Green Business

By Stephanie Brandt of Mama & Baby Love

Going Green is no longer a passing trend, it has stood the test of time and is currently catching even more steam as big business such as Walmart jump on the bandwagon. More and more businesses are realizing that being environmentally and socially conscious will not eat away at their bottom line and consumers are more willing to make the effort to make good choices for themselves and for the earth. But what does it mean for a business to be green? A green business is an ecologically-friendly business. It is not limited to any particular market — it could be any kind of product for any market. What characterizes a green business is that it is run in such a way as to conserve natural resources, eliminate waste and remain ecologically in balance.

A Green Business improves employee morale & the health of the workplace, holds a marketing edge over the competition, strengthens its bottom line through operating efficiencies and is recognized as an environmental leader.

In the book, Getting to Scale: Growing Your Business Without Selling Out

by Jill Bamburg, it shows that it is possible for socially responsible businesses to grow and compete with more conventional ones.

Mama and Baby Love is playing their part in creating a lighter ecological footprint. The walls of the yoga studio were painted with milk-based paint, the floors are bamboo and all fabrics and materials are organic. They also recycle and all printed material is printed on recycled paper. All cleaning supplies are organic and non-toxic. The retail that is sold up front is all organic and natural and from companies that are environmentally and socially ethical. Mama and Baby Love is also a member of the Green Yoga Association. Love, made the decision to go green in part to protect the majority client based served: pregnant women and babies but also to lead by example. To show that going green is not outrageously expensive or non-attainable to the average small business owner.

For example, b amboo is actually much cheaper than most types of real wood floor choices. Bamboo is not a wood it is a grass. Unlike a tree, which can take decades to grow to maturity, bamboo is ready to harvest with 4 or 5 years. It also protects the environment and the air we breath. It is the fastest growing canopy for the regreening of degraded lands, and its strands release 35% more oxygen than equivalent standing trees.

It all comes down to thinking before you buy. Always do your research and try and choose the low-impact, energy saving or non-toxic version of it.

Thank you Stephanie for the great article!

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