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January 30, 2008
Vancouver business leaders tout benefits of going green
Kerry Gold
For bchydro.com
Who could have imagined that a group of business people would one day gather to tout the value of running delivery trucks on vegetable oil?
That was the kind of message being delivered at Vancouver's first sustainability expo for small business last week at a community hall in Strathcona, co-sponsored by BC Hydro's Power Smart.
"There are upfront costs," said the founder of Frogfile Office Essentials Gil Yaron, "but things pay off."
Yaron was part of a panel that spoke about cost reduction, boosting growth, developing marketing strategy and building customer loyalty and trust. Power Smart program manager Christy Intihar gave practical advice on getting started with a sustainability business case that looks at financial, environmental and social elements. She called it "the triple bottom line," an approach already put into practice by BC Hydro.
The overriding theme was that sustainability isn't just a great marketing strategy, but a way of doing business that is vital to growth. Many of the speakers represented companies that had seen substantial growth precisely because of their sustainability efforts. A business that isn't incorporating some form of sustainability into its plan will lose competitive edge – that's the reality.
"Sustainability is still the biggest business opportunity in this market," said the expo's keynote speaker, Gregor Robertson, entrepreneur and MLA for Vancouver-Fairview.
Organics pay off
Co-founder of Happy Planet organic juices, Robertson said that a business can set the tone for the community and lead the way by adopting sustainability practices. Now is the time because entrepreneurs can still be ahead of the pack on sustainability.
Robertson was an organic farmer who partnered with friend Randal Ius to form Happy Planet in 1994. They saw a niche market for bringing local farm-fresh, organic produce into the city by way of fruit juice and smoothies.
"Imagine saying, 'we're going to take on Tropicana and kick some ass... or not," he joked. "No question, it was a sector to grow like gangbusters... that was the only business for us."
They've turned what started with carrot juice into a multi-million dollar operation with international distribution. Of course, they got a big boost when Starbucks began carrying their juice in 1998.
Vancity thrives on sustainability practices
Vancity credit union has also long reaped the rewards for looking at the big picture of sustainability long before it entered the mainstream.
"We have finally arrived," said Vancity energy manager Maureen Cureton. "You no longer have to feel like you're on the fringe."
"People are drawn to work at Vancity because of our values and commitment to community and environmental leadership," said Cureton.
Cureton told the crowd of business owners to consider their company's energy conservation, waste management, land resources, carbon offsetting and product packaging.
Cureton was part of a panel that spoke about cost reduction, boosting growth, developing marketing strategy and building customer loyalty and trust. Many of the speakers represented companies that had seen substantial growth precisely because of their sustainability efforts.
"Frankly, I think it's a great marketing strategy to say, 'we're carbon neutral by 2010,'" Cureton said.
Going green makes business sense
Panelists all had their examples of how sustainability meets the bottom line. Yaron said their green practices save money and build relationships within the community by using local labour and materials. Instead of shipping paper from Seattle to Toronto, for example, the company only ships from supplier to retailer within the same region. It's cost effective and doesn't use as many resources.
Toby Barazzuol, founder of Eclipse Awards (which manufactures crystal awards), said they don't send out samples because they would increase the carbon footprint and costs at the same time.
"Building an entirely green building was tough at first with suppliers," added Barazzuol. "But it created a certain image with consumers that helped."
Amy Robinson of the Sustainability Purchasing Network, a not-for-profit that works with companies, spoke of the in-built publicity that comes with sustainability.
"The company sells itself. If companies focus their energies on sustainability and do it well, that earned media counts for a lot. Be one step ahead of the competition. Tell your story better – do it from a place of integrity."
Cureton said that a business has to spread the word about its sustainability so as to make customers feel good about doing business with them. Create a website, promote your green business plan.
"And don't be afraid to tell them what you're not doing right, and what you aim to do about it," she added.
Sustainability consultant Mary Sturgeon emphasized that your strategy has to make sense, however. "Look around and see what you can do in your community," she advised.
They cited the example of hugely successful yoga clothing company Lululemon, which had touted a line of its products as containing beneficial seaweed. When tests initiated by the New York Times cast doubt on those claims and Lululemon was unable to counter with adequate evidence to the contrary, the incident was viewed as a public relations blunder.
"Customers need to be able to connect the dots," said Sturgeon.
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Last Modified: Jan 30, 2008