Business Sustainability

The ability to capitalize on opportunity or mitigate business risk often depends on the availability and access to quality information.  Being able to sift through what is important and what is not can be a determining factor in transforming a good decision into business turning point.  Today’s market intelligence has expanded to include business sustainability expectations, trends and requirements.  Are you listening?

With the speed of business sustainability information rapidly increasing and global eco awareness constantly expanding, it has become increasingly important for companies to leverage available technology to capture and access information.  The questions we often pose in our sustainability consulting: where is this information coming from and is the feedback specific enough for your business to take action.

The internet and social media provide  individuals, communities, businesses, and non-government organizations the ability to connect with business in meaningful discussion from anywhere in the world in real time.  To focus the corporate ear, business sustainability minded organizations are engaging with stakeholders, who have a vested interest in the success of the business, as source of actionable information.  These interested parties include:
 
•    Shareholders – knowledge that may affect company share price.
•    Partners – data that may impact investment dollars.
•    Employees – daily feedback on internal operations.
•    Customers – direct feedback on product quality and shifting market expectations
•    Suppliers/Contractors – input on new material sources and process improvements.
•    Local Communities – continuous feedback on business impact on society
•    Natural Environment – feedback from NGOs on business impact to physical surroundings.
•    Non-human species – feedback from NGOs on business impact on life.

Done effectively, stakeholder engagement can positively impact the outcome of business sustainability decision making.  Our professional consulting encourages business to leverage technology to engage vested parties in the discussion to propel the organization to greater success.

In a recent article by the Wall Street Journal, a summary of sustainable business best practices was issued offering suggestions for sustainable business strategies.   As a sustainability consultant, I couldn't agree more with the information provided; however, I was left questioning how do the busy, overworked, under resourced business owner, executive translate a conceptual best practice into a tangible business strategy that delivers results to the bottom line?  It's not as is sustainability implementation is mainstream.  In fact, most are still struggling with what sustainability is and how it applies to their business. 
 
Regarding reducing carbon emissions, the suggested best practice was to look for things  that boost productivity and simultaneously reduce carbon emissions.  Conceptually, that's easy to grasp but how does that translate to daily behavior that is measurable, impacts the bottom line, and meets the environmental criteria?  To bridge the gap from concept to eco action, following are 5 sustainable business strategies that address that recommended best practice.
 
Interestingly, did you know that if 10% of the nation's workforce telecommutes one day a week, we would avoid the frustration of driving 24.4 million miles, we'd breathe air with 12,963 tons less air pollution, and we'd conserve more than 1.2 million gallons of fuel each week?
 
3.  Co-working provides a gathering spot for individual entrepreneurs or employees from multiple companies sharing a common work space.  Basically, a bridged solution between traditional office locations and telecommuting, that also offers a unique option for those concerned about their employment carbon footprints.
 
4.  Bike commuting programs: As explained in our eco friendly consulting the benefits to employers in adopting a bike commuting program include:

• Increase worker productivity: Fit employees are more alert, more productive, perform better and more efficiently.
• Improve employee health.
• Lower health care costs: healthier employees can reduce health insurance costs.
• Reduced carbon emissions.
• Reduce turnover: Employers who appreciate workers' personal needs have less employee turnover.

There are benefits to the bike commuters as well.  Not only are employees expanding eco awareness in the community and within the business, they are also elevating their moods, saving money, and improving well being. 
 
5.  CRM and online invoice and billing  applications for small businesses that boost productivity as well as reduce carbon emissions.

According to a study conducted by the American Marketing Association and Fleishman-Hillard, Inc., nearly one in six corporate marketers and communicators think their organizations will increase involvement in environmental sustainability initiatives over the next two to three years, and half believe the economy will actually encourage the adoption of sustainable practices.  Why? Because our business sustainability consulting practice understands that sustainable business strategies are key to creating winning workplaces. 
 
