As a small business owner, I am aware of the difficulty in making an existing business sustainable. Whether it is the lack of access to greener products, or just the lack of knowledge, there are many obstacles to overcome when trying to green a company. An interesting thing that I found when greening my own business was that the difficulties I was facing were also being faced by other small businesses in my area. So, instead of suffering individually, a few of the local businesses and I got together and formed green business group. Much to my surprise, the group has greatly reduced my struggles to go green. It is for this reason that I would like to share with you the benefits of forming a green business group.

Resources — Just as two heads are better than one, the collective knowledge of several business owners can be extremely valuable. While I may not have known how to install a greywater system in my building, the café owner down the street sure did! By getting together to troubleshoot, you can save a lot of wasted energy searching for answers that your group members may already have. Having trouble finding the right green products for your company? More than likely, other group members will have helpful tips about the green products they use. Also, by combining areas of expertise, business can use each other as sounding boards for new ideas.

Publicity — If what is good for the goose is good for the gander, then to see other local business succeed in going green should do nothing but help your own sustainability efforts. By joining green businesses together, you can use your collective greenness to your advantage. If every small business on your block or in your section of town is taking positive steps towards sustainability, than you can honestly advertise that you operate in a "green friendly zone."

Further, if you and your neighbors join together in a green business group, you can send out a joint press release touting the green-friendly nature of your businesses. Press releases are a great way to let the public know about all the great things your group is doing in the name of sustainable business. Whats more, by forming a green business group, you can create many opportunities for cross-marketing. Does the coffee shop down the street roast their own Fair Trade coffee? Why not use it in your restaurant? By seeing members of your green business group as allies in your struggle for sustainability, you can form a bond that can benefit all business involved.

Group Work — I don’t know about you, but my city’s recycling program leaves much to be desired. Not only do they refuse to pick up the large loads of recycling that my business produces, the times and days they offer pick-up service do not jibe well with my business’ schedule. Because of this, members of my local green business group came up with a recycling program of our own. With our combined efforts, we are able to recycle our waste on our own time, at the recycling station of our choice. The man who owns the business next to mine has a large truck, and every week each business takes a turn picking up everyone’s recyclables and taking them to the recycle station. This is not only time efficient, but it also encourages other businesses in the area to jump on board.

See, peer pressure can be a good thing from time to time- when the other businesses in our area saw the effort we were putting into our recycling program, they were encouraged to hop on the bandwagon! Plus, we are able to hold small, informal meetings to explain to newcomers exactly what can be recycled and in what condition it will be accepted. Talk about a grassroots approach!

Another neat way we all work together is through public education. As a group of business owners, we are able to hold small, fun events to educate the public on the topic of sustainable business. Whether it is a community round-table discussion or a found-objects arts and crafts day for local children, events are much easier to plan and execute when there are a number of forces working towards the same goal. Not only is this a good chance for the public to brush up on their sustainability knowledge, but it is also a great way for us to get the names of our businesses out there.

The first step in forming a green business group is to identify potential members. You can either send out a mass email through your local chamber of commerce, or simply rely on plain old fashioned word of mouth. Either way, the main goal is to attract other green-minded business owners to the group.

Next, you need to come up with goals for your group- do you want to keep your group’s purpose internal and really just act as a resource for each other in your attempts to go green, or do you want to focus on publicity and public education? While a green business group can easily achieve both of those goals, it is good to start off with one or the other. As business owners, we have enough on our plate and, if the group gets too complicated or time-consuming, it will be harder to retain membership.

Lastly, try to avoid stark hierarchies in the group. Because this should be seen as a collaborative effort, there is no immediate need for a president, vice-president and secretary. Often business groups do not succeed because of autonomy issues. To ensure effective teamwork, avoid making certain members seem more important than others.

If you belong to a green business group and have other tips for success, please feel free to share them below. Much of what I have learned in this process has been through trial and error, so any additional knowledge is welcomed and encouraged!