University of Vaasa - Vaasan yliopisto

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This paper draws on both primary and secondary data and looks at three case studies
of UK-based SMEs. The research intends to investigate the specific characteristics of
sustainable entrepreneurship in these companies and looks for the commonalities
therein. It looks at start-up issues and investigates how the principles of sustainability
versus those of growth and profit play out in the small company arena. The study
seeks to analyse both the entrepreneurial characteristics of the ecopreneur and the
defining eco-elements of the business. The first of the case studies is Pachacuti©, a
fair trade clothes business run by Carry Somers. The second is Ecocabin, an
environmental holiday business run by Kate Grub and the third is Bricks and Bread -
a sustainable building organisation run by Trudy Thompson.
Literature Review
The phenomenon of ecopreneurship is still an emerging one and its literature is a
comparatively young (see Linnanen, 2002, Pastakia, 1998, Schaltegger, 2002.) A
working definition is offered to us by Schaltegger (2002): “ecopreneurship can be
roughly defined as ‘entrepreneurship through an environmental lens'. This paper will
build on this comparatively young literature base and will focus on a particular
element within the broader definition of ecopreneurship - sustainable
entrepreneurship in SMEs. One of the main thrusts in the literature is the
development of a typology of ecopreneurs, defined by Pastakia (1998) to be “a new
breed of eco-conscious change agents who may be called ecological entrepreneurs
(ecopreneurs for short.) Individuals or institutions that attempt to popularise ecofriendly
ideas and innovations either through the market or non-market roots may be
referred to as ecopreneurs.” As yet there is little consensus on such typology and
little distinction of the particular behaviours of SMEs. One of the more common
distinctions however, is the delineation between social and commercial ecopreneurs
according to their objectives. Linnanen (2002) seems to agree stating that
ecopreneurs can be classified according to 2 criteria: 1: their desire to change the
world and improve the quality of the environment and life, and 2: their desire to
make money and grow as a business venture. He goes on to say that: “these two
dimensions seem to be independent. The first dimension of pursuing the good life,
like sustainability, is an acceptable goal but it is primarily an inefficient business
concept” (Linnanen, 2002). Linnanen typifies ecopreneurs along these conflicting
axes and notably a high “desire to change the world” coupled with a low “desire to
make money” results, in this typology at least, in a “non-profit business.”