If you are a business owner or a top decision-maker in your organization, you know that corporate conservation efforts are crucial to any modern business plan. You want your company to remain in good standing with the public. To gain and retain investment and public support, your company needs to participate in conservation efforts. Companies who ignore these initiatives are seen as outdated, not-to-be-trusted and—perhaps worst of all—not worth investing in or patronizing.
Admittedly, developing and maintaining a corporate conservation plan with a lasting impact on your investors and customers can be difficult. Misconceptions about sustainability exist, and believing them hinders your efforts and profit potential. Avoid these three common misconceptions about corporate conservation when developing a sustainability plan:
Misconception: Conservation is only for large conglomerates and multinational companies
As a small- or medium-sized business owner, you may think that significant conservation efforts can be left to large corporations and multinational holding companies. Yes, those companies have more dollars and hands to throw at the problem, but even small business owners must strive to create a business model that facilitates sustainability. If you do so, you will help, not hinder, your success in the long run.
How can you benefit by creating a sustainable business model? Small businesses offering sustainable products or that pledge to support green initiatives are often seen as more trustworthy than international corporations doing the same things. Small to medium businesses are already 92 percent more trustworthy than large organizations, so capitalize on this potential for greater community support and investment by quickly adopting green policies. You can easily find allies among your staff and management who may have just been waiting for an invite to get involved.
Misconception: Conservation is unprofitable
Far from being the truth that conservation efforts cost too much money, there are thousands of companies—from farms to bakeries to marketing organizations—whose profits grew after implementing sustainability techniques.
Truly, with the right program, sustainability can save money. Use eco-friendly policies to reduce electrical consumption of your office building or adopt conservation strategies to help your farm turn more crops in less time. Reduce packaging materials and package sizes to not only cut packaging costs and waste, but enjoy the savings in transportation and delivery. These are just a few practices that help save money and increase profits. Emulate sustainability leaders who are championing conservation as a defining growth factor of their business model.
Misconception: Conservation is not urgent
It seems as if many in the business world would like to close their eyes and make climate change go away. Recent history shows that unpredictable weather patterns and increasingly hostile climates have impacted the world economy—and likely will continue. Without aggressive and extensive conservation efforts, businesses will have record losses if they do not engage in sustainable practices.
Of course, as a business leader, you cannot condone a business model that trades short-term gains over long-term losses. Consider the impacts the global economy already experiences:
- Volatile storms harm goods in transit or stored in warehouses
- Unpredictable weather makes shipping by sea and air more expensive
- Less viable land for commercial construction causes office lease costs to soar.
Choose conservation strategies for your business model and experience the benefits.
Going green lets you see green
While some business owners may see sustainability initiatives as a waste of time and money, corporate social responsibility in the form of conservation efforts help your company realize profits quickly and reliably. Your company can make the world a better place in which to live and thrive.
Do not fall victim to the outdated mindset that conservation means stagnation. Instead, look to conservation efforts as a way to connect at a deeper level with your employees, customers, and your community—and enjoy growing your business potential.