ANTenna Blog -- Business & E-Business

It seems counterintuitive, but apparently corporate America, not small and midsize companies, is leading business efforts toward environmentalism.

So says Kevin A. Fletcher at GreenBiz.com, citing all the typical barriers like lack of time, resources, funds, and staff, not to mention green expertise.

The barriers Fletcher cites are real, of course, but smaller companies also have the flexibility and adaptability to lead the charge to a greener country.

Sometimes, Fletcher says, money isn't the issue at all. In many cases, it's just a matter of changing the way you do business, not investing in new technology.

The stakes are high. Small businesses consume more than 50 percent of all commercial energy use, for example. And they can often make changes proportionally much greater than giant multinationals. Just as important, smaller companies may be able to use their green-ness as a competitive advantage against larger companies not able to change so quickly.

Firms that do take voluntary environmental action are realizing the business value of these actions—in the form of reduced costs of operation, enhanced image and reputation that may differentiate them from the competition, and, in limited cases, increased revenue from a growth in customers or an ability to demand higher prices.

GreenBiz.com says it's taking small business environmentalism seriously:

We will continue to look to answer some of the questions raised above, specifically through the development of an Environmental Stewardship and Management Advisory Council comprised of business, government, and nonprofit experts in the area of small business voluntary environmental stewardship.

So, what do you think smaller companies can do to go green. And more importantly, what is your company doing increase your green quotient?

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