Recently, I asked a friend to critique some of the recent articles we've posted. When he saw this article about how small businesses can operate more sustainably, he had an interesting response. He ruminated on whether or not small businesses can actually make a difference when it comes to sustainability- after all, it's completely true that a small business grossing $300k/year utilizes a fraction of a percentage of the resources a massive $30 billion/year company does. There was also a political tint to his comment as well, which was notable, but doesn't necessarily bear repeating here.
It's quite interesting that somehow, sustainability initiatives have evolved into a political issue rather than a livelihood issue. Regardless of your political stance, I think most South Florida residents can agree upon this: we're fortunate to live in a paradise, and it would be wonderful to not only see the area remain this way, but also flourish into something even more beautiful (this goes double for our clients in the Caribbean).
"South Florida residents can agree upon this: we're fortunate to live in a paradise."
Every Broward, Palm Beach, and Miami-Area Business has a part to play in this. It's worth remembering that today's small businesses are tomorrow's large and midsized businesses, and while there's a long-standing a stereotype that sustainability does not equal profitability, there are scores of companies that are proving this wrong. The truth is this: bad business doesn't equal profitability, and many of the sustainability-focused businesses that have failed haven't quite figured out how to actually do good, flexible business outside of a narrow paradigm (here's looking at you, Sweetgreen).
The companies that will succeed in the future will be one of two breeds: the companies that are hoarding resources now, and those companies that learn to flourish with limited resources. Quite simply, companies that use resources the way that companies have for the last 25 years will be left behind. Heck, that resource pinch in the future might end up spelling the real death knell for JIT as we know it- COVID-era resource scrambles may end up looking like child's play in comparison.
As such, it's more than worth examining how sustainability practices can be implemented. We're committed to creating a conversation about it, and we hope to continue to put our talk into action. My personal goal is to let business owners know that being sustainability-minded doesn't mean that you're eating soy everyday (no judgement if that's your thing). Being sustainability-minded simply means being more mindful of resource consumption and waste on every level. Hopefully you take a few moments to consider what that means for you and your business.
