Is Sustainability a Fit for Small Business? You Betcha!

Do you think sustainability is a passing trend? That it doesn't apply to your business? After all, small businesses are too small to be contributing to the problems of climate change, much less reaping the benefits of business sustainability, right?

Think again.

As a small business owner, are you looking to cut operating cost? Increase customer retention? How about improve your business reputation or capture new market segments? It might be nice if there's an interest in protecting environmental resources, but business sustainability is not only about the environment. It's about profitable businesses including the social and environmental impacts of their decisions in a way that strengthens the organization, the community, and the environment. Did you catch that part? Profitable business.

With so many small businesses still recovering from recent economic hurdles, one might wonder why sustainability is a fit for small business? Because, small businesses are often, by design, perfectly suited for sustainability implementation. They are more agile and able to quickly respond to changing market conditions, have lower risk than larger organizations, and reduced decision chain - all enabling them to integrate sustainability concepts into their businesses quickly and effectively.

Curious to know how sustainable business strategies can help your business to improve sales? Grow your business? Differentiate your business from the competition?

Reduce business cost:
Sustainable business strategies of waste reduction, energy efficiency, and other operational efficiency measures reduce costs and enable competitiveness.   By adding general eco awareness or simply incorporating a few sustainability concepts into and existing supply chain as best practices, companies can proactively address supply stability and quality issues from a different perspective.

Improve Sales:
Business reputation matters. Developing and delivering commercially successful products and services that build customer loyalty are essential in today’s markets.
•    Integrate sustainability concepts into product and service development
•    Shift sustainability from a cost add-on to a value driver
•    Change perceptions to build stronger brands
The result: increase sales, new revenue streams, and improved brand loyalty.

Stay ahead of the curve:
The Environmental Protection Agency recently determined that greenhouse gases pose a danger to human health and the environment, paving the way for regulation of carbon dioxide emissions from vehicles, power plants, factories refineries and other major sources.   As a result, it has become critical for many companies to have comprehensive business sustainability strategies to address emissions.

While some argue that sustainability is a passing trend, profitable businesses are not. Sustainable business strategies are designed to bring eco awareness and sustainability concepts to employees, customers, and suppliers which brings value to the organization and also broaden and expand sustainability concepts into the communities and lives of the individuals.