Aside from the positive impact sustainable business practices deliver to the bottom line, today’s employees are looking for more than just the ‘green’ in their paycheck.  “Engaged employees are not just committed. They are not just passionate or proud. They have a line-of-sight on their own future and on the organization’s mission and goals. They are enthused and in gear using their talents and discretionary effort to make a difference in their employer’s quest for sustainable business success”.  - Employee Engagement Report 2008.  

Global economic uncertainty has reduced employee counts in companies around the world, leaving organizations in many cases resource limited.  However, recent signs of recovery have companies reevaluating their talent strength for a more positive future.  Our sustainability consulting finds the ‘recovery’ generation of highly effective organizations is creating a business sustainability culture to motivate and retain top eco-talent. 

‘Eco’ or ‘green’ talent management is becoming increasingly necessary for many industries and is gradually becoming a general business sustainability best practice.  As consumers seek out companies that can deliver new and innovative products, top talent is necessary to meet changing expectations.  Our sustainability consulting works with businesses to view eco talent as a driver of innovation and a true business differentiator.

Through continuous communication and employee engagement, companies are creating an internal resource driver for the company’s business sustainability plan.  Building and motivating the organization becomes critical to recruiting and retaining top eco talent.


•    What is the ‘green’ generation seeking from employers?

•    How do we train talent professionals to identify and attract top ‘eco’ talent?

•    How do we tap into the growing enthusiasm for sustainability in business?

•    How do we challenge the organization to engage in business sustainability programs?

•    What new managerial skills do the next generation of managers need to get the most from their employees?

•    How do we conduct effective retention and succession planning to ensure a diverse sustainable leadership pipeline for the future?

Employee development is critical to raising eco awareness of the organization and enabling these business stakeholders to identify and implement sustainability concepts that add value.  By tapping into what is inspiring to each member of your team and acknowledging  their contributions, your company can surpass the organization of the past.

The exploration of sustainability concepts, particularly in business, has traditionally been a reaction to an undesirable outcome rather than a pursuit of value.   Few organizations truly advance the sustainability conversation to unlock future business opportunities.  However, positive signs in the market may offer a new sustainability perspective.

As the business world begins to emerge from economic uncertainty, our sustainability consulting finds many organizations eager to explore a more positive future.  In general, we find companies have a more optimistic outlook and are interested in capitalizing on the lessons learned over the past few years.  To our delight, this has shifted the sustainability conversation from a corporate side note to a strategic value discussion.

The value of business sustainability has traditionally been demonstrated when sustainability concepts are directly applied to specific areas of concern in current business processes and practices.  The ability to transcend lagging business sustainability measures to a pursued future value can often differentiate an innovative organization from the rest of the pack.

While the pursuit of business sustainability value is often specific to an organization’s unique business goals, there are areas of common interest among most businesses.  It is this engagement of future business value that our sustainability consulting focuses much of its attention and resources to: 
 
•    Define new markets, products and service offerings to expand business.

•    Create company and brand differentiation to drive current and future sales.

•    Improve stakeholder engagement to align business sustainability goals and drive profitability.

The sustainable businesses emerging from the economic uncertainty are companies that will anticipate and take proactive steps to address change in the business world.  Our sustainability consulting encourages clients to create a competitive advantage by building sustainability concepts and continuous improvement directly into the organizations core business processes. 

Have you noticed how "green" is everywhere?  Enter a grocery store, and there are "green" products next to traditional ones.  Billboards on the highways promoting “green" homes.  How do you know which products truly embrace sustainability concepts versus traditional products with a marketing makeover?
 
Frequently discussed in our sustainability consulting is that it is often unclear what a green product is.  Eco labels help but still, there is a lack of uniformity in certifications.  In addition, the environmental claims on packaging vary in credibility.  To help clear up the confusion, within our eco friendly training, we define a green product as one that performs as good as or better than the standard product, has less of an environmental impact, and is cost competitive.
 
Access to information has put the consumer in the driver’s seat and for those living a sustainable lifestyle, there's power in leveraging purchases to support sustainable businesses.  Following are 8 tips to enhance eco awareness for the conscious shopper.  
 
