The concept of green business has been around for quite some time. Recently, there has been an increased amount of attention placed by small business owners as well as entrepreneurs to align their ventures towards a more environmental friendly one.
This week, I am glad to have Paul Smith, a green business consultant from GreenSmith Consulting, joining me on this interview segment. Paul is quite an influencer and thought leader in the field of sustainable and green business.
In this interview, Paul shared a lot of great tips on things to look out for when looking into a go green plan, why entrepreneurs and small business owners should take note of the movements in the sustainability field and some useful resources that are worth checking out.
Interview with Paul Smith, Founder of GreenSmith Consulting
Wayne: Hey Paul. Welcome to Wayne Liew Dot Com Entrepreneur Interviews, a segment where entrepreneurs share tips and insights that they have about entrepreneurship as well as running a business.
Paul: Thanks Wayne, glad to be here.
Wayne: Paul, before we move on to the questions I have for you on green business and GreenSmith Consulting, which is your consultancy business, do you mind taking a few minutes to tell the readers a little bit about your background and what GreenSmith Consulting is all about?
Paul: Sure. I’ve long had an interest in sustainability, social enterprise, basically, finding creative solutions and new possibilities for progress in how we do business and live in the world. I bolstered that passion and entrepreneurial tendency by going to Presidio School of Management in San Francisco to get an MBA in Sustainable Management.
Paul: Also, I’ve always been a writer in some form or another, and for the past several years it’s been as a blogger, for Ecopreneurist, Triple Pundit, and most recently, the GreenSmith Consulting blog. Communication of ideas is as important as the ideas themselves, and I help companies do that, connect them with their customers via social media focused PR.
Wayne: Thanks for the intro, Paul. Let us dive into the topic today, which is the concept of green business. Green business is currently the buzzword in the world of small business and business in general. Why do you think the concept deserves the attention of small business owners and entrepreneurs?
Paul: I think that, as someone said, there soon won’t be the term "green business," it will just be "business". It’s really about doing business in a way that is good for the long term health of the business, along with the planet and the people who live on it.
Paul: With our changing world in terms of climate, resources, and population, it’s going to take some smart, agile, collective thinking to keep going. I think, no matter what your motivation is, doing business in a way that makes your customers want to make a point to do business with you over others, over the advertising static, is a healthy place to come from as a business. More and more people are demanding it.
Wayne: I am sure that a lot of small business owners will have this question in mind due to the economic downturn. If I were to make my business more eco-friendly, will it result in additional costs and will the expenses be worth the money?
Paul: It depends on the business, what your particular costs are, fixed and flexible, but in general, keeping ahead of the curve of government regulation, creating a product that meets both people’s needs and their wants, at a competitive price, is a wise move.
Paul: In recently talking to Tom Szaky of Terracycle, he addressed this concern directly. He found, across the board, only about 5% of people are willing to pay a premium for a sustainable product. He was able, through using less expensive "waste" for source material, to make an equal or less costly product, cutting out that choice people have to make when buying, between quality or price.
Wayne: That’s a nice little research there. From your green consulting experience, apart from the costs, what are some other aspects that pull your prospects back from investing in a go green plan?
Paul: My clients are all committed, but elsewhere I think that for some, they hesitate because they are concerned that their still not completely "green" product or service will be considered greenwash by consumers.
Paul: In reality, nothing is ever totally green, there’s always room for improvement. And just by being transparent about it, that you know you’ve got ways to go, but are actively seeking to improve how you produce, what you produce, and how you distribute it, people can understand that.
Paul: Money is of course a concern for many right now, with a tight credit availability at least in the US, but now is exactly the time to go greener, because you and your employees can seek out ways to be more efficient, benefiting the bottom line and making you leaner and stronger when they economy does pick up.
Wayne: I think there are still a large portion of small business owners out there that are hesitant despite the publicity that the concept is getting. Do you have a case study or an example that can reflect the benefits that a company or business is able to reap after opting to go green?
Paul: Act2GreenSmart is the newly launched division of Shoreline, which was a maker of laptop cases and sleeves. They committed to converting their entire line to being made from recycled plastic soda bottle based materials. Within 15 months, they completed the conversion.
Paul: Where Shoreline’s market share had been declining, Act2GreenSmart’s has been steadily increasing, and they’re now sought out as industry experts at conventions on how to do this. Also, they are currently negotiating a partnership with a major company to collaboratively make a huge impact on the industry.
Wayne: Nice example. Let’s say that a business owner wants to embrace the trend of turning his/her business into a more eco-friendly one. What will be your Top 3 recommendations or suggestions for him/her?
Paul: Top 3 recommendations: 1. Look for the obvious, early wins, to get your company inspired. 2. Ask your staff where they see opportunities. They’ll tell you things you wouldn’t have thought of. 3. Read blogs, many of them, to see what insights that are currently out there, and what resources you can use appropriately to your industry that will make the most short and long term impact.
