Page 8 - BUILDING BETTER BUSINESSES, FOR A BETTER ECONOMY -( David White - DRG )

ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND BUSINESS

IN THE GREEN ECONOMY

S uccessful businesses are those that provide true value-adding products and services to society,
to improve our quality of life, and to reduce waste and inefficiencies.

Entrepreneurs are the business minded and creative individuals whom we will look towards
for compatible and technological advances, and we will look to consumers and shareholders to be
responsible in their purchasing and investment decisions. It will take all the people in the world to
ensure we meet the challenges of change to being Green, or we as a planet of people and nature will
disappear as other so-called ‘advanced’ civilisations have done before us.

Entrepreneurs and start-up businesses have low success track records, and as such are wasteful of
precious resources such as raw materials, money and time. The Green Economy will require more
planning, resourcing and environmental impact studies to ensure their contribution to society is
meaningful and appropriate.
Start-up businesses will require superior leadership to what we see in business today. They will require
stronger functional foundations, better engagement structures, and will need to meet expectations of all
stakeholders in all chains of society. They will need to remain aware of the wider impact of their activities
to avoid unintended consequences, and instil ‘first do no harm’ as their organisations guiding philosophy.
Of course, the fundamentals of doing business may not change much. We will still have customers,
staffing, reporting and compliance requirements, shareholders and communities to service providers.
But aspects such as environmental preservation and zero carbon emission programmes will become
norms. Nevertheless, Enterprise Leaders must remain vigilant – forces for change may come into play
without warning e.g. the Corona virus. Business models and thinking must guard against becoming
fixated upon the ‘right’ formula and retreat into a comfort zone.

Better leadership, resourcing and planning, will be guided by legislation and wise mentorship. The
Technological Age will require that the entire value chain in businesses be clearly thought through and
approved, before the business commences trading. As such we will have fewer business failures, and
society will have less unskilled and unemployed people. It is quite likely that people will work less hours
per day, week and month, but all will have adequate funds to live healthy and contented lives.

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