Sustainable advice: Can you find black in the green?

Much has been made about taking care of the environment and certainly it is considered mainstream these days. Yet many advisers are yet to see the value of green within their own businesses. Why is this case? Well there are probably several reasons if we think about it.

Being green has never been an imperative in helping clients reach their goals and it’s not something we have proactively thought about as a part of our day to day processes. We have not seen the black (the money) in being green as our clients haven’t asked for it. Some of us who wear suits may also privately see being green the domain of tree hugging hippies – yet we may never admit that in polite company.

Regardless of the reason, the reality is that sustainable living is fast becoming a growth area of all developed economies. Even though our clients aren’t overtly asking for us to be green, they probably wouldn’t be disappointed to know that we’re thinking about it and doing something.

So is there black in being green?

  • Avoiding waste can put dollars back in your business. Lighting, air-conditioning, paper are immediate thoughts. What about the design of your service experience. Does it create waste?
  • Being green as a peripheral in your client experience is likely to signal to clients that you care about the world you live and you’re not wasteful with the advice fees they pay you. Neither of those things will harm reputation.
  • Going green might also help you attract new clients to your business if you specialise in ‘green’. Almost every industry has an green provider. So why not an advisory business?
  • Your internal culture might also benefit from green consideration. Most homes have recycling bins in place, so why not your business? You are more likely to win the hearts and minds of your staff by being a positive force in your community than a negative one. Sustainable living might present and opportunity for meaningful staff engagement.
  • And certainly there’s long-term financial payback in living in a clean and healthy environment that allows you to continue to be paid for what you do.

There are undoubtedly other marketing and business reasons for a greater focus in the environment within your business. Perhaps start talking about it with your staff and see what their reaction is to it and go from there. For more ideas on how to create a service experience your clients will love, checkout Service 7.
photo credit: Sergiu Bacioiu via photopin cc

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