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A colleague recently pointed me to an article in USA Today on the Top 10 Trends Shaping Small Business in 2007. Of particular interest to me were #4 and #1. Read on to find out why…
No. 4. Green revolution
We seem to have reached a critical tipping point, and there's no turning back: green is good. And as nearly every large company now has a sustainability or corporate social responsibility program in place, smaller companies are starting to see the value in environmental excellence too.
Whether it's GM unveiling an all-new electric concept car last week, or Whole Foods markets becoming nearly ubiquitous, or the rise of sustainable development, there is no doubt that there is an increased desire on the part of businesses and consumers alike to go green. For the small business owner, the green revolution presents opportunities: It can mean helping other companies be more environmentally-friendly, or catering to the desires of your customers to be more organic, or offering green products, and so on, but whatever the case, this may be a chance to do good and do well at the same time.
At Strategic Sustainability Consulting, we're delighted to be on the front crest of the green revolution for small business. Not only are we on the receiving end (just check out our own environmental initiatives), but we're also uniquely positioned to help other small companies green their own operations.
No. 1: Global warming may put you out of business
It's no surprise to us that global warming is happening…and it seems like most Americans now "get it". But that doesn't mean we're prepared.
According to a report from the British government written by former World Bank economist Sir Nicholas Stern ("The Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change"), "Climate change could devastate the global economy on a scale of the two world wars and the depression of the 1930s" (CNN.com, October 30, 2006.)
Yup—it's true. The scary truth is that we are facing a catastrophe that's moving towards us like a monster in slow motion. We can see it coming, and yet are doing very little to stop it. At Strategic Sustainability Consulting, one of the most important services we provide is consultations on climate change management. So if your organization doesn't have a plan for how to deal with the realities of global warming, contact me at jennifer@sustainabilityconsulting.com for a free consultation.
