Dollars and Cents

Today I’m here to address a common misperception that green business isn’t as profitable as traditional business practices. This just isn’t the case. Yes, while SOME green practices and products might cost more, many others are cost neutral or cost saving. Not to mention that another important aspect of sustainable or green business is eliminating waste and increasing efficiency which can have huge cost saving effects to your bottom line. Embracing sustainable business practices doesn’t have to be daunting and the possibilities are abundant for making small to large-scale changes in your business depending on your situation and level of commitment.

A shift to more sustainable operations and green products can have a positive impact on your brand reputation and revenues. This is particularly true in a tourism-based business where your guests have lots of options, are looking for a unique experience, and are out of their routine and consequently more in tune with their surroundings. The Global Sustainability Report reveals that 66% of consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable brands. With these same consumers currently spending some $128.5 billion dollars with sustainable brands per year. With this amount increasing year over year, as a business owner its time to learn how to benefit from this trend. Consider your business for a moment, what changes might you be able to make to decrease your footprint?

As a hotelier I’d like to tell you about a few of my favorite hotel green practices that cost very little to implement. I think you’ll find that some variation of these practices is possible at almost any business. One of my personal favorites is motion activated lighting. Increasingly hotels are using it in guest rooms, restrooms, and back of the house locations, where lights tend to get left on at times when they aren’t needed. The cost savings of powering down during these times can be huge in a large building. Water bottle filling stations are another of my favorite new trends. Travelers often use excessive amounts of plastic water bottles because that’s what’s available for purchase in most locations. While a water bottle filling station does have an upfront cost, the ongoing cost of providing the service is minimal and the impression on the guest is huge. Not to mention that this opens another sales opportunity to sell reusable water bottles branded with your logo. A final practice I’d like to mention is providing a limited housekeeping option. If you’ve stayed at a Sheraton in the last few years you may be familiar with this concept. In this program a guest staying more than one night is offered a small incentive for waving stayover housekeeping service. This in turn decreases the amount of labor for the hotel and saves on the costs of washing linen and replacing partially used single use items like shampoo bottles. I particularly like this concept because is truly a win-win-win for the guest hotel and environment.

If you have been inspired by this blog post please leave a comment about what sustainable business practices your company has implemented or wants to implement.