Small businesses can benefit from sustainability as much as large companies. Employees continue to want to associate themselves with sustainable companies. Small businesses are always interested in attracting and retaining talented individuals. Employee loyalty and retention are less tangible, but equally important benefits to going green. A sincere sustainability strategy will help companies attract top talent. A recent survey revealed that 81 percent of MBA students polled said that business should work toward “the betterment of society.” In a Stanford University survey, MBA students who were polled in North America were willing to forgo an average of $13,700 to work for a company with a better environmental reputation than most. Attracting competitive candidates without raising starting salaries directly enhances a company’s bottom line. Commitment to sustainability promotes the company’s reputation as a socially, economically and environmentally responsible organization.
Organizations of all sizes have an impact on the environment. Additionally, they can influence over their suppliers and vendors and can inspire their employees and stakeholders. Small businesses are more connected to the community, because of this they require more from the community and therefore can give more to the community.
Companies that look out for the triple bottom line position themselves as sector leaders, lower operating costs and increase revenues. Sustainable practices are not limited to high-energy, high-resource businesses. Small and mid-sized businesses represent 85 percent of the U.S. economy. In fact, 99.9 percent of businesses in the U.S. contain 500 employees or less. Many of these businesses are office-based, service-based or non-manufacturing enterprises. A well-conceived green strategy is based on certain fundamentals, and small, non-resource intensive firms can customize these fundamentals to achieve highly specific growth results. USA Today reports on how small businesses are using green strategies.
The cost is not what keeps more business owners from investing in sustainability; rather it is a lack of knowledge or the belief that small service businesses do not significantly impact the environment. The fact is, most initiatives will yield profits or savings far beyond the cost of implementing them.
The ROI of going green can be more sales, increased market share, enhanced visibility, happier employees, and a better brand. Cleaner air, a healthier climate, and a better future for your kids are not bad benefits, either.

When we think of businesses that strive to be more sustainable we often look at manufacturers or large businesses that use lots of resources and create lots of waste. Sammamish is home to many virtual-home based businesses that employ many people on the eastside. Two small businesses who are active in the community and the Sammamish Chamber of Commerce have been working hard to understand and improve their environmental impact. Simply Placed works with companies to help them organize their business and home. They have also recently developed a green business plan and created goals around lessening their impact on the environment. They provide clients with resources on their website and encourage their clients to think about their own environmental impact.
The Learning Curve, another small business that is a member of the Sammamish Chamber of Commerce, has been looking at their impact on the environment. The Learning Curve provides a tutoring service to kids in grades 6 to 12. They have a passion for the kids they help and are enthusiastically creating a business that will ensure that the students they are tutoring have a wonderful future to look forward to in Sammamish.
These are just two examples of many in Sammamish and the eastside that take sustainability seriously. It is exciting to showcase businesses that have a passion for their business and a heart for the community and the environment. They are the kind of businesses that you want to have in your neighborhood!

Even with the downturn in the economy companies are still focusing their energy on being more sustainable, understanding their business operation and incorporating green business into their general business practices. Consumers are paying attention to the company’s commitment to the environment and sustainability. They have realized that they have buying power and with their purchases can support those companies that embrace the same values they themselves have. Unfortunately, many consumers rely heavily on the company’s advertisement and marketing of their green programs and sustainability commitment. This can lead to bad decisions on the part of the consumer and the degradation of consumer confidence. For more information read The Greenwash Guide by Futerra Sustainability Communications. Fortunately, most businesses have good intentions just bad execution. A sustainable business is more than a sustainable product and a green logo. A truly sustainable business requires an internal commitment from their corporate team to not only provide the world a better product but also improve the operation that developed the product.

Most companies have begun to realize that going green is essential to their well being as a business. Even small businesses are finding that they must implement green strategies into their business in order to remain viable in this marketplace. Small businesses are often suppliers to larger corporations and these companies are imposing their green values on their suppliers. Businesses are realizing that sustainable practices must be integrated into their corporate culture to be competitive in today’s market place.

In order to effectively implement any program within an organization of any size, the employees must be informed and educated on what the expectations are and how it will work. Green programs are no different. A CEO cannot expect that, by writing sustainability into the mission statement and adding a recycle bin to each work station that the green program is implemented. Each employee must be told that environmental responsibility is now formally incorporated into the business philosophy. Assuming that all employees will understand what items can be recycled simply by placing a bin under their workstation is absurd. These programs should be written out and each employee must be given the information on the program and that they are expected to participate. Goals must be conveyed and employee suggestions should be taken on how to improve the program.

Training and education are the key pieces to implementation of any new process or program, green programs are no exception. Check with your city or county, they often can provide you with training resources.