You have the Power to Choose Green

We are all faced with an endless number of choices every day that can lead us in one direction or another.  Standing at a decision intersection, some may choose to turn right while others may choose to turn left.  The outcome of a left versus right turn is not the concern.  Our sustainability consulting simply asks the question: was sustainability part of your decision making process?

The factors that lead to one choice over another are usually based upon personal value drivers present at that particular point in time.  Therefore, a choice to turn right for one person may be perfectly valid given the criteria present at the time.

By incorporating sustainability as criterion in decision process and recognizing that the pursuit of personal or business sustainability is not a single decision, presents an opportunity to make alternative choices.  You can start by asking:

•    Is this choice aligned with my personal sustainability interests?
•    Will my decision promote expanded eco awareness and personal growth ?
•    Could an alternative choice reduce my daily expenses or help to save money and natural resources?
•    Does it promote healthier living?

Integrating sustainability into a business or daily living is more than just a single yes or no decision.  The pursuit of personal and business sustainability is a mindset change that incorporates expanded eco awareness into decision making.  Our eco-living consulting helps individuals make a step change towards incorporating sustainability as criteria in their daily choices.

Lates Trends in Corporate Giving from GlamourGoneGood

Glamour Gone Good

Glamour Gone Good is mobilizing America’s glamour-makers to make over women’s and girls’ lives.

October 1st kicked off Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a hugely popular time of year for companies to embrace the beauty of charitable giving. Everyone from the NFL to Hershey’s to Bloomingdale’s has gone pink for the month and is donating large sums of cash to breast cancer organizations.

Unfortunately for me, there are so many companies involved in breast cancer awareness that I could not decide which ones to highlight for you. So, instead, I’ve decided to explore with you the latest trends in corporate charitable giving.

October is a great month to talk about corporate charitable giving since it’s a month saturated with charitable messaging thanks to the permeation of Breast Cancer Awareness Month in American society. You can’t argue that pink ribbons have become the October equivalent of red ribbons and bright lights around the holidays. But, how has corporate charitable giving evolved since Breast Cancer Awareness Month emerged and corporations began slapping pink ribbons on products? Has the recipe for corporate charitable giving truly changed over time? Or just the packaging?

You be the judge.

Read entire blog post here…

5 Steps for Your Small Business to Get Credit and Get It Right

5 Steps for Your Small Business to Get Credit and Get It Right

From Glenn Croston’s Fast Company blog:

Small businesses have the power to get our economy moving again, creating jobs and real growth, but they continue finding credit difficult to come by, or shy away for fear of hidden traps. Congress hopes that the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 may help, but getting credit remains challenging for small businesses, and those that do find credit often make costly mistakes. Green businesses are no exception to these challenges. Done correctly though credit is your friend, getting you and your business where you want to go. Despite all of the difficulty, small businesses and startups can build their credit right by working with people like La Mancha Sims and his company Corporate Cash.
 
As an experienced financial professional and a business man himself, Sims knows the challenges that his clients face, and has learned from experience how to avoid common mistakes, saving people a great deal of time, money and heartache. Corporate Cash works with small businesses and startups, particularly those that have been around less than 3 years, providing not just access to credit but personal coaching and counseling to build a relationship with clients and guide them through the whole process. When people come to him for help they have often tried and failed to develop their credit profile on their own, and he finds they have made the same common mistakes. By building relationships with lenders, and working personally with clients to deliver solutions, Sims can walk them through 5 steps they need to follow to build their credit and their business:

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Corporate Citizenship: New Research Helps Make The Business Case for Volunteering

In May, the City of London Corporation and Corporate Citizenship released research showing that corporate volunteer programs offer significant financial benefits to companies.

“Volunteering: The most cost effective way to train and develop your staff” surveyed almost 550 employees from 16 major City of London firms, including Aviva, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, and Deutsche Bank. The findings provide a new view on professional development through employee volunteering that’s in sharp contrast to most studies – many of which focus only on impact on reputation, staff retention and recruitment.

To reinforce the message, Corporate Citizenship, a UK-based consultancy firm specializing in corporate responsibility and sustainability, recently presented a webinar on the research, highlighting some of the key findings for diverse CSR audiences.

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How to Tie Sustainability Metrics to the Bottom Line

The past year has seen a significant shift in eco awareness and the debate on climate change.  In the world of business and finance, climate change has developed from a sidebar topic to a mainstream conversation.  Accompanying climate change discussions are questions as to how to increase eco awareness in business and simultaneously see results in the bottom line.

A corporate sustainability plan is one way for growing businesses to drive efficiencies into existing business process and to create access to new opportunities.  A comprehensive business sustainability program is a communication tool to your key business stakeholders that your company is responsive to change.  But what information exactly needs to be communicated and to which stakeholders?

  
The post, Using Sustainability Metrics to Drive Business Performance, Innovation and Stakeholder Satisfaction  addresses key metrics used to tie sustainable business strategies to bottom line performance.  One point mentioned is to measure things that add value to organizational decisions.  For businesses just getting on board with sustainable business strategies, what might those “things” be?  As mentioned in our sustainability consulting, following are areas within the business that not only add value from a sustainability perspective but also to bottom line performance.

  
1.    Company has a genuine commitment to sustainability by management at the highest level, with sustainability principles present in core values and business strategies.

 2.    Sustainability strategies are cascaded down through management and are incorporated into organizational and individual performance goals.

 3.    Employees are informed, motivated, and actively engaged in the company’s sustainability program.

 4.    Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for sustainability are fully integrated into the business processes, corporate performance, and employee recognition.

 5.    Company has active dialog with key stakeholders on sustainability issues, including customer to understand how sustainability issues relate to different market segments.

 6.    Product stewardship is integrated into the development process, with production and procurement decision-making supporting more sustainable choices.

 7.    A Supply Chain Management strategy that aligns company and supplier performance targets to deliver a sustainable supply and stimulate product innovation.

 8.    Business risks and opportunities associated with sustainable development are well-understood and communicated to key stakeholders, especially investors.

 9.    Defined strategies to ensure business sustainability initiatives add value both to the company and community and to the business.

 10.    Transparent reporting on sustainability concepts and sensitive issues, with both positive and negative results.

 At Taiga Company, we see the future of business sustainability going far beyond the implementation of individual sustainability concepts.   Many organizations have already adapted their business models to capture value from sustainable development.  The leaders of tomorrow will continue to push the edge of business sustainability to transform entire industry sectors.  The right strategies and small business resources can help bridge your business into the future and the right metrics can help tie your sustainable business strategies to the bottom line.