"Being Green" is becoming more and more popular as large
and small companies realize that environmentally
responsible practices can help our planet AND make them
more profitable.
This shift of focus is creating opportunities for
entrepreneurs who create new businesses, services and
products that enhance sustainability and improve people's
lives.
In April of 2007, Gallup surveyed 600 small businesses, and
what they found was very encouraging. The poll revealed
that nearly half, 47%, of small business owners have
already taken steps to become more environmentally
responsible.
"Being Green" might help to attract and retain good
employees, as one third of American workers surveyed by
Harris back in March of 2007, said they would prefer to
work for an environmentally responsible company.
However, 49% of these same small business owners who were
surveyed, expressed doubt that their customers would be
willing to pay more for environmentally friendly products.
It's important to understand that "Being Green" should be
one part of your business's overall strategy - after
successfully demonstrating the value of your products or
services to customers. If you focus a majority of your
marketing efforts on "Being Green", but don't deliver
quality in your core business offering, customers won't
stay with you, no matter how good you are to the Earth!
Alliant International University in San Diego, CA has an
offering in their MBA program called the "Sustainable
Management" concentration. It includes 3 new courses:
sustainable management, sustainable marketing, and
environmental management reporting. This course of study
aims to educate business students about what's being called
the "triple bottom line" - Profit, People and the Planet.
If you'd like to implement some simple and easy Green
initiatives in your workplace, here are a few ideas:
1. Install motion-detecting light switches in conference
rooms and bathrooms
2. Replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs
3. Connect office equipment such as computers, copies and
faxes to energy-saving power strips
4. Buy recycled paper and recycled toner cartridges
5. Utilize email communication instead of printing out
memos on paper
6. When printing, reduce the size of your font and layout
margins
7. Use the backs of single-sided copies as scrap paper
8. Buy recycled carpet or more sustainable hard-surface
flooring
9. Ensure air conditioning systems are well maintained and
have air filters changed regularly
10. Recycle old cell phones
Here's a great quote to remember by Marshall McLuhan, the
Canadian professor and philosopher who lived from 1911
to1980:
"There are no passengers on spaceship earth. We are all
crew."
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Laura Adams is the host of the popular MBA Working Girl
Podcast.
The show combines brainy business school theory with
real-world business practice from her career as a business
owner, manager, consultant and trainer. Subscribe for FREE
to this top-rated show and sign up for the useful MBA
Essential Tip at
http://www.mbaworkinggirl.com
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