GREEN BUSINESS VIEWS

It is no small task to create a Green Business Network where businesses can interface at a national and local level.  The Green Connect program offered by the Green Business League offers an open invitation to every business aspiring to be authentically Green.  It is as simple as signing up for the program, and every connection is also able to obtain a free link for their business website at a well-developed Green Business Directory.  For quite some time, Green progress has been sequestered to building owners who pursue the LEED certification; but more recently, it has been shown that any business can Go Green by installing a number of Green Practices that greatly improve the business operation as well as enhancing the company’s profitability.

The trek to installing a Green and Sustainable program in a business is not a quick fix.  In fact, most professionals suggest that the Greening program for nearly any business is a three to five year project.  This is partly because there are some associated expenses that will be hopefully offset in 12-24 months.  Also, some parts of the business operation do not change that quickly.  Improving indoor air quality is a long term project that needs to be addressed through a six month review of pending practices.  Furniture bought, new paint and carpet, and cleaning products must be reviewed for Green compliance because they often create increased VOCs, which are fumes that can be harmful to employee health.  It is also very easy to slip back into the old ways because of the constantly changing corporate evolution.  It seems inevitable that employee changes will disrupt the Green program and bring in practices antithetic to the Green Practices once in place.  Therefore, without adopting a long view for corporate Green and Sustainable Practices, the program can and will degrade through neglect.

Contracts with vendors should be reviewed as they come up to consider whether there is a Green alternative that can be brought into the program in a timely manner. EPA is strongly pushing the “Environmentally Preferred Purchasing” concept in the expectation that the message will resonate with businesses of all sizes.  Of course, new innovations and ideas will also evolve that should be considered as the corporate program makes the Green transition.  It is obvious that the one-shot approach to Greening a business is badly mistaken.

By visiting the Green Business League, any business with a website can sign up for the Green Connect program, and there is no cost.  The business gets a free listing in the Green Business Directory and will be invited to be a guest in a future Green Business Networking event.  The Green Business League has more than 250 Certified Green Consultants who serve as very helpful Green connections to other area Green businesses.  Green Business Networks happen on about a quarterly basis, and provide the perfect forum for area businesses to connect with each other.   The free listing on the Green Business Directory and an invitation to attend area Green Business Networking events seems to be a tremendous opportunity to learn about Green business practices and make important connections to other Green businesses in every community sponsoring the Green Connect program.

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