It may come as a surprise to many, but did you know that businesses going green doesn’t only benefit the environment? It also makes sense from a business perspective as the company is seen to be socially responsible, which helps to increase its marketability and integrity.

And yet, the move to more environmentally friendly practices is oftened hampered by the popular misconception that it involves investing huge sums of money or cutting back on products and services. But in fact, this could not be further from the truth.

To debunk this myth, we’ll share with you some simple things (some of which you may already practice in your daily life) you can do today to make your operations more eco-friendly.

A great way to a start is to replace the regular incandescent or fluorescent bulbs in your office with energy-efficient, light-emitting diode (LED) lamps. LED lamps have a prolonged lamp life of up to 60,000 hours, while using only 2 watts of energy per use. Even though they may seem pricey, the energy-savings in the long run will more than make up for this.

This is something many companies do not do despite the savings it can bring. Shutting down or putting unused computers and photocopy machines into sleep mode helps to conserve electricity and minimise CO2 emissions while also lowering your utility bills.

You should also request for an energy audit from a licensed electrician or engineer to find out which of your office equipment consumes the most energy.

For your convenience, certain models of Canon PIXMA printers are capable of displaying the number of paper sheets saved and level of CO2 reductions when printing in auto-duplex mode (printing on both sides of paper).

Recent studies have showed that approximately 1.26 million tonnes of waste paper is generated annually – making up 21% or the largest amount of total waste generated in the country.

In a bid to lower this number significantly, many companies have strengthened their information and communication systems and chosen a paperless workflow.

If going paperless is not a viable option for you, consider other alternatives such as using 100% recycled paper or switching to photocopiers and printers with duplex options such as the Canon LASER SHOT LBP6200d. Canon’s Easy-WebPrint EX software also helps you conserve paper by allowing you to resize web content to fit into a single page.

Whenever possible, dispose of your old office equipment by sending them for recycling and replacing them with newer, more energy-efficient models.

You can also consider choosing Canon for all your office printing needs as every Canon product is compliant with the International Energy Star Program and the European Union Restriction on Hazardous Substances (EU-RoHS) Directive. Furthermore, plastics from disposed Canon consumables such as ink and toner cartridges are often recycled into new ones.

For your environmental efforts to be effective, it needs to cascade down to your employees. Let them know they too have a part to play by informing them of the total amount and types of waste the company produces and how they are disposed of.

Also, don’t hesitate to consult recycling businesses or government agencies such as the ‘Waste Is Not Waste’ organisation for assistance in developing recycling programs.

After all, the key for any business going green is to maintain healthy sustainable practices that in the long run not only saves the environment, but also helps the company save money and resources.

For most small start-ups, the office budget is always the biggest constraint. Money, after all, is a resource that is affected by economic fluctuations. This makes essential purchasing decisions, such as office equipment, all the more important.

But when choosing equipment for a start-up, there is a tendency to go for affordability over functionality. While this may seem to be the cheaper option, it can actually cost more in the long run.

To help you avoid such a scenario, we’ll show you how to monitor your business overheads effectively and maximize your resources with Canon business printers.

Going through your inventory periodically is one way of keeping your resources organized. Include all the materials and equipment you have invested on in your list and start noting which objects need to be replaced, like broken chairs or printer ink cartridges, and objects that can be upgraded, such as computers and appliances.

You also need to evaluate the rate of consumption of office supplies, such as paper and ink or toners, to find out how much you spend replenishing them. Get printers that can help you save on consumables and time such as the Canon LASER SHOT series that starts printing in 7.8 seconds and at record speed of up to 18 pages per minute.

To ensure that you’re maximizing the potential of your employees, don’t burden them with simple clerical tasks. Re-evaluate your office workflow and automate repetitive tasks where possible. Canon’s all-in-one imageCLASS laser printers can print, scan, fax, and even send documents through email or a network. You will be amazed at just how much a multi-function printer can boost your company’s overall productivity.

Energy consumption usually makes up a large portion of a company’s monthly expenses. While this is unavoidable, choosing equipment that have energy-saving features can add up to big cost savings in the long run.

An energy-efficient office printer such as the Canon imageCLASS MF3010 is a good investment because of its On-Demand Fixing Technology. By transferring heat directly to the heating element, you get minimum warm-up time and high-speed printing capability. Its all-in-one toner cartridge design also minimizes the need for maintenance.