 

1. A comprehensive tool that provides reliable sources of information on the health, environmental, and social impacts of products is the GoodGuide.
2. Research before you buy.  For larger more infrequent items, set aside time to research your options.  Evaluate products on the full lifecycle.  How much energy was used in producing the product?   What is the energy consumption of your intended use?  How it will be discarded later? Compare products with eco awareness in mind.
3. Buy local and buy in bulk.  Supporting local businesses eliminates the need for products to be transported far distances.
4. Buy organic.  Purchasing merchandise certified with organic labeling is another way to bring eco awareness to your lifestyle.   Buying organic means less pesticides in our ground water and better health for your family.
5. Buy Fair Trade.  Buying Fair Trade helps to end abuses such as child and slave labor.
6. Buy products from sustainable sources like bamboo.  Purchase products not tested on animals, made from renewable sources and packaged with recyclable and minimal packaging.
7. Electronic purchases: Consider buying "Pre-Owned" goods.  Purchasing previously owned products is a great way to implement the sustainability concept of recycling.  Ebay and Craig’s list are two good sources.  Also ask your electronics store about recycling options for older models.
8. Speak up!  Manufacturers are listening! Use social media to connect with business to communicate your preferences and experiences.  Consumers are the biggest drivers of sustainability changes.

 
With a little education and pre-planning, it's easy to maintain eco awareness in your shopping- even during the most inconvenient times.  Sustainable purchasing  is important because it can help you make better choices.  Those choices expand eco awareness within your network of friends and family, positively impact your local economy, reduce your footprint on the environment, and may actually help you save money in the process.

Most companies may recognize the high-level consequences of their decisions; however, not all take the time to evaluate the positive and negative impacts of their choices on the communities in which they conduct their day-to-day business.  The link between business sustainability and a thriving business community is more visible today than at any time in recent past.  What role does your company play in the business community?

As a sustainability consulting firm working in our own community of ecopreneurs, small ‘green’ businesses, and action-oriented corporations, we are constantly reminded of the community benefits to both our professional consulting and the stakeholders who engage with our business.  We recognize that a company and the business community in which it operates are closely and strategically linked.

Taiga Company seeks to be a source of business sustainability information and a positive example of community values.  Our professional consulting focuses on and seeks to partner with individuals and organizations who:

•    Recognize a thriving community as being essential to business sustainability.

•    Incorporate supporting business sustainability strategies and a governance structures into their core business processes.

•    Align business actions to support and engage community goals and objectives.

•    Engage the business community as a key stakeholder in corporate planning.

•    Defined internal performance metrics to evaluate ongoing business actions on the community.

As part of our sustainability plan and company core values, we are committed to the empowerment of others.  We believe that we must operate in a matrix of value adding relationships: with employees, with the supporting organizations, and with peer companies. 

Whenever you want to improve in a specific area or program, just the process of increasing awareness will yield improvements.  The same applies to living a sustainable lifestyle.  Most of us recognize that change can be tricky:  habits and convenience make it far easier to slip back into the comfortable way of doing things.  However, implementing effective sustainable change does not have to be a laboring process.  The key is conscious awareness.
 
Awareness is the tool used to help discover the personal patterns of behavior that offer low hanging fruit for a sustainable lifestyle.  For instance, are you aware of your habits related to energy?  Consider how and when you consume the most energy in your day?  How could you be more efficient? What inspiring eco actions could you take? 
 
Conscious awareness is key to sparking the eco awareness in a personal sustainability program.  As noted in our eco friendly training, following are aids to assist in raising awareness:
 
•    Consciously notice what is most inspiring to you about living green and take eco action in those areas.
•    Notice your current patterns and invoke curiosity as to which eco actions would be a sustainable substitute.
•    Applaud your efforts: small changes add up.  In fact, daily habits have the most impact.
•    Observe how new changes become the new habit/ norm.
•    Momentum brings visibility to previously inaccessible ideas and behaviors.
•    Gain speed: There is ease in taking more eco action.
•    Inspire by living the example.
 
