A NEW year, a new way to look at running your company. Being eco-aware does not just mean doing your bit to save the planet, it can also convert into business benefits.

Far from being a passing fad, corporate and social responsibility (CSR) is making a connection with customers who are increasingly looking to find the greenest products on the market.

The most common demands are for ethically traded or locally sourced goods with minimal packaging, but there are many other ways to demonstrate that your company is taking environmental issues seriously.

Business Link has launched a dedicated online resource to help businesses, whatever their size, gain bottom-line benefits by going green. The Environment and Efficiency section of businesslinknortheast.co.uk contains advice on reducing waste, marketing green credentials and understanding your legal obligations.

This last point is vitally important. Environmental legislation covers issues such as air emissions, waste responsibility, management of harmful substances and pollution prevention.

If any of these sound like business concerns for you, failure to comply could have serious consequences. Business Link offers an email alert service to keep you one step ahead and fully informed on environmental requirements.

A CSR policy can also be used as a motivating factor for employees. The sense of inclusion initiatives such as recycling plans and volunteer days for local charities produces can be morale-boosters for your team, and a good way to retain staff.

For most small and medium-sized businesses of course, the most important factor is how an effective CSR policy can affect your bottom line. In terms of marketing your business, going green can be an excellent profileraising exercise and could create positive PR.

However, as this becomes a more mainstream business practice, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has recently warned that care must be taken when marketing green credentials.

In terms of tangible month-on-month financial rewards, creating a CSR policy draws attention to where resources are being used, and often wasted, in your business. It is estimated that it is possible for most businesses to save between ten and 20 per cent on their energy bills at little or no cost.

Business Link's team of expert brokers operate across the region in local access points and on a mobile basis.

For further information, visit businesslink northeast.co.uk or call 0845-600-9006.