Sustainable Business Practices

With all the talk about going green, it is easy to get lost amidst all the advice offered on a daily basis that is designed to help you become more eco-friendly. One area where it can get especially confusing is when it comes to starting and running a green business. Just what exactly does “green business” mean and why, as a home based entrepreneur, should you be interested in implementing sustainable business practices in your company?

Definition of Sustainable Business

Although it would be great if green business referred to a company that was pulling in the cash hand over fist, the term green business actually refers to a company whose products, processes and manufacturing activities address the triple bottom line; the environment, people and profits. According to Wikipedia, a business can be considered green if it meets all of the following criteria:

1. It supplies eco-friendly products and services that reduce the need for similar conventional products and services.

2. Each business decision incorporates the principles of sustainable business development.

3. The business itself is more eco-friendly than its competition.

4. The business is committed to being eco-conscious in its day to day operations.

Basically, to be considered a green business a company must sell Earth-friendly products and have implemented a sustainable business strategy that focuses on running the business in a way that has little to no negative impact on the environment or society at large.

Building a Sustainable Business

Building a sustainable business is just as important as going green in other areas of your life. One simple reason is a business that works in harmony with the Earth is far more likely to survive than a business that depends on nonrenewable resources or pollutes. Just think about it. If your company depends on a nonrenewable resource, when that resource runs out where does that leave your business?

Another good reason to have a green business is it helps you do your part to be a good conservator of the planet so that future generations can also enjoy the beauty and splendor offered by the Earth. It is a sad fact that if we don’t do something now, the next generation will be the first one to have ever inherited a planet that was worse off than when the previous generation received it. You don’t want our generation to go out like that now do you?

If those two reasons don’t do it for you, then building a green business is simply better for the bottom line. Using fewer resources, such as electricity and water, saves money. Coupled with the fact that most people are willing to pay a premium for Earth friendly products and you have a recipe for profits that you’ll be able to sustain for many years to come.

In the next article, I will pass along some tips for building a green business you can be proud of. In the meantime, download my free social media checklist (sign up in sidebar) for a daily to do list of all the things you need to do to increase your following on Facebook and Twitter. For personalized help building a sustainable business, contact me for a free consultation on the best way to market your business online including using Twitter and other internet business tools.