As concerns over global warming increase and people are becoming more environmentally aware, many organisations are introducing greener policies and procedures into their offices as part of their corporate social responsibility remit.

HBOS, Co-operative Financial Services and the National Magazine Company are amongst the organisations that have gone green and all feature in the top 10 of the Sunday Times Best Green Companies Awards 2008.

Going green doesn’t have to involve spending more money and in the majority of cases companies will actually save some cash.

With this in mind, here are 10 simple steps to a greener office:

1. Ensure that all electrical equipment and appliances are switched off overnight and at weekends. This includes computers, printers, scanners, photocopiers, kettles etc.

2. Use a Fax to Email service instead of a traditional fax machine.Fax to Email works in conjunction with non-geographic telephone numbers (0845 numbers, 03 Numbers etc.) This allows you to receive all your faxes to a nominated email account. This way you will not waste paper as you can print only the faxes you need and you will save money on inks and maintenance costs.

3. Buy recycled paper.

4. Reduce hardcopies of documents wherever possible.

5. Instead of throwing away misprints or unneeded printed pages, use them as rough paper around the office.

6. Buy an office plant – a green plant will produce more oxygen for the office.

7. Use window blinds to prevent heat leakage in winter and keep you cool in the summer.

8. Have separate recycling bins for bottles and cans.

9. Encourage employees to car share or, even better, promote a cycle to work scheme. UK Government figures show that 18% of all greenhouse gas emissions are a result of road transport.

10. Offer statements online. Save paper by giving your customers the option of viewing their statements online – this will also save money.

As you can see, many of the above suggestions are minor changes but they can have a major impact on the environment, staff morale and on budgets, which makes going green the new black.

Been dreaming about a lovely holiday where the sun is warm and the temperatures are just right and the day stretches out before you with endless possibilities? Essaouira Riad Haven’t we all felt like that at some point in our lives and wondered if we would ever really have the chance to actually DO it, do up a vacation the right way? What with this rotten winter type weather we have, it’s no wonder we’d love to go someplace hot and not bother to come back home until Spring. That’s it! Let’s get out of the disgusting weather. Camps Bay I’m off to an island paradise for a vacation and you guys can keep your sodding weather while I am sunning my way to a lovely tan.

Flying off to someplace warm can be a reality if you start saving a little bit here and there over a period of time because over time the pennies add up to dollars and that pays off. There is always hope for a future vacation if you make plans to ensure it happens, start saving and start looking for spots to travel to while you are on the Internet.

Here’s a super idea about our future travel plans. Make out an itinerary and let’s ask travel agents what it would cost and they will give us an idea of what we need to save. Thinking about our trip is a good start towards actually making it happen and actually being able to find a way to go. Fes Riads

All we have to do is act like we are going, think like we are going and it will happen sooner rather than later, I just know it because that is what the law of attraction is all about and I have seen it in action. We need to actually call airlines for departures dates and start working towards that goal and at the same time plan what we are going to wear in our island paradise.

Isn’t the idea of just taking off on a jaunt just addicting enough to get you hooked into saving lots of money? It isn’t just thinking about your holiday that makes it a reality, it’s visualizing it in your mind’s eye right down to the smallest of details. Let’s pick out a location that we have never been to before for the fun of it and then find out more about it on the Net before we decide if that is the spot to go to. Just ensure you stay safe and make the most of your holiday.