Yes

by Donna Wimer

Created on: March 06, 2011

Gas prices may someday decrease below their current high, but it is doubtful they will return to their pre-recession levels. As fuel prices increase, the costs of goods and services rise and businesses look for ways to minimize overall expenses.  Businesses are being creative in many of their approaches for cost reduction.  There has been a rise in electric car use and organizations are determining how many electric stations they need to accommodate the company fleet as well as their employees’ needs. 

The old paradigm for business meetings is changing rapidly and with good results.  Anytime a company’s staff is not co-located, using teleconferences and webinars to bring them together has proven to save driving time, travel expenses and staff is more productive since travel time has been eliminated.

In construction work, travelling to a job site with the necessary tools is very expensive.  The tools needed for a job are hauled around in vans and job trailers which are not cost effective and usually get less more than 10 miles to a gallon. Many small business construction employees travel 100 or more miles daily to and from the job sites. At $4 a gallon, this works out to $40 a day in fuel.  These expenses must be controlled, or construction workers won’t be able to take jobs any distance from their residences or they will need to raise the price on their work.  Some of these business owners are finding that it is beneficial to rent a storage shed near the construction site to secure their tools overnight and drive a more gas efficient vehicle to the site daily.

For residential construction, the homeowner can observe the progress and provide input and review through the use of web cams.  This eliminates their need for fuel consumption to physically visit the job site.

The judicial system has found alternate ways to hear cases and eliminate fuel expenses as circuit court judges can hear cases remotely via video conferencing.  Remote witnesses attend courtrooms in the same manner, eliminating the need for them to attend in person.

Changes have been made in vacation travel as well. For the last few years, travel homes set unused while their owners are tent camping or renting motel rooms.  Motorcycles are being used more as modes of transportation for vacationing, touring and camping, thus reducing fuel expenses.

Gas prices may someday decrease below their current high, but it is doubtful they will return to their pre-recession levels. As fuel prices increase, the costs of goods and services rise and businesses look for ways to minimize their overall expenses.  Businesses are being creative in many of their approaches to cost reduction.  Organizations are beginning to use electric cars in their fleets and are determining how many electric stations they need to accommodate the company fleet as well as their employees’ needs. 

The old paradigm for business meetings is changing rapidly and with good results.  These changes are in response to rising gas prices and changing team dynamics. Anytime a company’s staff is not co-located, using teleconferences and webinars to bring them together has proven to save driving time, travel expenses and staff is more productive since travel time has been eliminated.

In construction work, travelling to a job site with the necessary tools is very expensive.  The tools needed for a job are hauled around in vans and job trailers which are not cost effective and usually get less more than 10 miles to a gallon. Many small business construction employees travel 100 or more miles daily to and from the job sites. At $4 a gallon, this works out to $40 a day in fuel.  These expenses must be controlled, or construction workers won’t be able to take jobs any distance from their residences or they will need to raise the price on their work.  Some of these business owners are finding that it is beneficial to rent a storage shed near the construction site to secure their tools overnight and drive a more gas efficient vehicle to the site daily.

For residential construction, the homeowner can observe the progress and provide input and review through the use of web cams.  This eliminates their need for fuel consumption to physically visit the job site.

The judicial system has found alternate ways to hear cases and eliminate fuel expenses as circuit court judges can hear cases remotely via video conferencing.  Remote witnesses attend courtrooms in the same manner, eliminating the need for them to attend in person.

Changes have been made in vacation travel as well. For the last few years, travel homes set unused while their owners are tent camping or renting motel rooms.  Motorcycles are being used more as modes of transportation for vacationing, touring and camping, thus reducing fuel expenses.

Learn more about this author, Donna Wimer.
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