With improved information technology and communication devices, employees no longer need to be desk-bound to get their work done—all they need are mobile workstations with Internet access.

By introducing flexible work schemes that allow employees to work from home a few days a year, parents can spend more quality time with their children while the company also saves on energy usage. Coupled with portable A4 printers such as the Canon PIXMA iP100, your employees can be fully equipped to complete their tasks out of the office.

To encourages innovation in start-up companies, the government has made a roster of financing schemes available to interested entrepreneurs.

One of these is the Work-Life Works! Fund which gives minor infrastructure development grants to companies that can commit to providing flexible work schedules for their employees.

Another grant is the Productivity and Innovation Credit, a tax deduction scheme that offers qualified applicants up to 400% tax allowance for equipment upgrading. Many applicants make use of this grant to purchase Canon office products such as PIXMA all-in-one inkjet printers and imageCLASS all-in-one laser printers because of its wide selection at various price points.

Whether it’s for the home or office, investing in quality equipment like Canon printers will help your company save money and maximize your resources in the long run.

For most SMEs – and especially for start-ups – the budget is often limited so everything from office supplies to energy consumption must be accounted for. Similarly, when picking out a printer for your enterprise, you would want a machine that can offer you the best performance for your money. Choose a printer that is reliable and consistent in its printing quality; efficient with the use of ink, paper, and energy; and multi-functional in the sense that it can do more than just print documents.

Here are three fully-loaded printers from Canon that you can consider:

Print, fax and scan with effortless ease
Compatible with the latest operating systems, the Canon PIXMA MX7600 does almost everything. It prints laser-quality text and hi-resolution water-resistant photos using Pigment Reaction Technology (PgR) and processes full HD movie prints with the Fun Filter effect. This is perfect for printing small items such as HD movie or concert invitations, flyers, greeting cards, business cards, pocket or regular size photographs and postcards. It sends and receives fax at Super G3 transmission speeds of up to 250 pages and connect via Apple Airprint. Connectivity will never be an issue through a wired Ethernet or wireless network where customers can simply send for printing. The MX7600 also scans at 1200 x 2400 dpi of up to 10 images in one scan, and then saves each as individual files or copies four pages and condenses them into one printout, perfect for a photo scanning-printing business. Using the built-in 1.8-inch LCD screen, the MX7600 can index the photos from a memory card slot or PictBridge connection from your digital camera, which means you can partner with a “no-cameras allowed” event or exhibit and be able to print samples of products or artwork for sale instantly.

Professional results in an instant
Nothing gives a printout with a more polished, professional feel than a quality laser printer. The Canon LASER SHOT LBP7200Cdn prints crisp colour and definition even on regular paper. It has a proficient in-line mechanism and eco-friendly design for toner cartridge which gives it the shortest paper path in its series. It is one of the fastest printers at 20 pages per minute for both coloured and monochrome prints; the first page is printed in 15 seconds from the time you press print. You can connect this printer to an event photo booth, takes pictures and print out high resolution pictures to give out right away. Since this printer uses toner efficiently, it can be used to print out business-quality brochures, manuals, training materials, and company reports in coloured or black and white, aside from being able to produce flyers, small posters, business cards and labels.

To encourage entrepreneurship in Singapore, a portion of the country’s annual budget is allocated to help promote local businesses that show potential for entrepreneurial growth.

In fact, there are currently more than 100 financial programs available today with most of them structured towards promoting collaboration between businesses. Depending on the requirements, a grant may be given for existing businesses looking to upgrade their operations or companies seeking major financing for expansion. Here are a few notable programmes for start-ups and SMEs and how Canon technology may help you get the opportunity you seek.

This program gives financial support to 1st time entrepreneurs who need funding for their operations. With a detailed proposal, up to S$50,000 can be given to the business (or the equivalent of S$7 for every S$3 invested by the entrepreneur). For investments more than S$50,000, ACE is willing to match S$3 for every S$7 made by the entrepreneur, which can reach up to S$100,000 in total. Creating your operational proposal is easier with the equipment information you can find on our Canon websites and downloadable brochures.

Learn more about ACE here >

With the immediacy of the World Wide Web and the emergence of social media as a dominant marketing channel, the distance between brand and consumer is closer than ever. But as a result of this, there has been increasing competition between brands seeking to exploit niche markets and gain customer loyalty.

This is why it is important for businesses to do more than just the usual rounds of advertising and marketing. You must be able to reach out to consumers in a way that makes your business stand out in a sea of competitors.

