emotionally and physically. Small business owners (SBOs) have a lot on their plates. They often wear the jaunty hats of owner, operator, manager, employee, assistant, janitor, bookkeeper, and that’s just the beginning. With those responsibilities weighing heavily and the economy dragging along slowly, the pressure must feel overwhelming at times.

Many things are on the ‘Stress List’ for SBOs– everything from the cost of health insurance to taxes to finding qualified and trustworthy employees to overhead costs, and so on. I would imagine that having one less thing to think/worry/stress about would be a welcome respite for SBOs (as well as, uh, the rest of the world) and one way to achieve that precious respite could be through the implementation of an energy efficiency plan.

Why’s that, you ask?

Well, according to Business News Daily, rising energy costs were listed as one of the biggest challenges for small businesses, along with rising fuel and raw material costs. Implementing a proven energy efficiency plan (that results in saving money on the electricity bill every month) would certainly qualify as a little bit of respite. Especially considering all the ‘good’ news we read about every day. Am I right?

Here’s a good example for you. The ABC 7 news team in Sarasota, Florida, recently ran a story about a small business and how it managed to significantly cut its electricity costs. Bob Richards is the owner of Crusty’s Pizza and, presumably due to the rising energy rates in Sarasota, he decided to install Smartcool’s ECO3 in his two walk-in coolers and the restaurant’s air conditioning unit. His decision to implement an energy efficiency plan resulted in impressive financial savings and those savings will have paid off his initial investment in the ECO3s in about one year. From that moment on, the savings he’s achieving on his electricity bill will go right into his pocket.

But, how much did he save, you ask? On his walk in coolers alone, he achieved savings of 30%! He seems pretty pleased with the energy efficiency plan he implemented – you can see him interviewed right here.

Everyone loves a happy ending and small business owners certainly deserve one! And also, way to go, Florida! We’ve previously noted that Florida’s energy use per capital is one of the highest in the USA. Bob Richard’s energy efficiency plan is a great example of how Floridians are taking steps to become more energy efficient! Keep it up! You get a high-five right after my mom!