Business Sustainability: A Noteworthy Evolution

In 1994, before I joined Impact Enterprises, I wrote in a personal journal while on a winter backpacking trip:“…These are moments that create lasting impressions; the quiet, the invigorating air, and the spectacular views of what I perceived to be unspoiled and undisturbed nature. The realization that we are all a part of this wonder instills a fear that one day we may lose the control this wonder has given us. We are responsible. If we choose to abandon this responsibility we eventually will lose many of the privileges we currently enjoy. Nature has given us control; we are accountable.”

Twenty years later the National Restaurant Association, Harvard Business Review, the city of Las Vegas, the State of Texas, and many other organizations and municipalities are documenting the long-term economic benefits of being ‘accountable’; accountable for business sustainability. This requires investigating strategy options that will allow businesses to adapt to environmental conditions, regardless of their origin, that arise and are beyond our control. See “Redefine the Business Environment”

As we approach the beginning of a new year, it is a good time to evaluate options for business strategies. This is not a gloom and doom scenario, just a common sense approach for sustaining a business. Many businesses, all sizes, have already instituted new strategies; strategies that will ensure their continued success while preserving the limited resources required for them to endure. The days of ‘environmental responsibility for societal recognition are past. Environmental responsibility now embraces a responsibility for business sustainability.

Impact Enterprises and I joined forces for several reasons, one being my interest in developing eco-friendly products; eco-friendly products that would not compromise Impact’s internationally recognized design capabilities. The recycled metals and solid woods from Verified Sustainable Forests that we use for our binder covers, menu covers, and accessories have the most varied, branded, and distinctive finishes in our industry, and are in demand worldwide.