Green businesses more likely to succeed, agree SMEs

RESEARCH by BT shows that SMEs are rising to the “green challenge” as quickly as their larger counterparts.

According to BT, nearly 70% of smaller firms now believe that it’s more important than ever for organisation to act sustainably despite the tough economic climate.

Meanwhile, more than half agreed that organisations that adopted sustainable business practices were more likely to succeed.

The findings reflect a similar study of large corporations, which showed a tenfold rise in the number of companies implementing green working practices.

Bill Murphy, managing director of BT Business, said that sustainability was no longer a luxury for any business, regardless of its size.

“Improving your processes and tackling your carbon footprint isn’t just good for the planet – it also makes great business sense”, he said.

However, despite the positive findings, confustion still surrounds small businesses and sustainability with nearly 60% admitting they didn’t understand how to be more green.

In recognition of this challenge, BT Business launched its own self-assessment tool specifically aimed towards small businesses in 2008.

BT BEST (Business Environmental Self-assessment Tool) is an online tool that advises small businesses on ways in which they can reduce their energy consumption and carbon footprint.

Mr Murphy said: “BT BEST offers small businesses free access to some of the expertise BT has developed advising our larger corporate customers.

“It levels the playing field for smaller businesses that may not be aware of how sustainable business practices in many cases carry financial benefits too.”