There are many things to think about when starting a business, but generally how to dispose of the business's waste does not figure highly on the list, but it should. Many new business owners are unaware that their responsibilities for disposing of business waste (also know as trade waste) are different to that of a domestic householder. So what constitutes business waste? Quite simply it is any waste produced by a business, however businesses are under a Duty of Care (read legal obligation) to dispose of their waste in a responsible fashion and apply what is known as the Waste Hierarchy (more on that later). Many small business owners and home workers will now doubt have read this far with the smug feeling that none of this can possibly apply to them, but it does, the regulations do not differentiate between a multi-national company and someone working out of their back bedroom. In truth the chances of a home base business whose waste can comfortably be included...
As a self confessed technology geek it often surprises people when I whip out my twenty year old Filofax, so is there still a place for pen and paper in the modern world? I would argue, yes, definitely. How many times has someone offered to give you a phone number or check their diary, only for you to stand there twiddling your thumbs while they search their phone for the information? Often this is simply down to their phone not being organised properly but the hard fact is that it is often quicker to find a telephone number in an alphabetized printed list then it is on a phone, particularly if you are outside. One of the things that frustrates me most about smartphones is that it doesn't seem to have occured to any manufacturers to develop a screen you can see in bright sunlight or while it is raining. Additionally I often find it quicker to note things down on paper then transfer it to my phone or computer later, with the added advantage that I can ask peopl...