The Worldwatch Institute has a great article for novice greenies on how they can help the planet, by listing ten items you can do to go green. Some of my favorites are  buying in bulk, buying used, and saving water and electricity.

How can partnering with a Virtual Assistant help you go green? Well, for starters, the Virtual Assistant, in many cases, does not drive to an office. She/he works out of a home based virtual office. However, yes, there are many Virtual Professionals who also rent or own office space. I would say the norm is a home office, though.

So by partnering with a Virtual Assistant, you are helping to save the planet, by reducing fuel use and emissions.

As a Mac Virtual Assistant, I use a great program called PDFPen PRO, by Smile on my Mac which enables me to edit incoming e-faxes and pdf documents without printing, thereby saving trees. I am about 98% paperless at this point. I can then fax back to the recipient by using my Send 2 Fax service or just email it back to them.

I am building a “green” home with my husband, so eventually, my “home office” will be sitting in an environmentally sustainable place.

I typically don’t hold files for clients, and any paper  they send me is scanned and “virtually filed” on my network of computer, external drives, and offline backup sources.

By contracting with an “Eco Virtual Assistant” who truly lives what he/she believes in,  your efforts to help the planet will be magnified, I believe, ten fold.

Have a sustainable, happy and green day

Author bio: Taryn Merrick is a Professional Mac Virtual Assistant, Social Media Virtual Assistant and Eco Virtual Assistant. As Principal of Merrick Management And Media Services, she has over 20 years of administrative management experience. Taryn works to promote the Virtual Assistant industry and to make it stand out as a true profession of excellence. Her style is easy going, yet precise, with emphasis placed on exceeding customer expectations, client communication and satisfaction.

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