Authentic Greening of Your Business

Have you heard your fill on companies, facilities, homes, buildings and everything in between going green? Well don't expect it to go away anytime soon. With the shocking and 'inconvenient' truths coming out everyday about the dire need to address global warming, I welcome this shift in social responsibility and only hope our efforts manifest a solution before we reach an unstoppable tipping point.

The reasons for businesses going green are many: to gain competitive advantage, reduce operation costs, and increase efficiency and customer loyalty to name a few. But, like with any highly publicized trend, there are those who are in it more for the notoriety than the soul. The green movement is nothing new. The 60s, 70s and 80s all saw it fair share of products and organizations promoting themselves as green. Yet, what lacked during these times was honest regulation of what green really meant. Today, consumers are much more savvy when it comes to companies claiming eco-friendly operations and/or products. Thanks to the informational superhighway - anyone thinking of this eco-strategy best ensure that all aspects of their business plan meet present day expectations and requirements for such recognition.

To avoid false claims or 'greenwashing', companies should devote sufficient internal resources or seek out specialized assistance to properly adhere to industry guidelines and best practices. A qualified eco-consultant can perform a thorough audit of your business or product based on credibility, relevance, and messaging. But instead of just promoting your business as green, determine new cost savings, reduction in environmental impact or carbon footprint so your consumers can hold on to something more substantial and tangible. People want facts and figures to be convinced.