What is a Business Sustainability Plan?

Small businesses can easily scale these practices and implement them in their own organizations through a small business sustainability plan.

We came across this article on the company website www.constellation.com and thought we would highlight some important information regarding a Business Sustainability Plan. Please visit www.constellation.com for the full article and what their business offers.

 

So, what is a Business Sustainability Plan?


A business sustainability plan is simply something an organization develops to achieve goals that create financial, societal, and environmental sustainability. A business impacts communities and resources, so taking these steps to sustainability is in the best interests of the environment, the business owner, and the consumer.


Reasons to Build a Sustainable Business:


Small businesses can easily scale these practices and implement them in their own organizations through a small business sustainability plan. From saving money and promoting public health to improving public relations, the benefits of building a sustainable business might surprise you.

 

There are 5 Steps to creating Sustainability for a Small Business


Step 1: Learn about Sustainability

  1. The first step in creating a small business sustainability plan is learning what, exactly, sustainability is all about.

·   Knowledge is power. Use your resources wisely! There are many guides out there that offer suggestions on sustainability.

·  Profits, people, and planet. Internalize the idea that sustainability within your business means managing your triple bottom line: your financial, social, and environmental impacts, obligations, and opportunities.

·  Going green vs. going sustainable. You may be wondering, what is a green business? It’s about the long-term, multifaceted impacts and implications of your products and services.

·   Out with the old (way of thinking). It’s all about a perspective shift. The key is to see the business, the self, the economy, and the household as connected with—instead of separate from—the environment.

         

        Step 2: Assess Areas of Improvement

        It just takes some research.


        ·   Learn the laws. From local development laws to self-regulation in your industry to international treaties, many standards are already on the books in terms of sustainable practices.

        ·   Check your compliance. At a minimum, your business should be in total compliance with any laws or standards already in place. Research cost-effective ways to improve compliance.

         

        Step 3: Find Opportunities

        Start embracing the entrepreneurial spirit of innovation and asking yourself the hard questions:


        ·   Innovate. Success in implementing sustainable business practices is directly related to innovation. From problem solving to finding cheaper and better ways of doing things, innovation ranges from simple changes to implementation of complex new technologies.

        ·   Get employee input. Bring in employee ideas and support; employees will take responsibility for things like energy efficiency and come up with solutions that will help you implement and improve sustainability.

        ·   Self-reflect. Ask yourself a few questions, and you’ll find numerous opportunities for improvement: What strengths does my business bring to the table that can play a unique role in sustainability?

         

        Step 4: Create a Vision

        Your vision for sustainability is all about what makes you and your business tick.


        ·   Find your company’s passion. What is your company passionate about?

        ·   Be specific about your small business’s vision. Create a separate vision for each section of your small business, from those on the front lines to those working behind the scenes in different departments.

        ·   Define your sustainability model’s terms. Be sure to define a few words that describe your business’s specific sustainability model. This will help you give your employees the ability to take ownership of your overall vision.

         

        Step 5: Implement Changes

        The final of the five steps to sustainability is an exciting one. Implementation!


        ·   Communicate clearly. Adequately communicate your new sustainability plan across your entire company. Educate your employees to ensure successful implementation, and make sure all leaders are involved.

        ·   Change policies. Ensure your current policies align with your sustainability plan. If not, create new ones that are specific to different departments and employees.

        ·   Review performance. Create specific, measurable, and attainable written goals, and develop metrics on how to track the success of your changes. This could be as simple as comparing a previous energy bill under the old policies with a new one that comes after you’ve implemented changes.

        ·   Get feedback. Have your leaders in the company report back to you on any difficulties they encounter in implementing changes to policies, so that you can troubleshoot how to fix them while still staying true to the sustainability model. This will help you identify opportunities for more small business sustainability.


        After you’ve taken the five steps to sustainability, make sure you can substantiate your sustainability claims before going public with the environmental advantages of your products or services.

         

        Till Next Time!


        BM Project Solutions

         

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