Green Business Cookbook (What, Why, How)This is a featured page

Creating a Green Cookbook for small/medium businesses (<1000 people): Why go “green”?
  • Recruitment of top talent… talent is interested in green… changing demographics of younger employees
  • Financial incentives
  • Compliance
  • Positive reputation with customers
  • Altruistic
  • Have your customers asked for it, or are you trying to lead the change?
What is “green”?
  • Green is very broad. Need to brainstorm possible green activities and determine how they align with your existing business strategy.
    • What is most important? Sales Volume? Profit Margin? Customer relationships? How does green align with each of these for your business?
  • Green means different things to different people: environment, saving money, recycling, conservation, energy usage, etc.
    • Need to define what it means to you and your company
    • People, planet, finances… triple bottom line. Understand what affects your long term bottom line.
  • Is there a certification? Who do you trust? How do you define yourself as ‘green”?
    • Industry associations are stepping up and providing guidance to their constituents
    • Government standards
  • Different industries are at different stages of adoption….
    • Need to understand the competition and what they are doing
    • Work on “staying ahead of the curve in you industry”
How to “go green”?
  • How do I find incentives?
    • Check industry associations, government websites
    • Many vary by region, look locally and nationally
  • Create a sense of ownership within the company among employees
    • Behavior based: Culture of innovation / green
    • Technologies are there… need to define systems and culture to make it work for your business
    • People who are successful walk the walk, “live it”, Leaders need to desmonstrate by action
  • Need to build in ‘Utility” to the business model. Make green create value. How do you quantify value created to customers, employees, business model, etc.
    • Define your measurement systems and targets
    • Market research may be needed
    • A customer / employee reaction to your effort depends on their utility for those changes
  • Measurement systems are important. How much energy do you use? Establish a baseline, set goals, and work toward them.
    • Look for free energy audits to help baseline
  • What resources are available?
    • Resources need to be trusted… not salesmen
    • Look for templates
    • US Green building council
    • B-Corp
    • City of Austin working on compiling a database / list of incentives
    • Utility companies – look for free energy audits
    • EDF
    • Book “mid-course correction” by Ray Anderson
    • Google meter


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monzeltm 		Latest page update: made by monzeltm , Sep 16 2009, 2:43 PM EDT (about this update About This Update monzeltm Edited by monzeltm

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