turning up. Cleaning cloths for glasses or screens This one works brilliantly if you’re in tech, health, beauty, or anything involving screens or eyewear. A simple microfibre cloth with your branding on it can go a long way. Everyone needs one. Whether they use it for glasses, a phone screen, or their laptop, it’s something they hang onto. It’s not the kind of thing people throw away, and that means your name sticks around too. Receipt envelopes You might already use little envelopes to hand over receipts or business cards. Branding those envelopes is a small change that makes a big difference. Instead of someone getting a scruffy bit of paper in a plain sleeve, they’re handed something that feels a bit more finished. You can even add a message inside. Doesn’t need to be anything dramatic. A simple “thanks for visiting” or “see you next time” is enough to add a personal touch. Wet wipes or mini hand gels If your business is in hospitality, food, or anything hands-on, branded wet wipes or pocket-sized hand gels are surprisingly popular. People actually use them, especially at festivals, food stalls, pop-ups, or kids’ events. They end up in handbags or cars and stick around longer than you think. They don’t scream “marketing” either. They’re practical, and when done right, they make your business feel thoughtful. That’s what good branding does, it shows you’ve thought ahead.

How Student-Led ‘Energy Audits’ Are Cutting School Costs (and Lighting the Way Forward)

By Julie Starr • July 14, 2025
What happens when students stop waiting for adults to fix things and start conducting their own energy audits? Money gets saved. The lights get switched off. Data gets analyzed. And a quiet revolution in sustainability begins—inside schools that once overlooked their own inefficiencies. Across the globe, student-led energy audits are proving that change doesn't always need to come from a policy shift or a major capital budget. Sometimes, it begins with a clipboard, a spreadsheet, and a group of curious minds asking: Why are the hallway lights on at noon when sunlight floods the building? The Energy Detectives These audits aren’t science fair projects. They’re rigorous investigations, often done in collaboration with facilities staff, local environmental nonprofits, or even engineering mentors. Students go from classroom to classroom measuring electricity usage, checking for phantom loads , and identifying where heat is escaping in winter or air conditioning is leaking in summer. One high school in Ontario saved over $12,000 a year after its Grade 11 physics students ran an energy audit and suggested simple changes—LED upgrades, motion sensors in bathrooms, and smarter heating schedules. They didn’t just propose ideas. They pitched them with spreadsheets, thermal images, and payback timelines. It worked. Learning That Pays Off—Literally Unlike textbook learning, these audits blend real-world math, environmental science, economics, and persuasive communication. Students aren’t just learning about sustainability. They’re doing it. And the savings add up. From dimming overlit hallways to reprogramming HVAC systems that run all weekend for empty buildings, students are surfacing blind spots that administrators often overlook. In some districts, their findings are influencing energy policy. Elsewhere, the audits have inspired school boards to hire sustainability coordinators—often alumni of the student programs themselves. There’s something poetic about a school funding new books or laptops from money saved by students who found out the vending machines didn’t need to be plugged in 24/7. Why This Matters More Than Ever With education budgets tightening and utility costs rising, every dollar saved is a dollar that can go back into classrooms. And here’s where it gets interesting from a family finance perspective, too. If you’re a parent setting aside money for post-secondary savings, every bit of school efficiency helps. Fewer energy costs might mean more programming, better STEM facilities, or even bursaries. That raises a broader point: when families save for their children’s future, they often look into RESPs (Registered Education Savings Plans). And many wonder—is a RESP deduction available on my taxes? While contributions themselves aren’t deductible, the gains grow tax-free, and students often pay little to no tax when they withdraw the funds during school. A Movement Worth Replicating These audits aren’t just an exercise in environmentalism. They’re leadership labs. Students learn how to spot inefficiencies, speak up in board meetings, and make a business case for change. They don’t just flip switches—they shift mindsets. And they carry these habits into adulthood. The result? A generation growing up not only with climate anxiety, but also with tools to tackle it.