Sustainability for Small Business
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Building Small Business Value Through Sustainability Where Sustainability Takes Root Sara Rampersaud
description
Sustainability makes sense for organizations of every size. This presentation covers the basics of sustainability from a business perspective based on the principles defined by The Natural Step.
Transcript of Sustainability for Small Business
Building Small Business Value Through Sustainability
Where Sustainability Takes Root
Sara Rampersaud
Introductions
President,Eco Assist Consulting
Founder, YourGreenReview.com
The Natural Step Practitioner
Mashable’s Top 75 Environmentalists
on Twitter
Core Concepts
1 2
3 4
Sustainability Principals
Global Reality
ABCD & Backcasting
Sustainability Goes Mainstream
In The News…
Decliningresources and ecosystem services
Increasingdemand for resources and ecosystem services
The Sustainability Challenge
What it means for small business
Decliningresources and ecosystem services
Increasingdemand for resources and ecosystem services
Rising Commodity/Operational CostsChanging Consumer/Community
ExpectationsStronger Regulations
“Sustainability is the single biggest
business opportunity of the 21st
century and will be the nextsource of competitive
advantage.”
Lee Scott, CEO Wal-Mart
The Sustainability Solution
Small Business, Big Impact
INNOVATION STARTS HERE
Emerging Markets $277 Billion Total Sustainable Market $815 Billion by 2015LOHAS Journal
Become Company of Choice 2/3 likely to switch to more Sustainable Brand Cone Roper: All else equal, 2/3 likely to switch
Top Talent: 97% would take less $ to work at Sustainable company 65% believe Resource Scarcity will significantly impact
businessStanford/Harvard Studies
Emerging Trends
A Look At Your Company
What are the biggest challenges facing your company?
Designing Sustainable Brands
How do we design Sustainable Brands???
Slow geological cycles (volcano eruptions and weathering)
Closed system with respect to matter1) Nothing disappears2) Everything disperses
Open system with respect to energy
Solar energy turns plants into energy for the rest of us
Understanding Cycles
Sustainability Principles
What we TAKE from the Earth’s crust(eg, oil, minerals and other metals)
Reduce & Eventually Eliminate…
Substances that that STAY in nature(eg, plastic or PCB’s)Physical DEGRADATION of nature(eg, paving wetlands, over harvesting)BARRIERS to people meeting their needs(eg, unfair wages, pollution, unsafe work places)
Successful Brands…
Plan Strategically:
Small Business, Big Opportunities
Awareness: TNS Training & Discussion Groups
Baseline: Biggest Impacts = Travel & Influence
Compelling Vision: “To have zeronet impact by 2020”
Down to Action….
Example: FMYI
Small Business, Big Opportunities
•Sustainable transportation•Sustainability education is key
• Energy reduction & offsets
• Recycling• Green Purchasing• Community Engagement
• Opening up new markets
Down to Action
Sustainability Drivers
Cost Savings Differentiation Visibility Innovation New Business Opportunities Empowered Teams
Small Business & Sustainability
Anticipate & Respond quicker Test FRESH ideas Scale good ones rapidly Investment, not a cost Start Small, Think Big!
A Look At Your Company
What are the most intriguing business Opportunities related to Sustainability?
(e.g. generating visibility, new markets, retaining employees, building relationships)
Q u ic k T im e ™ a n d aG ra p h ic s d e c o m p re s s o r
a re n e e d e d to s e e th is p ic tu re .
Q u ic k T im e ™ a n d aG ra p h ic s d e c o m p re s s o r
a re n e e d e d to s e e th is p ic tu re .
Bridging The Gap
Think of 3-5 things
1.) You can do to bridge the gap betweenChallenges & Opportunities
2.) Assets you can build on(e.g. strong community relationships, recycling
facilities close by, culture of innovation, financial resources)
Not a Fad, An Emerging Megatrend
Next: The Sustainability Megatrend
• Sustainability Assessments• Strategic Planning
• Training, Education & Coaching• Research & Analysis
Complimentary Initial Consultation
614.302.0681 (ph)[email protected]
Thank You!
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