In this day and age, one of the most important things you’ll ever do as an individual and a business will be to look after the environment. We only have one planet, our planet, and yet the rate we are using the resources given to us by mother nature is unsustainable. Because of this, lots of businesses are finally taking the steps to reduce the negative impact they have on the environment and preserve the resources we have. Here are 6 green tips you can use for your property management business:
Store Your Documents On A Tablet
When meeting prospects, you may need to take a number of different documents with you, from brochures to to contracts. Keep this information on a tablet instead, so you can access it at the click of a button without wasting anything at all. You won’t need to feel guilty about using up resources, and it’ll make your life so much easier.
Make The Most Of Internet Marketing
Practically everybody uses the internet to search for things and buy things, so making the most of internet marketing should really be something you’re doing anyway. People use the internet to shop for rental properties and property management companies all the time.
You can use things like online listings, social media, web ads, forums, and more to help you get plenty of exposure. Marketing online can be much more effective than other methods. While offline methods for a property management business can still be worthwhile, focusing on online methods will likely get you a much bigger return on your investment. It’s really easy to track what’s working for you too!
Social media is a great tool for marketing. Run contests and promote charitable donations – it’s a sure fire way of getting attention and finding new audiences.
Communicate WithWherever Possible
Don’t send communications via mail, unless you absolutely have to. Some documents will need to be made into a hard copy, but it’s unlikely that every document will need to be. Of course, some of your clients may not have an email address, but just doing this with a small portion of your clients will make a huge difference. Just make sure your messages aren’t going to their junk folders first so they aren’t missing out on important information! You may need to tell them to mark you as safe in their contacts list.
Create Electronic Versions Of Important Documents
Running reports and sending invoices can be done electronically too. Do this instead of sending them out to your clients, where you would be wasting paper, ink, money, and other resources. It takes just seconds to send over these documents and your clients will likely enjoy the convenience of being able to access them online.
If along with online invoices you can also encourage online payments, this can make a huge difference too. You’ll encourage others to save on things like paper and stamps, and all you need to do is ensure you have a secure online portal. This too can make a small positive impact.
We recommend Google Drive for this as its collaborative capabilities are outstanding.
Repair, Don’t Replace
If you have a choice between replacing or repairing something, make sure you always choose the latter.Performing small repairs and simple maintenance tasks can make things last for much longer.
If you do buy new, make sure you research so these things are built to last, perform maintenance, and hold on to any guarantees or warranties. Affordability and durability is absolutely crucial. Always check out the complete life cycle of a product before you hand over your cash!
A regular maintenance program in place for both your office and the properties you manage will go such a long way. This will mean small issues get fixed almost as soon as they occur, and will stop you from needing to make big replacements so often.
Choose Energy Saving, Recycled Products
Always look for office products that are energy saving, reusable, and recyclable. Ink cartridges you can reuse are a good shout, for example, as is recycled paper when you absolutely have to print something.
Ensure you work at determining the best way to save energy too. Bear in mind that if your customers can agree to pay a slightly higher cost up front, they will make a return on their investment in the first few years!
Bonus Tip: Make your website stand out
Your website is a vital part of how your customers perceive your business. Be creative and think of interesting ways to show your audience that you aren’t an ordinary business. You could do things like turning the background of your website into a video, or even giving your audience an unusual way of engaging with you while they browse your website.
These steps won’t interfere with the way your business works – they might even make it more successful! Not only will you get a reputation as a property management business that cares about the environment, you’ll save money and hassle. All of this as well as offering convenience for your clients. There are so many benefits of taking the steps to go greener, so make sure you start today!