Implementing a few smart paper saving techniques is a relatively painless yet effective way to go green and save green.  This post details a number of key printer settings designed to conserve paper for printed documents.  Stepped instructions are provided for making these settings the default for your new documents and resource conserving ways.

Margins
Margins are set to 0.5” on all sides, to maximize available print space.

Using headers and footers: If you plan to use a header or footer for your document, you should adjust the top or bottom margin or change the header or footer distance from edge setting in the Page Layout dialog box.

To use these margins for all documents: Open a new document (which will be based upon your Normal template), and set your margins and header/footer distance as desired. Click the Page Layout tab, click the Dialog Box Launcher below the Page Setup group, and then, in the Page Setup dialog box, click the Default button.

Styles
The Traditional style set has been selected for this document, with some modifications to eliminate excess white space. There is no Widow/Orphan control set for paragraph formatting, paragraph spacing before heading styles has been decreased, and the Office theme fonts have been selected.

Line Spacing:
If you wish to adjust the spacing above headings and between paragraphs, modify the corresponding Heading and Normal styles.

Character Spacing:
If you wish to compress the spacing between characters to fit more characters per line, Word provides a kerning feature. On the Home tab, in the Font group, click the Font Dialog Box Launcher. In the Format Font dialog, on the Character Spacing tab, select the Kerning for fonts check box and set the value you want.

To use these styles for all documents:
Make any additional style changes to suit your needs. When you are happy with your settings for fonts and line spacing, on the Home tab, click Change Styles, point to Style Set, and then click Save as Quick Style Set. Type a name for this style set, then click Save. You can now apply this style set in new documents by selecting it from the Style Set list.

Save More Paper When Prinitng

Automatic Paper-Saving Adjustments:
When printing, have Word reduce the number of pages in your document by using the Shrink One Page option available in Print Preview.

Printing Multiple Pages per Sheet:
Print multiple sheets per page using the Zoom option,  Page per sheet, in the Print dialog box. Many printers also offer this type of option in the printer Properties dialog box, and you may get faster output by making this choice with the printer rather than through Word. (Use the setting in Word or your printer only, not both.)

Duplex Printing:
If your printer supports this option, consider using duplex (or two-sided) printing.

Columns:
For documents with a large number of short lines, consider using table columns to place multiple columns of data across the page.

Distribute Electronically:
Consider saving your document to XPS or PDF format and distributing electronically (via e-mail, shared server, or web site) for online viewing rather than printing.

For more information on Green IT strategies view our Easy-to-GreenIT™ page or download our webinar, “Simple Green Technology for Small Business.”   

Megan Meisner, Easy-to-Green Program Services Director:  mmeisner@launchpadonline.com or 813-920-0788 x210.

E-mail is an extremely valuable business communication channel for all managers and executives.  It is also the face of your company.  Dashing off emails without a review can have unintended results.   A little planning, forethought and following the email tips below can vastly improve the outcome.  Establish good guidelines for your company communications and follow them.

Here are 10 basic tips for better e-mail use and management.

1.  Use e-mail as one channel of communication, but not your only one. It’s fast and easy. It can document discussions. It enables high-impact messages to be sent around the world with the click of a mouse. But it also misleads bosses into thinking they can manage large groups of people through regular group e-mail. Use e-mail wisely, but don’t manage your company through it. You won’t reach everybody you need to reach and your presence won’t be felt.

2.  Keep it short and sweet and don’t allow e-mail threads longer than a football field. Know that e-mails longer than one screen-full often aren’t read right away; they get shoved to the end of the day or the next morning. Know also when it’s time to put down the mouse and go talk to someone, or pick up the phone. There comes a point when further e-mailing eats up time unnecessarily.

3.  Decode your messages as much as possible.  Say what you really want to have happen.  Start with the subject line: Make it clear and compelling (and be willing to change it when the subject in a thread changes). Be certain about who really needs to be on the “to:” and the “cc:” line. Be clear about action items and priorities. Spell them out, as lists or bulleted items. Include a response button or some other mechanism if you must know that everyone has read and understood your message.

4.  Encourage people to respond with questions. That’s akin to keeping your office door open.
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Ask yourself: Are you operating the most efficient and cost-effective infrastructure?  Have you analyzed the efficacy of software-as-a-service for your key applications?  Is managing your IT environment a core competency?  In capital-constrained times, the upfront cash outlay and financial risk of on-premise solutions can prevent many new projects from being funded.   IT executives have been stretching their budgets even before today’s weak economic conditions.   Median IT spending per user this year fell to more than 7%, consistent with the fact that IT managers are supporting an increasing number of users without corresponding increases in IT spending.

Efficiency, patience and being open-minded to new ways of doing things is the approach to technology  that will most benefit your organization in challenging times.   This a a good time to ask some thought provoking questions about your technology management and be open to creative ways to maximize investment.  How can you do more with less in IT?  In this time of economic uncertainty, what strategies should you employ? A creative, cost-effective and out-of-the-box approach can set your company apart from those operating in head-down, panic mode.

1. Implement Cost Reducing Technologies
Selected technologies such as Software-as-a-Service and Virtualization can significantly reduce costs.  SaaS can provide a lower total cost of ownership TCO) if you are paying high software maintenance fees and suffering expensive upgrade processes. SaaS enables organizations to eliminate costs associated with upgrading installed software, acquiring and managing hardware, staffing an IT help desk, and using internal IT staff to configure and code changing workflow or reporting requirements.

2.  Take measures for green IT
The top motivation for pursuing green IT is to reduce costs — and in a down economy, every dollar helps. Becoming more environmentally friendly typically consists of making small changes over a period of time. Little by little, organizations can save money, operate IT more efficiently and reduce their overall carbon footprint by implementing some, if not all, of the suggested “green” IT methods below.
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If you are a business owner and something happened to you, how many people in your company have access to key digital information?  Specifically, I’m referring to the digital files that entrepreneurs go to great lengths to keep private. And at many small companies the owner is the only one with access to important login information that is necessary to keep the business running. Without a plan to pass on those digital files and passwords, sorting through an entrepreneur’s online estate after he or she is gone can be time consuming and frustrating for loved ones.

If you already have a will, your attorney can draft an addendum that spells out who should receive the keys to your various digital accounts. However, a will is not the place for usernames and passwords since it will become a public document.  A better way would be to store the information on a USB flash drive and keep it in a safe-deposit box or a safe in your home. Along with that, it is important that you include instructions so your successor knows how your data is organized, including email and where sensitive company information is stored.  Most importantly, keep this master information updated and make sure someone you trust knows where to find it if the need arises.

Here are 5 Basic Steps to Digital Succession Planning

Step 1. Inventory Your Digital Assets.

Track down and identify a list all of the digital assets. In your digital world, you also want to help your successors by creating an inventory that includes hardware, software, file structures for accessing key data, online accounts and work information.
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Innovative companies always garner our attention, especially when they provide technology services to one of the verticals we specialize in, in this case the legal industry.   Total Attorneys is a technology-enabled service provider dedicated to assisting with every aspect of small and solo law firm practice management, growth, and development.  They bridge the gap for resource- strapped smaller firms by providing the talent, tools, and technology to help attorneys manage their offices, grow their businesses and collaborate with peers.

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