In other words, you need to strengthen the consumer’s perception of your brand. Here are a few ways you can go about doing this:

Branding is not simply coming up with a name, creating a logo, and making a witty tagline to catch the attention of consumers. Effectiveness comes from linking the brand to the core business objectives.

An example would be Canon, a brand dedicated to kyosei and innovation. This can be seen in its technology, product development, and its devotion to lessening environmental impact in all its industrial processes; Canon’s slogan, “Working together for a better future” encompasses these goals.

Ideally, your brand should start with a good product or service. But with increasing competition, consumers are now confronted with so many choices among products that are seemingly alike. The challenge now is to create a personal experience for your brand.

In the past, Canon has always been known for its professional SLR cameras. By engaging its steady customer base in a dialogue, new needs were discovered that eventually led to the diversification of its camera product line which now covers compact cameras, personal and professional camcorders, network video solutions, and even binoculars.

Not all businesses have the budget for heavy-duty advertising, so many rely on cost-efficient niche marketing strategies to reach their target audience. SMEs can especially benefit from this type of direct marketing or word-of-mouth approach that usually stems from positive customer experience with your product or service.

Apart from its commitment to innovation and environmental efforts, Canon takes on a more direct relationship with its consumers through such partnerships with the Singapore Bowling Federation, the National Olympic Council, and participation in the Earth Hour campaign.

Effective branding can be built when your business has the consumer in mind. A consumer-focused experience will compel people to share your product with others. The relationship should not only be your brand and the consumer, but something that can be shared with others.

For instance, Canon has enriched the lives of Singaporeans by engaging in corporate social projects like the Canon Photography Exchange Program which uses Canon’s expertise in digital imaging for the betterment of people with special needs, raising funds for the Singapore Children’s Cancer Foundation, and the relief efforts to earthquake survivors in Padang, Indonesia.

By reaching out to people and tapping the lives of consumers, your business can become aware of other needs. This can in turn become opportunities for new products and services that can be shared to strengthen the brand experience.

Following this line of thought, Canon has diversified its product line from cameras and optics, to create other products like all-in-one printers for homes and businesses, portable photo printers, recyclable ink cartridges and toners, digital scanners, and projectors.

Each new product presents a new challenge towards strengthening the brand, and at the same time, they also present opportunities to touch more lives and create new positive experiences.

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]]> http://www.canon.com.sg/thinkbig/canon-business-printers-promotion/feed/ 0 http://www.canon.com.sg/thinkbig/2nd-young-entrepreneur-awards-%e2%80%93-meet-the-other-winners-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=2nd-young-entrepreneur-awards-%25e2%2580%2593-meet-the-other-winners-2 http://www.canon.com.sg/thinkbig/2nd-young-entrepreneur-awards-%e2%80%93-meet-the-other-winners-2/#comments Thu, 29 Mar 2012 03:43:14 +0000 admin http://www.canon.com.sg/thinkbig/?p=3121

What do aspiring entrepreneurs Bryan Lee and Darrell Zhang, Joshua Chao and Zhang Weiliang, and Keith Tan all have in common? They’re one step closer to achieving their dreams having been one of the winners in this year’s Young Entrepreneur Awards (YEA) competition. Read on to find out more about their award-winning ideas and the unforgettable experience they had taking part in the YEA.

1st Runner-Up
Bryan Lee & Darrel Zhang

Bryan and Darrell’s business idea tackles a real world problem that is all too familiar to homeowners or business owners ・the need to minimise energy costs. Called Intraix, their low-cost energy management system provides an alternative to current energy solutions that may prove too costly and impractical to implement.

By taking their idea to the YEA, the team obtained useful advice and validation from renowned entrepreneurs such as Ms. Elim Chew (President and Founder, 77th Street), Dr. Low Lee Yong (CEO and Founder, MHC Asia Group), Ms. Goh Yiping (Co-Founder, AllDealsAsia.com) and Mr. Michel Birnbaum (Partner, iGlobe Partners) who made up the panel of judges for the contest.

Sharing with us their experience, Darrell said, “It was a great taking part in the YEA; the panel was firm and very engaging. In fact, they provided good feedback and helped refine our business and revenue model for the company.”

The $3,000 prize money and $6,000 in Canon business products are sure to come in handy for the team as well.

“The prize money will be channelled into the development of the Intraix solution and the sponsored products will help in the operations of the company. At the same time, the win also raised the profile of Intraix, which is beneficial for the company at this early stage,” Darrell commented.

