Sparks Flying over the Green?

I’m lucky in that when I started my business, I decided to do so myself. While it can be a burden sometimes, it also means that I get to make every decision. What I say goes. I’m the boss. You don’t like it? There’s the door.

Most businesses out there have more than one owner, though. Whether your business partner is an old friend, a like-minded business acquaintance, a spouse, or some else, you won’t always see eye to eye on everything, including going green.

The major problem with small businesses becoming more environmentally-friendly is another type of green – the money type. While you may be willing to sacrifice a bit of profit to be nicer to Mother Nature, your business partner may not be so happy about the salary cut. Now, chances are that you have an agreement in place that decides how you make business decisions, but it is nice to have all partners on board with any choice so that there’s no resentment anywhere.

Are there sparks flying between you and your business partners over the cost of going green? If so, here are a few things you can do to compromise without continuing environmentally-poor business practices.

1) Cut costs elsewhere. Take a look at your business budget. If you’re going to go green, how much extra will it cost every month or year? Where can you save that money elsewhere. For example, if it will cost you $5000 more in principle and insurance every year to pay for hybrids rather than your current gas-guzzling fleet, can you save money by doing things like washing the cars yourself instead of having it professionally done, opting for one cell phone per car instead of one per person, and shopping around for better drivers’ insurance plans. If you can save that $5000 somewhere else, your partner should be more willing to make the switch.

2) Offer to take control of the changes. Sometimes, a partner will be hesitant because it will not just cost more money – it will also take more time. Offer to be the person who comes in on Saturdays to get that greener copier up and running or be the person to spearhead green employee training. The less your partner has to do, the more willing he or she will be to change.

3) Ease into the expensive changes. There are tons of green changes you can make to actually save money as well, so start by suggesting these options. Here are some of the best options we’ve mentioned in the past here at Greener Assets that are better for the environment AND your wallet:

• Recycle your Old Cell Phones
• Choose Staple-Free Staplers
• Use Rechargeable Batteries
• Switch to Green Banking

Remember, going green is worth the fight. If your business partner and you don’t see eye to eye on whether or not you should paint the office orange or hire someone just to make coffee every morning, maybe it is time to let that argument go. The environment, however, is important, and I hope you’ll fight to get your way on this one!