07/ 25/ 2007
by Rex Hammock, MyBusiness Editor and Publisher
No offense to Kermit the Frog, but being green has gotten a lot easier.
That's what we discovered when talking to the small-business owners for the "In the Green" feature. They have made conserving energy and being friendly to the environment core components of their operations.
While going green may be a stylish fad for some large companies, we discovered small businesses are motivated by reasons that have nothing to do with trendy marketing. Some are inspired by long-held, deep personal convictions regarding the environment and conservation. Others are motivated by economic or geopolitical reasons: As the price of energy remains lofty, some small-business owners in America are becoming more supportive of efforts to develop energy sources that are less dependent on politically unstable regions of the world. Others have found that using thermal, wind or solar power can save money.
Whether for environmental or geopolitical reasons, the nation's energy policies can have a direct impact on the way small businesses are operated—and your bottom line.
In addition to our look at green approaches by small businesses, we explore the related topic of how energy policy—both in Washington, D.C., and state capitals—is becoming more and more a small-business policy issue. In our "Issue at Hand" examination of energy policy, we look at how you as an NFIB member can stay involved in efforts to ensure that such policies take into account the needs of small business while also addressing concerns related to the environment, international relations and defense issues.
One thing is certain: An affordable, dependable and clean source of energy is necessary to sustain the small-business engine that powers the nation's economy.
