Throughout storage, the battery charge will drain, and if it ever gets completely empty, it might never be able to be recharged. Keep this in mind especially for media players and other gadgets; I've dug several out of storage with irreparable batteries, since they lost all charge in a closet.

Expect to replace your batteries about every two years. You can't improve life by conditioning the battery—fully charging and discharging—however, you might be able to reset the charging circuits.

Sometimes through general use, those circuits lose track of a charge and cheat you out of the full battery's abilities. Try a full recharge, full discharge until the laptop turns off, and full recharge again consecutively. This might regain some of the battery's storage.

Follow these tips to make your batteries last as long as possible. And wait until you need a replacement before buying a new one, since stored, old batteries don't work as well, even if never-before-used.

Make energy-efficient replacementsI doubt your business uses any PCs or laptops that lack Energy Star certification, but if so, replace those whenever possible. You'll see a modest savings in your power bill.