Business Resources

A sustainable, or green business is one that makes a profit by providing goods and/or services while reducing or eliminating negative impacts on the environment, community, and society. Sustainability requires that the current population has the resources necessary to meet their needs without sacrificing the needs of future generations. One way of describing sustainable business is with the triple bottom line. The triple bottom line refers to measuring success in terms of three areas: Economics, Environment, and Equity (also known as Profit, Planet, and People). A business has to make a profit in order to stay in business. But a business should also consider the environment and equity in making business decisions.

Sustainability does not require sacrifice. Rather, being sustainable means that the business owners, managers, and employees are making conscious efforts to reduce harmful impacts on the environment and society, and to provide positive economic, environmental, and social benefits to the community. Sustainability begins with small steps like changing light bulbs to LED, recycling, and modifying activities to consume less resources and produce less waste. The best thing about being sustainable, is that it not only can help reduce costs, but also increase revenue. That’s right – consumers are increasingly demanding sustainable products and services, and the businesses that provide them can expect to see their revenues increase.