| For a work from home entrepreneur, the entire | | | | water heaters, but two things can help. First, insulate |
| home functions as his office; it's where he spends | | | | your water heater so it's not losing heat before the |
| the majority of his work day. If he's really interested | | | | water even gets to you. Second, don't set the |
| in doing the most with his business opportunity, his | | | | temperature on it any higher than 120, because |
| eyes are constantly peeled for ways to make the | | | | you're never going to need water that hot anyway. |
| work space more conducive to overall profitability. | | | | 7. Resist The Urge To Use Ventilation Fans During |
| One of the simplest ways of increasing profitability is | | | | The Winter. |
| by decreasing expenditures like utility and energy | | | | Though they do a great job of keeping the |
| expenses, something that many entrepreneurs | | | | bathroom from fogging up after a hot shower, they |
| overlook. | | | | also thieve a great deal of heat from your home, |
| Saving money in this way isn't difficult; you just have | | | | blasting it right out into the winter air and making |
| to know how to do it. So, for the entrepreneur who | | | | your heater go through the trouble of warming the |
| doesn't want to waste money on unnecessary | | | | house again. When you do use it, make sure it's not |
| energy costs, here are a handful of simple energy- | | | | left on when it's not needed. |
| and money-saving tips to help increase your home | | | | 8. Laundry |
| business profits by decreasing daily home costs. | | | | You'll undoubtedly be doing laundry while you work at |
| 1. Conduct An Energy Audit On Your Home. | | | | home; everyone does. When you do, be sure to only |
| Some energy companies will come out to your home | | | | run full loads. If you constantly run smaller loads, each |
| office and give you a free analysis of how much | | | | load still uses the same amount of water, and that |
| energy is being wasted by the way you're currently | | | | extra usage could add up to an unnecessary cost of |
| living, along with helpful tips on how to go about | | | | $125 annually. |
| saving money. | | | | 9. Leaky Toilet |
| 2. Use The Thermostat Sparingly. | | | | Professionals say that a persistently running toilet can |
| Most people throw away gobs of money every year | | | | sometimes use more than 8,000 gallons of water a |
| by running the thermostat too high during the winter | | | | year, which is an outrageous amount of running |
| and too low during the summer. Estimates say that | | | | water that no one wants to pay for, or listen to. Fix |
| every degree you raise or lower the temperature of | | | | running toilets and leaky faucets immediately to save |
| your home makes a 3% difference to your total | | | | yourself money as well as the headache of having to |
| energy expense. Experts advise keeping the | | | | listen to a running toilet. |
| thermostat below 78 in the winter and above 68 in | | | | 10. Use Energy-Saving Bulbs. |
| the summer. And specifically during the winter, they | | | | They cost a little more, but they last 10-times as long |
| recommend dropping the temperature to somewhere | | | | as traditional bulbs, are often 4-times as bright, and |
| in the range of 60-65 while you're sleeping or out of | | | | use only a fraction of the electricity. |
| the house, even though the latter may not happen | | | | 11. Nuke-It! |
| much when you work from home. | | | | When it's time to step away from the work desk |
| 3. Solar Savings | | | | and make lunch, use the microwave and not the |
| Be conscious of the sun and what it's doing to either | | | | oven. It may not seem like it would be a big deal, but |
| help or hurt your energy-saving cause. Windows are | | | | interestingly enough, the microwave uses 50% less |
| where homes take in or lose a great deal of heat, so | | | | energy than the stove. |
| during the winter, when you want warmth, open the | | | | 12. Unplug |
| blinds on southerly windows while the sun is up. Let it | | | | Finally, the simplest way to save some cash around |
| heat your home for you. When the sun goes down, | | | | your home business is to turn things off when you |
| close the blinds to help trap a little of that heat that | | | | leave the room. After lunch, turn off the lights in the |
| you've collected. And during the summer, close the | | | | kitchen and shut off the radio. When you're done |
| blinds on those southerly windows during the day to | | | | with work, turn off the computer, the fax, the |
| block out the sun and open your shaded northerly | | | | printer, and the lights before you head to the den to |
| windows to let heat out. | | | | watch some TV. And when it's time for dinner, turn |
| 4. During The Winter, Don't Heat Unused Rooms. | | | | off all the entertainment gear before putting the |
| Any room in your home that you don't use on a | | | | pizza in the oven. It's obnoxious at first, but it quickly |
| regular basis in the course of your work day should | | | | becomes a way of life. |
| not be heated. Close the vents and shut the door to | | | | No one expects to waste money when they |
| insulate it from the rest of the house. | | | | purchase a business for sale, but it's something that |
| 5. As Much As Possible, Use Space Heaters. | | | | everyone inevitably does. These simple tips can save |
| The point of running the thermostat is to keep | | | | hundreds, if not thousands of dollars in business |
| yourself warm, so if you can do that without | | | | costs, which frees up that money for other uses, like |
| warming the whole house, why waste money? Just | | | | marketing, new equipment purchases, or a |
| put a small heater under your desk and keep | | | | hard-earned vacation. Simple, money-saving business |
| yourself warm for a far lesser price. | | | | opportunities are all around you, even if you work |
| 6. Hot-Water Heater | | | | from home, and it's up to you to profit from as |
| Often homeowners and home based business | | | | many as you can. |
| owners waste a good deal of energy with their | | | | |