small business, big impacts issp webinar

A webinar on how sustainability initiatives A webinar on how sustainability initiatives positively impact a company’s bottom line

Presented by: Sustainability4SMEs and the International Society for Sustainability Professionals; October 22, 2013

William Sarni, Director and Practice Leader, Enterprise Water Strategy:

© 2013 Sustainability4SMEs.com, All Rights Reserved

Researcher Introductions� Martha Young

� Graham Russell

© 2013 Sustainability4SMEs.com, All rights reserved

Large Corporations

� Realizing real Benefits

� Innovations

� New markets

� Influencing supply chain� Influencing supply chain

� Achieving real impacts

� Social

� Environmental

� Economic

© 2013 Sustainability4SMEs.com, All Rights Reserved

Bottom line: There is a significant opportunity for SMEs to achieve comparable results

Goals of the research� Hurdles and how to overcome them

� Identify the best place to begin

� Resources available

Define the roadmaps� Define the roadmaps

� Industry specific case studies

© 2013 Sustainability4SMEs.com, All Rights Reserved

Bottom line: There is an opportunity to convert sustainability adoption from a trickle to a waterfall!

Briefly, project mechanics� Disciplined approach

� Identifying market demand

� Survey instrument

Driving respondents� Driving respondents

� Case studies

� Endorsements for the research

© 2013 Sustainability4SMEs.com, All Rights Reserved

Bottom line: There is a need for research, how-to information and industry-specific success stories for SMEs across all vertical markets

Preliminary Findings

© 2013 Sustainability4SMEs.com, All Rights Reserved

Hurdles & Barriers

© 2013 Sustainability4SMEs.com, All Rights Reserved

Sources of

Information

Identify the top five sources, (with #1 being the most important) the Company

uses to obtain information on Sustainability best practices, methods

for implementation, and tools for measuring success

© 2013 Sustainability4SMEs.com, All Rights Reserved

3734.6

32 32

23.827.3

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

measuring success

Different verticals, different driversReal Estate / Construction Professional Services

10.53%

5.26%

21.05%

Seen major benefits obtained …

Influenced by interns, new …

Personal values of CO's …

6.67%

0.00%

36.67%

Seen major benefits obtained …

Influenced by interns, new …

Personal values of CO's …

© 2013 Sustainability4SMEs.com, All Rights Reserved

0.00%

10.53%

0.00%

5.26%

0.00%

10.53%

10.53%

15.79%

10.53%

10.53%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25%

Upstream supply chain …

Customer demand

Regulatory compliance issues

Risk mitigation

Finance incentive govt, …

Rising cost of commodities

Rising costs raw materials & …

New mkts, prods or other …

Emphasis on driving costs out …

3.33%

13.33%

3.33%

10.00%

3.33%

0.00%

3.33%

10.00%

10.00%

6.67%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20%25%30%35%40%

Upstream supply chain …

Customer demand

Regulatory compliance issues

Risk mitigation

Finance incentive govt, …

Rising cost of commodities

Rising costs raw materials & …

New mkts, prods or other …

Emphasis on driving costs out …

Local is important!

© 2013 Sustainability4SMEs.com, All Rights Reserved

Bottom line: Small and mid-sized businesses need local support

Wrap up� Trusted advisors such as trade associations, accounting

firms, chambers of commerce, etc., contact us to learn how your organization can access the data

� Small or mid-sized company, complete the survey� Small or mid-sized company, complete the survey

� Sign up to be a case study

� Obtain free global recognition through the media channels supporting the research

� Receive free professionally written case study for your marketing team to use as desired

© 2013 Sustainability4SMEs.com, All Rights Reserved

Questions and Answers

Survey access:

www.Sustainability4SMEs.com

© 2013 Sustainability4SMEs.com, All Rights Reserved

eMail:

MarthaY@Sustainability4SMEs.com

GrahamR@Sustainability4SMEs.com

Thank you to the ISSP for hosting this webinar.