Why Small Businesses are Well Suited to Sustainability

Small businesses and sustainability are a perfect match. Yet their are a number of reasons why they are not adopting sustainability at the same rate as their corporate counterparts. Just like their larger corporate cousins, small businesses should adopt sustainability policies. There are good reasons why it is easier to engage sustainability in a small business as compared to a large corporation.

While they may not have the deep pockets of big corporations, a small business is more nimble and able to change directions more quickly than large enterprises.

In 2011 three international accounting bodies released a comprehensive research report, titled "SMEs Set Their Sights on Sustainability" which includes case studies from the UK, the US, and Canada. This report highlighted the growing emphasis on sustainability from small and medium sized enterprises. It indicated that small and medium sized businesses partner well with sustainability because they are:

• More in-touch with employees: engaging and actively managing employees on an individual level.
• More in-touch with investors: closely working business relationships to meet the expectations of its stakeholders and investors.
• More in-touch with customers: working directly with consumers and business customers to deliver products that meet specific requirements and delivery expectations.
• More in-touch with suppliers: directly communicating with smaller set of business partnerships often directly integrated into the business operations. ,

Related
Primer on Sustainability in Small Businesses
Why Small Businesses are Engaging Sustainability
Why Small Businesses are Not Engaging Sustainability
Now is the Time for Environmental Sustainability 
What Businesses Can Do to be More Environmentally Sustainable
Business Case for Sustainability: Corporations, Banks and Investors
Best Practices and Case Studies

SHARE

Melili

• 
• 
• 
• 
•