Again, this is easiest when you have an outside consulting firm helping you. Perhaps you need assistance with creating a winning strategy or designing beautiful marketing collateral. While in-house marketing can be effective, even the largest brands in the world tend to outsource a lot of their marketing. It just makes sense.

No matter what business you are in, you likely need help with marketing. So, make sure every business needs some support services to help it operate. If you are thinking about starting a new company, especially if it will have a physical office, you will need a few service providers to help you out. The following six services are must-haves for businesses from the largest corporate to the smallest startup.

1) Legal Services

Everyone wants to avoid needing lawyers, but they are necessary in the business world. Perhaps you need to figure out the right language for a contract or want to negotiate your lease. Whatever your legal need, it is good to have the right provider on retainer. Even if you can’t afford a retainer, it can be helpful to have a relationship with a lawyer.

One of the mistakes that a lot of entrepreneurs make is thinking that a template is as good as a reviewed contract. However, you don’t know what you don’t know. Hire a lawyer and protect yourself.

2) Accountant

Accounting is the language of business. With well-kept books, you will have an easier time making financial decisions, raising money and running your business. Hiring an accountant (either as an outside service or member of your team) can help considerably.

A professional accountant can help you to find new ways to save money. Additionally, good accounting will help when it comes time to pay taxes. You can reduce your tax burden substantially with a little accounting magic.

3) Cleaning Services

The advantages of owning an environmentally friendly business are undeniable. The energy and cost savings alone are enough for most business owners. That isn't all, though. Eco-friendly businesses often qualify for grants, tax deductions, and other government rewards. Furthermore, an increasing number of consumers are only interested in purchasing products and services from green businesses, which means going green could increase your profits. Use these tips to help you make the switch. 

1. Use Energy-Efficient Lighting

Inefficient lighting is one of the biggest ways that companies waste energy, not to mention money. If your building has plenty of windows, organize your office to take advantage of as much natural light as possible during the day. Place workstations close to windows and add mirrors or other reflective decor to maximize the amount of natural light. When you do need to use inside lighting, make it as efficient as possible. Switch your traditional bulbs to LED lights, which are almost 80% more efficient. Save even more energy by connecting your lights to smart technology and setting a timer that turns them off when they aren't being used or after business hours.

2. Partner With Other Green Businesses

If you truly want your business to go green, you must partner with other green businesses. Do your vendors use green practices to produce the inventory you use? Are your web design services performed by a company using green hosting? Ask potential vendors about their sustainability efforts and green energy practices before signing a contract with them. This is especially true for vendors that typically use chemicals, such as cleaners. When seeking commercial cleaning services in Phoenix, AZ, ask how they intend to maintain your building's cleanliness while steering free of harsh chemicals or other environmental contaminants.

3. Switch to Post-Consumer Waste

Skip paper as much as you can, but if you do need to use it, ensure it's eco-friendly. Unfortunately, that doesn't mean to look for the recycling symbol, as it's unregulated and misleading. Instead, look for paper products and packaging made entirely of post-consumer waste (typically other paper products). Aim for 100%, and if that isn't available, choose the highest percentage you can find. Remember to complete the cycle by recycling your own paper waste to turn it back into PCW products.

4. Work Toward LEED Certification

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program offers certification for businesses that meet a set of various criteria that proves they are dedicated to high standards for ensuring an environmentally friendly operation. LEED provides the criteria for you. You decide which elements you can achieve, work to do so, and alert the program to the changes you've made. Earning LEED certification isn't an all-or-nothing endeavor. Eligibility ranges from owning a company in just the right location to showing your construction materials were made of recycled content, and so on. You earn points for each part of the criteria that you meet. Even if you can't achieve them all for full certification, the points provide a positive light for your company.

5. Make Use of Your Landscaping

Operating a truly environmentally friendly business requires you to think outside the four walls of your building, too. The type of landscaping your property has may factor into how green your business really is. When choosing your landscaping designs, look for sustainable plants that require less water than traditional grasses do. Consider what you're doing with the space on your roof as well. Turning your roof into a green space provides several benefits. If you add a couple of benches, it's a great place to employees to take a break. When you use your green roof to collect rainwater, you further its sustainability. Finally, a roof full of gorgeous plants keeps the sun from becoming too hot on the building material and reduces the heat that enters your building during the summer, further reducing your energy costs.

Going green isn't something you can do overnight and trying to is likely to cause burnout. If you want to do what's best for your business and the environment, choose one item from this list at a time to work toward. A slow and steady pace ensures you implement everything correctly and truly have a more sustainable business.