Each day we are presented with opportunities to expand our eco awareness and make informed choices.  The trick to capitalizing on those opportunities is being aware.  Conscious awareness offers us the opportunity to make changes that are inspiring and manageable relative our current life and the process of incorporating sustainability becomes much easier.  Being aware of sustainability concepts when shopping, or at work and play, contributes to living a more sustainable lifestyle.

They say blonds have more fun, but as a green living consultant, I'd have to argue, greenies do!  Greenies?  What's a greenie?  Greenies are those living a sustainable lifestyle or living green.  As described in our sustainability consulting practice, living green or sustainable living is a primary focus on eco awareness with actions towards reducing ones carbon footprint, managing waste, and embracing sustainability concepts in decision making.  You may ask: So what's fun about living a sustainable lifestyle?
 
Well, for one, greenies excel at eco math; greenies demonstrate exemplary qualities of kindness, generosity and willingness; and, they have a discerning eye for saving green.    The fun is the approach to life.  It's an innovative lifestyle: one that dictates awareness for new and efficient ways of doing things.  It's discovery of eco awareness in its many facets.  It's sharing.  It's connecting.  That is fun!
 
If you think about it, everything we do every day has an impact on our planet.  As a green living consultant, I know not everyone was raised with eco awareness, so why do it?  Speaking from experience in our sustainability consulting, some of the general answers received include:
 

• Families go green for their children
• It saves money
• Living with eco awareness protects the planet for future generations
• Because it's the right thing to do
• Participation in neighborhood or community eco awareness
• It feels good
• Living a sustainable lifestyle is healthier-investing in your body is less toxins and less illness
• It's an opportunity to reconnect with local community
• It's easy to go green now: more options and alternatives available

 
You don't have to be a fanatic to live green.  In fact, if you think about your life now, there are probably many eco actions that you are already taking.  A sustainable lifestyle is not an all or nothing approach.  Creating your own sustainable lifestyle is where the fun is.  Uniquely expressing yourself through sustainability concepts applied in your life, the way you like it and making a difference- is fun. 

In speaking with prominent business leaders, we have come to realize there are a wide variety of opinions on the topic of sustainability.  Some view business sustainability as re-purposed business jargon, while others stress sustainable development to be the most pressing issue facing their organization. 

The willingness to ask and address some basic questions often differentiates business views and set varying business sustainability efforts apart.  Leading companies are adopting more comprehensive definitions of “sustainability” and implementing business sustainability strategies that run consistently through their core functions.  These organizations are chasing business sustainability value:

•    Corporate commitment to sustainability to minimize business risk.

•    Corporate commitment to sustainability to protect and differentiate business reputation.

•    Corporate commitment to sustainability to increase sales and ensure market position.

•    Corporate commitment to sustainability to ensure viable operations.

•    Corporate commitment to sustainability to ensure sustainable supply.

At a minimum, companies are now leveraging sustainability concepts to address their business exposure. The ability to manage and mitigate business risk often depends on the availability and access exposure.  Being able to sift through what is important and what is not can be a determining factor in transforming a good decision into business turning point.

These sustainable business strategies enable executives to focus on more than just cost and risk management.  They provide visibility to leaders that their response to environmental and social pressures for sustainable business practices can ultimately affect company profitability.  When you think of it, the title is really not that important.  It's whether or not business sustainability is occurring is what is important.

The economically driven actions over the past two years may have temporarily shifted the direction of business; however, the prospect of financial recovery is creating a new platform  for business sustainability.  The corporate actions of the first quarter strongly indicate business sustainability is a 2010 focus.  So the question becomes: Have you missed the boat?

An evolving landscape of business is placing business sustainability as pinnacle in executive boardroom conversations for future success.  By shifting the traditional view of business sustainability as a cost to a true value opportunity, companies are jumping on board to capture untapped benefits. 

Outlined in a recent Harvard Business Review report, “The key to progress, particularly in times of economic crisis, is innovation.  By treating sustainability as a goal today, early movers will develop competencies that rivals will be hard-pressed to match.”  The companies that are a step-ahead are transforming this knowledge into action.