2nd Runner-Up
Joshua Chao & Zhang Weiliang

Like their fellow YEA peers, Joshua and Weiliang also found the opportunity to share their business idea with the panel of judges to be extremely useful. Utilising UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) as a land mapping solution, their proposal earned the duo $2,000 in cash and $4,000 in Canon business products.

Commenting on what they felt was invaluable about their YEA experience, they said, “The judges feedback allowed us to tap into their experience and listen to their criticism. They also highlighted points to look out for which we thought were very helpful.”

Following the recommendation of a friend to participate in the YEA, Joshua and Weiliang also learnt about Canon’s ‘Think Big, Think Canon’ campaign and were impressed by how it encouraged ‘big-picture thinking’ and featured an informative website packed with interviews and articles that provide insights of today’s top entrepreneurs.

Special Mention
Keith Tan

While most participants submitted business plans for profit, Keith Tan stood out from the rest with his idea to improve volunteerism. Called ‘Start Now’, the website connects volunteers to a wide array of volunteering opportunities, and offers tools to both volunteers and non-profit organisations to coordinate, track and schedule volunteer activities.

This makes it simpler than ever for those interested to become volunteers, while helping non-profits lower their operation costs and increase awareness.

When asked how the YEA helped his business, Keith’s enthusiastic reply said it all. “We’ve made some good contacts with the judges and also with other entrepreneurs. Networking is always a great part of starting any business and these contacts may create business leads for us in the future.”

The positive impact the YEA has made reaffirms Canon’s role as an integral part of empowering both existing and aspiring entrepreneurs. Canon would like to thank all participants and judges for making this year’s YEA a resounding success.

The lives of five budding entrepreneurs were forever changed on 24 Feb 2012 when they became winners of the 2nd Young Entrepreneur Awards (YEA) held at the Marriot Hotel.

Jointly organised by Canon and MediaCorp, the YEA is designed to help aspiring entrepreneurs between the ages of 18 to 40 turn their start-up idea into a real business with cash and technological solutions courtesy of Canon, MediaCorp, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), and SPRING Singapore.

Gracing the awards ceremony was Guest-of-Honour Teo Ser Luck (Minister of State, Ministry of Trade and Industry), who was on-hand to present the prizes to the top winners.

This year’s grand winner, 25-year-old Mr. Beh Weng Wei, won top honours for his online picture frame store business proposition called Frambie. The premise of Frambie is simple: customers can upload the photos they want to be printed and choose personalized frames through the Frambie website. When they have finalized their choice, their photos will be printed, framed, and delivered directly to their doorstep. By making innovative use of the Internet instead of setting up a traditional photo printing studio, Mr. Beh is able to keep costs low and provide his customers with a unique solution.

For his winning idea, Mr. Beh was awarded $17,000 worth of prizes, including $10,000 worth of Canon business products sponsored by Canon, $5,000 in cash prizes sponsored by MediaCorp and $1,000 in cash prizes from NTU and SPRING.

Coming in first runner-up position was 30-year-old Mr. Bryan Lee and co-founder Mr. Darrell Zhang for their project entitled Intraix, an ingenious low-cost home energy management system that helps reduce energy bills. They were presented with $6,000 worth of Canon business products and $3,000 in cash prizes.

The team of Mr. Zhang Weiling and Mr. Joshua Chua, both 25-year-olds, earned second runner-up position and $6,000 cash prize for their idea to develop miniature UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) for non-military purposes such as land date record management.

A Special Mention was also awarded to 23-year-old Keith Tan, founder of the social enterprise ‘Start Now’, a volunteer community platform. For his efforts, Mr. Tan won a Canon PIXMA MP287 printer.

Participants also got the chance to field their questions to the YEA judging panel during the interaction session, and walked away with invaluable advice from the veteran entrepreneurs.

Elaborating on Canon’s role in advancing businesses, Andrew Koh, Senior Director and General Manager of Consumer Imaging and Information Products Group, Canon Singapore said, “The YEA is just one of the programmes in Canon’s ‘Think Big, Think Canon’ campaign launched in 2010 to empower entrepreneurs to attain a world-class level of business excellence.”

With Canon’s dedication to empowering businesses with cutting-edge innovations and solutions, existing and budding entrepreneurs can rest assured knowing that they have a partner they can rely on.



Photos from Think Big 2nd Young Entrepreneur Awards