Thursday, July 1, 2010

EVERY BODY IS TALKING ‘GREEN’

All of the recent hype around green business opportunities has many business owners scratching their heads. Is this another business fad? Media hype aside, there are good reasons to believe that green business is here to stay for the following reasons:

• Improving your bottom line by reducing waste, saving energy, and increasing efficiency makes practical sense.

• Preventing regulatory problems related to pollution or waste disposal can help businesses avoid financial penalties/fines, training costs, disposal costs and insurance costs.

• As cleaner technologies are being developed, it only makes sense to adopt that technology rather than continuing to work with less efficient current standards.

• Maintaining a competitive edge in an increasingly competitive and regulatory environment will be imperative as the market demands more emphasis on ‘green’ products.

How should a business owner get better educated about becoming a ‘green’ business? If you want to start with some basics, you might want to refer to the following resources:

1. Google ‘Triple Bottom Line’ and become acquainted with some of the terminology that is being used in the ‘green’ world.

2. Check out www.business.gov/start/green-business/green-guide.html to find some practical ways to take steps toward becoming a ‘green’ business.

3. Check out the Green Business Workbook at the Small Business Development Center website: http://www.wsbdc.org/green-business

By taking these three steps, you will find that there are some simple steps that you can take to:

• Improve efficiency

• Reduce waste

• Become a good business citizen and neighbor

• Meet consumer needs and desire for green products.

If you have further questions regarding ‘green’ strategies, contact your local Small Business Development Center for assistance at 360-442-2946.

Article written by Susan Hoosier, Certified Business Advisor and Certified Economic Development Professional, with the Washington Small Business Development Center in Longview, WA 360-442-2946. Susan has owned and operated three businesses and managed a revolving loan fund for a Midwestern Regional Development Commission.

2 comments:

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