With many still on the fence, there is still early-mover advantage in taking proactive steps to create a business case for sustainability in your organization.  Our sustainability consulting experience has shown there to be an exponentially increasing number of benefits to sustainability.  So, come on-board today!  This party is just getting started!

Choosing a business name is one of the most important aspects in starting a business. The name you choose represents the image and label of the business and carries a powerful energy.  In as much as biomimicry is used to inspire sustainable solutions by emulating nature, in a similar fashion, Taiga Company too found its essence inspired from the environment.
 
Taiga, pronounced, tahy-guh is a biome that stretches across a large portion of Canada, Europe, and Asia.  The taiga is truly vast in extent. It makes up 27 percent of the world's total forest and occupies 11 percent of the land area of the Northern Hemisphere.  The taiga's immense oxygen production literally changes the atmosphere and refreshes the plant. 
 
It is this inspiration that Taiga Company was founded and named.  The continuous renewal that the taiga offers our planet has shaped our company vision to drive similar change in the business world.   Collectively, we are entering an age of broadening eco awareness and changing societal expectations: our personal and professional views of the world and of business are changing.  As sustainability consultants partnering with small business to integrate eco awareness, sustainability concepts, and sustainability plans, we seek to transform traditional business processes, to explore, discover, and embrace new sustainable ideas, technologies, and best practices.
 
Business sustainability isn't about sacrificing profitability or becoming an environmental business.  Sustainable business strategies span a multitude of topics: stewardship of resources; best practices; reputation, brand management and customer service; leveraging technology and enable a business to meet goals of growth and revenue generation while simultaneously contributing innovative thought leadership to some of the world’s most complex and pressing concerns.
 
Taiga Company was founded to address the growing need for individuals and organizations to incorporate sustainability concepts into their everyday world.  Through demonstrated eco action and an inquisitive, sustainable mindset, the sustainability consultants of Taiga Company seek to be the "oxygen for your business."

It is estimated that the average person makes between five hundred and a thousand decisions each day.  Multiply that out by weeks and years and we are talking about hundreds of thousands of choices.  Some choices are small, like whether to keep reading this post (please do!), yet other decisions can have significant influence on your life and business.

Our eco living consulting work focuses on the daily choices we, as individuals, make that can have significant impact on our social surrounding, the environment in which we live, and on our personal life experience.  Some may be major sustainable lifestyle decisions while others may be as simple as:

•    Do you want paper or plastic?
•    Do you want organic or conventional?
•    Do you want a paper or an electronic copy?
•    Do you want to share a ride or take your own car?

We view each decision point as an opportunity to integrate eco awareness into some of these decision outcomes.  While the result of every choice we make does not have to be directly aligned with sustainable values, the inclusion of sustainability concepts in the thought process can greatly improve the evaluation.

The factors that lead to the choice of one path versus another are usually based upon personal value drivers at a given point in time.  By incorporating sustainability as criteria in decision process and recognizing that the pursuit of personal or business sustainability is not a single decision, presents an opportunity to make alternative choices.

Integrating sustainability into business or your daily living is more than just a one-time single yes or no decision.  The pursuit of personal and business sustainability is a mindset change that incorporates expanded eco awareness into all decision making.  Make sustainability a part of your daily thought processes and see how it can add value to your life.

How do you connect with nature?   Does it matter?  Actually it does.  According to Richard Ryan, professor of psychology at the University of Rochester, paying attention to the natural world not only makes you feel better, it makes you behave better. 
 
As a green living consultant, it's interesting to note that while the salubrious effects of nature are well documented, from increasing happiness and physical health to lowering stress, this study shows that the benefits extend to a person's values and actions.  Exposure to natural as opposed to man-made environments leads people to value community and close relationships. 
 
