Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Small Business Guide to Kick Your Green Initiatives Up a Notch

Blog by Julie Urlaub, Founder and Managing Partner at Taiga Company
Jul 26, 2011 11:14 AM ET

Taiga Company blog by Julie Urlaub, Founder and Managing Partner at Taiga Compa…

According to the post, Why It’s Time to Kick Your Green Initiatives Up a Notch, “results of the second-annual Sustainability & Innovation Survey of global corporate leaders by MIT’s Sloan Management Review and Boston Consulting Group suggest that green practices are taking firm root in the business world. Nearly 60 percent of the 3,000 businesses surveyed said they are increasing their investment in sustainability.  Perhaps the most interesting revelation is why they’re doing it. About half of businesses surveyed said the biggest reason was brand reputation and conveying a green image to customers."  

Unfortunately, however, "the survey results notes that small companies are lagging behind their larger competitors when it comes to sustainability: Only 9 percent of companies surveyed with fewer than 1,000 employees were classified as “embracers” of sustainable business practices, compared to 34 percent of companies with more than 10,000 employees."  
 
As is noted in the post, 12 Step Guide to Green Your Small Business, small business owners falsely subscribe to misconceptions of business sustainability as hard, resource intense, exclusive to larger organizations and confusing.   On the contrary, integrating sustainability concepts into core business functions makes companies more nimble in this fast-changing world.  It makes brands more attractive to consumers and retailers, and its management more respected by employees and the financial markets. In short, the drivers for improved business sustainability equate to improved performance.  All of which small businesses are inherently designed to benefit.  Click here to read more about turning your small business green initiatives up a notch. 
 

Home to one third of the earth's trees, the Taiga is the largest land-based biosphere and encircles the globe. Its immense oxygen production literally changes the atmosphere and refreshes the planet. It is this continuous renewal that has shaped Taiga Company's vision to drive similar change in the business world. Taiga Company seeks to be the "oxygen for your business".