All things being equal, I have always assumed that the typical consumer might elect to patronize a green business vs. a non-green business, so I was pleasantly surprised when I ran across a survey from last June that confirmed this very thing.

Javelin Strategy and Research, a consulting firm that does research for financial services companies, did a survey last June and asked 2,350 respondents if they would be more likely to do business with a company they percieved to be green and 43% of those surveyed said “yes.”

43% is a big number when you are in a competitive industry (and what industry isn’t), so if you haven’t already thought about how you can go green, then you may want to start formulating a plan. 

Think about it.  Even if Javelin’s research is wrong and only 10% of your potential customers choose you over the competition because they are aware that you are making an effort to be more green…it is still 10%.  And we could all use an extra 10% these days.

To further make the point, think about what kids are learning in school.  It is unlikely that there are many school age kids that are not being taught to recycle, save energy and go green.  Recycling is the norm for kids today – much like wearing a helmet while riding a bike or knowing how to use a computer.  We are living in a different world and as business owners we need to realize this and start taking the small steps necessary to make sure we aren’t left behind. 

In the not too distant future kids might be telling their parents not to go to this store or that restaurant because they aren’t green…or conversely to go to this store or that restaurant because they are.  And in 10 or 20 years when these kids are full blooded consumers they will likely expect a business to be green.  In fact, green will probably be the rule rather than the exception by then and non-green companies may find themselves at a disadvantage, so there is no time like the present to start thinking about becoming energy efficient or using renewable energy in your business.

For more information about what you can do to be more green, the EPA has put together a comprehensive guide to saving energy that you can download here.