For those living a sustainable lifestyle, the message is meaningful.   Lead author Netta Weinstein says the take home message from the research is clear: "We are influenced by our environment in ways that we are not aware of," she says. Because of the hidden benefits of connecting with nature, people should take advantage of opportunities to get away from built environments and, when inside, they should surround themselves with plants, natural objects, and images of the natural world. "The more you appreciate nature, the more you can benefit," she says.
 
The question I ask as a sustainable living consultant is: How do you connect with nature? What do you appreciate about it?  Eco awareness is an attitude; while it's easiest to appreciate our natural environment in scenic settings, even city dwellers can appreciate the natural world.  Perhaps it's the cardinal that chirps outside your window or the wind that caresses your face as you bike commute.  Or, maybe it’s the budding leaves on the trees as spring approaches. 
 
Connect with nature, invite eco awareness to your thoughts and enjoy feeling better and connecting with all that is. 

If you knew you were paying too much for something and could get the same thing right down the street for the same price, what would you do?  The answer is that most people, when given access to information, will make the best personal choice.  Now if told to buy it down the street, or else, would the same motivation be present?

Too often discussions around sustainability focus on pressing issues, risks, and negative outcomes as the primary drivers for change.  According to Peter Senge, Senior Lecturer in Behavioral and Policy Sciences at the MIT Sloan School of Management, fear-driven behavior change only motivates for as long as people feel the issues are pressing on them. As soon as the fear recedes, so does the motivation.

So rather than focus on consequence from a predetermined choice, why not focus on expanding eco awareness  through accessibility to information.  Our professional consulting resources finds this practice currently working with individuals and business seeking sustainable change.

In just one example, utility companies across the United States are beginning to install smart meters which will provide greater visibility into home and office energy consumption.  These devices provide our energy conscious clients with real-time information on electricity usage and cost. 

Armed with insight, consumers are able to make eco living and business sustainability choices to consume less.  Applied broadly, visibility to the right information can provide businesses and individuals the opportunity to make more informed, personally-driven, and sustainable choices. 

Experience has shown that it is sometimes easier to focus on the negative outcome of not pursuing sustainability.  By directing attention to the other side of the equation, the pursuit of business sustainability or a sustainable lifestyle is in direct alignment with positive gain.  Our sustainability consulting encourages others to focus thoughts and actions on the value of sustainability and watch how effectively it impacts our world.

Evidence has shown that stakeholder engagement is critical to a company’s ability to capitalize on its eco awareness, product stewardship, reputation, and overall business sustainability.  But how are stakeholder informed of business sustainability milestones? 
 
The rise of social media has led companies to form new relationships with their stakeholders, including investors and customers, but also employees, suppliers, NGOs and others. Stakeholders are increasingly looking for authentic, transparent, two-way communication with organizations. 
 
Two questions surface:  "How does a business authentically and effectively communicate their sustainable business strategies to stakeholders?"  And "What corporate sustainability efforts should be shared?
 
Echoed throughout our professional consulting is a communication framework for companies to better communicate  their environmental message which includes:

•    Impact: Make sure it’s real
•    Alignment: Build Support Internally and Externally
•    Communication: Communicate it accurately
 
As far as which milestones to communicate?  There are the most obvious which include meeting and exceeding sustainability targets and recognizing/ rewarding the creation of specific value from sustainability efforts. What is most appealing?  Telling your story of how your business embraced sustainability concepts in your business and the results that you achieved.  Sustainability principals are universal, but how your business applies them to your circumstances and goals yields a different result and inquiring stakeholders are listening.     

Work over the past few years reveals that supply chain improvements are driven by a wide variety of business sustainability goals and objectives.  Although, businesses across all industries have one thing in common, the search for greater supply chain value.  However, the question that looms on our minds as sustainability concepts find their place in the supply chain: Are suppliers engaged in the value discussion or is this a one-way conversation?

Wal-Mart made the business sustainability headlines again this week with an announced goal to reduce their supply chain greenhouse gas emissions by a 20-million-tons by 2015.  The retail giant continues to set the mark for corporate commitment and supplier performance from which we can all leverage.  As a sustainability consultant, I am encouraged by Wal-Mart’s step forward and take note of opportunities for further expansion.

