"Going Green" - What Entrepreneurs Need to Know About Becoming Eco-Friendly

On May 14, 2008, Cbeyond and Cisco co-sponsored a panel discussion open to the general public at Cisco's headquarters in San Jose, California. The panel discussion included 6 industry experts and was moderated by the Director of Sustainable Silicon Valley, Rick Row. The discussion focused on how small businesses and entrepreneurs can take action locally to make a global impact.

The video of the event will be posted here soon. Please check back.

In the meantime, please explore these links to presentations and resources designed to help small businesses educate themselves and take the initiative to make their businesses more eco-friendly.

Getting Started

Greening Your Start Up (PPT 60KB)
Fenwick & West LLP
This 2-page checklist includes questions to ask before selecting a business location and easy steps you can take to save energy and resources.
Quick Start Guide for Greening your Small Business (PDF 39KB)
Fenwick & West LLP
A short list of eco-conscious actions tailored for small companies and nicely formatted for posting in your workspace.
The SME Toolkit (WEB)
International Finance Corporation
How-to articles, case studies, videos, and other tools and resources for small- and medium-sized enterprises looking to implement sustainable business management practices.
Green Paper: 9 Steps to Greening Your Business (PDF 946KB)
Kevin Slovick
A nine-step guide that provides in-depth information on terms and concepts, economic benefits, processes, education, and much more.

Case Studies

Cisco's Green Vision (PPT 7.6MB)
Cisco Systems
A detailed presentation that details the company's global mission and the potential benefits of an industry-wide effort to curtail energy usage at work, at home, and in urban centers.
Cisco's Green Leadership (DOC 70KB)
Cisco Systems
This backgrounder provides key facts about Cisco's corporate-wide green vision, key initiatives, leadership team, awards, and more.
Green Vision: Using the Internet as the Platform for Sustainability (DOC 33KB)
Cisco Systems
As the Internet continues to transform the way we live and work, it promises to be a driver of change in the worldwide effort to reduce carbon emissions and create energy savings.

Business Cases

The Business Case for Sustainability (WEB)
Bob Willard
A list of resources from a leading expert on the business value of proactively avoiding risks and capturing opportunities associated with sustainability issues.
Communicating the Business Ca$e for Sustainability (PPT 2.7MB)
Bob Willard
2008 Conference on Sustainable Development in the Canadian Textile Industry
Montreal, Canada
April 15, 2008
"Sustainability is smart business" is the theme of this lively and detailed presentation from Bob Willard. A wide range of facts, factors, and "What if…?" scenarios underscore the advantages of "going green."
360 degree Economic Model Example Scenario (XLS 77KB)
A set of Excel worksheets that illustrate the economic benefit of sustainability initiatives across a wide range of business drivers, including revenue, retention, and productivity.

Resource Links

Recommended Books

The Business Guide to Sustainability
Darcy Hitchcock and Marsha Willard
This book translates the abstract notion of sustainability into language and actions that make sense to a lay audience. It includes chapters for major sectors (services, government and manufacturing) and also chapters by organizational function (senior management, human resources, facilities, finance, marketing, etc.).

Customers in the United States can order through Earthscan's US affiliate, Stylus, 900-232-0223, or email: stylusmail@presswarehouse.com (When ordering, indicate Source Code BUSGD6 to receive the book for the discounted price of $44.00 plus shipping and handling) US orders only
The Squeeze: A Novel Approach to Business Sustainability
Gary Langenwalter
"The Squeeze" is a novel that relates the fight for survival of a small, family-owned, Midwest manufacturer. The story reinforces the human resources /organizational development key to success of sustainability turn-around strategies.

Available from the Society of Manufacturing Engineers site at http://www.sme.org/cgi-bin/get-item.pl?BK06PUB30
Going for the Green: A Manufacturer's Guide to Lean and Green
Lynn Johannson
It provides very practical tools and data-gathering forms for SMEs. The target audience is Canadian manufacturing SMEs but it is an excellent resource of SMEs in any sector in any country.

Available for downloading at http://www.cfib.ca/pdfs/Going-for-the-Green-eng.pdf
The Mentoring Handbook: Guide to Environmental Mentoring for Companies, Nonprofits, and Regulators
Joel Makower
Editor, The Green Business Letter
An overview and tools to help create or enhance programs that mentor companies on improving their environmental and financial performance. This 60-page guide includes hands-on help and sample forms on developing a strategy, designing the program, selling the program, identifying and training mentors, being an effective mentor, and more.

Available at http://www.resourcesaver.org/file/toolmanager/O16F24072.pdf

Online Reading

The Efficient Entrepreneur Calendar and its companion Assistant, were produced by UNEP's Sustainable Consumption Project and written by UNEP's Division of Technology, Industry, and Economics (DTIE) and the Wuppertal Institute.
Available for downloading from http://www.efficient-entrepreneur.net/
Achieving Eco-prosperity: SME's perspectives on the environment is a 2007 report by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB). It explores the perspective of SMEs on the environmental issues of greatest importance to their businesses, the barriers SMEs face, and information gathered from interviews with environment officials.
Available at http://www.cfib.ca/research/reports/rr3039.pdf

Cbeyond

Cisco and Cbeyond Present Going Green - What Entrepreneurs Need to Know about Being Eco-Friendly

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