Earthenterprise Tool Kit - International Institute for Sustainable ...

EarthEnterprise Tool Kit
have all the bases covered, a growing number of investment sources are
particularly interested in green or sustainable businesses.
• Focus groups were held across Canada in conjunction with the Canadian
Chamber of Commerc e . Local chambers selected entre p reneurs and
professional advisors who debated and tested our ideas. They agreed that
public policy and regulations could frequently create or change a market
overnight, but that changes are hard to predict and sometimes occur only
as the result of organized lobbying. The development of a market for a
product or service was judged to be just as important as the development
of the product or service itself, and deserving of equal attention. Product
development costs can be prohibitive, even when a market clearly exists.
They can be deadly if the market doesn’t respond.
We also heard repeatedly that the way a business operates internally is as
important as its product line or marketing strategy. Any entrepreneur brave
enough to start a business must firmly believe that his or her product, or
service, is better than any currently on the market. What distinguishes many
entrepreneurs profiting from the transition to a sustainable future is their
commitment to a broader definition of success, one that extends beyond the
bottom line.
The necessity to make a profit is a given.But,typically, the successful innovators
who have joined the EarthEnterprise Network have a far longer list of goals.
They want to protect, preserve, and restore the healthy functioning of complex
ecosystems. They want to empower and instill trust in their customers,
suppliers, and employees. They want to foster cultural diversity and promote
local economies. In a myriad of ways, they want to make the world a better
place.
Reconciling conflicting demands and pressures, while holding fast to the goal
of “doing right”by a broad range of stakeholders, is daunting. Practicing a high
standard of ethics while striving to meet the next payroll is a constant
challenge. But a growing number of companies are succeeding financially
without wavering from their commitment to a clearly articulated set of
principles.
The proliferation of publications with names like Business Ethics, Good Money,
and The Green Business Letteris testimony to that success. Organizations formed
to serve this growing client base include Business for Social Responsibility, the
Social Venture Network, and the Green Retailers Association.
Today’s business leaders are looking to sustainably harvested resources and
discarded materials for their inputs.They are assisting their employees to cope
with the competing demands of work and family. They are educating their
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INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT