It is not easy to be a sustainable small business. You are often working against the flow of your industry, society, and region. The path of least resistance is usually not aligned with your values, from unethical supply chains to fossil fuel based utilities to a low minimum wage. Thus, every company eventually hits a wall where they cannot take further action on their own. They must go beyond their doors to make a change.

Here is the thing: even though sustainability issues are global, you are going to have more influence and direct benefit from acting right within your sphere. It is great to want to solve problems around the world, and it can be frustrating when your efforts are halted by major systemic events outside of your control, but that does not mean that you are one hundred percent powerless. You don’t need to compete with the big players. In this blog, I am going to explore how a business can make changes by working with their municipality.

To take action on this, first make a list of people to reach out to. This could be a city councilor or city staff member. Check if there is someone specific to your industry or topic of interest, such as an environmental planner, sustainability committee, planning board, or transportation manager. Meet with several different people to establish relationships and get an idea of what the major priorities of the town government are. You can also explore the town’s website, social media, and other resources. Is there a Climate Action Plan available? What about a Capital Improvement Plan? Or a Master Plan? Find the places where city identity and goals are articulated and start to examine where you can place your business in that journey.

Based on those priorities and the political reality, the city government may end up taking regulatory steps, such as requiring businesses to have a net zero carbon reduction plan. If you are involved with the city, then you are better able to prepare for such changes. Ideally, you will be able to inform the process, offering perspective on what businesses can achieve and how they can benefit. Make it easy for the city to access your knowledge and experience to make better policies.

Many places are taking the time to analyze the risk presented by climate change and other sustainability issues. To be a prepared business owner, you need to know how your world is going to change. