Sustainability Roadmap for Startups - Green Plus

2
Near Term Low-Hanging Fruit Practices
PERFORMANCE
Plan & Document
‣ Take the time to develop the critical planning documents. You can’t be sustainable if you’re not in
business. These documents help you reduce risk, streamline execution, and test assumptions:
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business plan
marketing plan
‣ Set the tone for sustainability now. Make an explicit commitment to one or more of the following into
your written mission, vision, or values statements.
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Manage Finances
positive social or community impact
environmental stewardship
employees
‣ Start off on the right foot with financial management. Try the following:
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Engage Stakeholders
put a system (paper or software) in place for record keeping of financial data
use Generally Accepted Accounting Practices (GAAP) in accounting
set and update a monthly budget that includes cash flow projections
‣ Put organizational structure in place around sustainability. Convene a Green Team or Sustainability
Committee to meet on an ongoing basis to discuss and plan sustainability-related activities. It’s okay to
start small - one or just a handful of employees meeting once a month.
Manage Sustainability
‣ Estimate and track the financial impacts of any of the environmental sustainability-related activities you
can quantify, such as savings and payback periods. Being disciplined about estimating and tracking
impacts will help you make a business case for sustainability improvements now and in the future.
‣ Begin researching cost competitive office supplies made from sustainable or renewable materials.
Develop relationships with local and sustainable vendors.
‣ Carpool or use less energy-intensive means of travel when you can. Try the bus or train if you can on
occasion. Try walking or biking to work.
‣ Before you get too far along, familiarize your organization with how NOT to communicate your
“greenness.” Read the FTC’s Green Guides for environmental marketing and the Seven Sins of
Greenwashing.