Procurement organizations view environmental and social responsibility actions within the supply chain as both a risk mitigating strategy and a business opportunity.   Companies are creating strategic sourcing and procurement guidelines aligned with their business sustainability strategies.  The next step, even beyond the Wal-Mart model, is expanding a one-way conversation to include active engagement with all key stakeholders.

•    Supply Chain Alignment: All business partners have input into the business sustainability direction and have equal value opportunity.

•    Supplier Integration: Integrated processes with supplier to improve communication, increase efficiency, and ensure common sustainable processes.

•    Customer Expectation Translation: Sustainable product expectations clearly communicated down the supply chain to material and service providers.

Creating supply chain management alignment begins with increased eco awareness, applied sustainability concepts, and corporate commitment.  However, increased value can be realized by active engagement and two-way communication with key business stakeholders.  Our sustainability consulting provides information and business resources to clients of all sizes seeking to make incremental steps towards a sustainable supply chain.

Do you know why the recycling symbol has three chasing arrows? Each arrow represents one step in the three step process that completes the recycling loop.  The first arrow is the collection step. The second arrow is the manufacturing process in which recyclable materials are converted into new products and the third arrow represents the step where consumers purchase products made with recycled content.
 
We've found in our eco friendly training, that most people living a sustainable lifestyle help the recycling effort by putting materials in their recycling bin but fail to realize the importance of completing the recycling loop by purchasing recycled products. 
 
Buying products made from recycled materials is a key step in supporting recycling programs and resource conservation. Water, energy, and environmental resources are saved when recycled products are purchased.  Not to mention products receive a new life and a different purpose. 
 
You can do your party by taking eco action and purchase recycled products.  Next time you are ready to buy, educate yourself with eco awareness.  Those choices expand eco awareness within your network of friends and family, positively impact your local economy, reduce your footprint on the environment, and may actually help you save money in the process.

Spring is right around the corner.  The anticipation of sunnier days and fresh air inspires many to do spring cleaning.  Whether you're looking to freshen up your home or add some spark, why not opt for eco friendly options?   Sustainability concepts of energy efficiency, water conservation, and eco awareness can not only save you money and brighten your living space, but also reduce the load on the environment.
 
Transform your home into an eco haven.  Express your unique style and with eco awareness.  Following are resources offered in our eco friendly consulting classes to help you on your way:
 

• Decorate the Eco Friendly Way
• Eco Friendly Painting: A Breath of Fresh Air  
• Top 10 Plants to Reduce Stress, Cut Toxins, and Live Green
• Splish Splash: 20 Ways to Green your Bathroom
• Transform your Home Office to a Green Office
• Clean Green

 
Using sustainability concepts to guide you in your home decorating assists to reduce personal energy consumption and preserve natural resources.  All eco actions add up and make a big difference.    

Business leaders are always looking for new and innovative ways to improve their businesses.  One of the most dramatic ways to reshape your entire company, from top to bottom, is to examine the processes that run through it.   However, change without direction can often be scary proposition.

The questions we often pose to prospective business clients include: What is driving your business forward?  Are you embracing sustainability as a pathway to long-term value? 
 
Coined by Adam Werbach, there are goals- and then, there are your company’s North Star Goals.  These define the singular overarching direction of the company. So why not integrate sustainability into your core business drivers?

Sustainability concepts, such as resource reduction or efficiency, do not simply apply to the large manufactures or environmental businesses.  Building business sustainability includes a recognition that your company is part of a larger whole; part of a process which interacts with other organizations, society and the physical environment in which it operates. 
 
The pursuit of business sustainability does not have to come from any one source.  It can generate from within your own company at the ground level, from internal resources, the customers you service, or your suppliers.  A key to success is to create a corporate culture that encourages and rewards innovation at all levels internal to the organization as well as external to the company.

Our business sustainability programs specialize in information, resources, and professional consulting services designed to work with clients who see the real potential of incorporating eco awareness into their business.  Find your business sustainability “North Star” and begin your journey to sustainable value today.