A Guide to start Energy Efficiency and renewable energy Business

This article looks at ways to run an environmentally friendly business and Running Energy Efficient and renewable energy Business by cutting costs whilst working to save the environment and benefit from ‘green’ marketing.

Why ‘Green’ Business?

The modern business environment is changing and there are new legislations and regulations designed to prevent damaging business practices from affecting local communities and the wider environment in an adverse way. The government is taking a mix of a ‘carrot’ and ‘stick’ approach, offering incentives to those businesses that implement green measures into their operation and penalising those who fail to adhere to standards and targets on areas such as carbon emissions, recycling and the usage of safe chemicals for production processes. This means that businesses currently have as many opportunities as they do threats, to clean up their business, implement greener policies and generally improve the way that they do things. The challenge has been set and often at an EU level and the standards and policies that govern green business are likely to get ever more stringent. Smart businesses are acting now and getting ahead of the curve, rather than risking falling behind!

Taking A Proactive Stance

Smart businesses realise of course that environmentally friendly business practices also benefit the bottom line as well as adhering to policy. An energy consultancy, for example, can identify cost savings through better fuel economies for fleet cars, better energy efficient and utility tariffs, measures for using less electricity within the business, ways of buying recycled materials for a better price and using group and collective purchasing methodologies to further gain environmental benefits and ensure that businesses are working together for a mutual environmental benefit. There are plenty of ways to implement new measures and many businesses will engage the services of specialist consultancies who can talk them through standards and accreditations, processes for more environmental gains and help to develop PR and marketing strategies that maximise the value of the work being done. A specialist consultancy will also often be able to deliver a series of cost savings, as well as provide specialist training and other aligned services for staff and stakeholders.

Marketing Benefits

Customers also greatly respond to green business strategies and are increasingly seeking out those businesses who can clearly demonstrate a socially responsible agenda. This may be in terms of the recycling targets that they commit to, the amount of carbon that they reduce in business usage, or the way that they implement corporate social responsibility in local communities and provide education, training and other benefits for the local people. Savvy businesses are picking up on this and ensuring that they donate to local community projects, send their staff out to get involved and have a positive and impactful presence in the areas that they serve commercially. The resulting business approach is far more holistic and integrated with the customers and community that the business serves, rather than being distant from them. It seems that the days of big business may be challenged in the future, as smaller and more nimble, green-minded companies use localism, energy consultancy services and other marketing tactics to win vital business from eco-conscious customers.AUTHOR BIO
Alice regularly writes about business topics for a range of websites and specialist publications. To find out more, click here.