Paul: And when reading blogs, use Feedly as an RSS reader. It’s an incredible tool for connecting a lot of different resources.
Wayne: Speaking about blogs, what are some of the blogs on green issues and tips that you suggest small business owners or entrepreneurs to read?
Paul: There are many. Of course, I recommend Ecopreneurist and Triple Pundit, along with GreenSmith Consulting blog, but there’s also EcoGeek, Greenbiz.com, etc. Green Biz has several focused blogs under one umbrella, it’s a great resource for many different types of businesses. Another recommendation is this: When reading articles on these sites, follow the links to other sites, see which of those interest you, and subscribe to them too.
Wayne: Thanks for sharing the resources and tip. 
Paul, let us talk about your green consulting business, GreenSmith Consulting, for a while. Basically, what can a small business owner or entrepreneur expect when they approach you for a green consultation?
Paul: Many things. I am a green business Swiss Army knife of sorts, but currently my focus has been on social media.
Paul: As my site puts it:
- I create interest in, conversations around and business for green (and greening) companies, via social media.
- Essentially, I get your company known out on the web, with results to go along with it, and the depth of knowledge and resources to support it. Who I have and want to work with includes consumer, media, clean tech, NGOs, social ventures, and museums.
- I have a deep network of resources, and I put them to use, both to help a business more effectively go (or be) and green business, and in particular, being a blogger myself, I have a more personal connection with many influential writers, enabling some quality, effective articles to be written on high traffic sites.
- I track what happens, and both initiate and respond to conversations that happen on there, both serving as a voice for the company and a conduit to people there that can best answer questions brought up.
- I create mechanisms so that tangible results are trackable for the client.
Paul: One more thing, I leverage my influential presence on Twitter to get people talking about, sharing, and participating in what the company has to offer. This page lays it out well: GreenSmith Consulting One Sheet.
Wayne: Cool. You are definitely a green business Swiss Army knife. What makes you stand out from other consultants because I am sure that you yourself is aware of the huge amount of business consultants out there?
Paul: See the link above. 
Beyond what that says, I have a background that is both firmly based in the sustainable business world, but I am also well versed in how business is conventionally done these days. I am also an effective "bridge" if you will, in helping both company and customers see how doing business more sustainably makes sense. I see the big picture, rather than just individual components. This is important, since businesses can think that by changing just one or a few aspects, they’re done.
Paul: It’s important to be aware of what your decisions affect elsewhere. I help guide them in doing that effectively, and with my deep, broad network, I can help businesses do anything they need to.
Paul: But at the base of it, I help take what they do and make it makes sense to the consumer. As I said at the beginning, being able to effectively communicate, and then (this is crucial) having a critical mass of influential people know about it, is key.
Wayne: You know what Paul? Actually, while preparing for this interview last night, I am quite impressed with how you detail the kind of services that you offer on your site and why you are the expert in this field. You have definitely provided a lot of great tips throughout the interview. Are there any last words that you would like to direct to my blog readers before we round up this interview?
Paul: Thanks very much Wayne. Hmm, I’d say that this is a prime time to do something new and different with your business. While others may be reigning things in and being overly cautious, your prudent moves forward will help you now, and later. If I can be of any assistance in doing that, please let me know. I’ve helped businesses from all over, why not yours?
Wayne: How can my blog readers can get in touch with you if they are interested in getting more tips on building a green business or transforming their current business model into a more eco-friendly one?
Paul: paul {at} greensmithconsulting {dot} com is my email, or they can connect with me on Twitter at @GreenSmith. And of course, www.greensmithconsulting.com is my site.
Wayne: Thanks again Paul for joining me on the interview. I hope we can have you on in the future because I’m sure that there will definitely be some updates in the green business field.
Paul: You’re welcome Wayne, would be happy to, you know where to find me.
Interview with Paul Smith on Green Business Afterthoughts
As described in my definition of entrepreneurship, I am an entrepreneur who are always on the look out for opportunities to add value to the society. Green business and the opportunities are some of topics that I have been reading since months ago because the aim of making the world a better place caught my attention.
In the interview above, Paul broadened my spectrum by saying that the most important part of an initiative to go green is actually the gradual improvements made over time. There is absolutely no need to pump in a huge investment instantly to turn your business green.
What are Your Thoughts on Green Business?
What are your thoughts on moving your current business model towards a more eco-friendly one? Also, what are some green business opportunities that you are interested in or currently working on?
Submit your answers and share your thoughts in the comments section. Hearing from you is priceless.
Also, if you like the above interview and would like to receive notifications for future interviews, subscribe to Wayne Liew Dot Com Newsletter now by submitting your name and email address using the form below.
Photo Credits: Office Now
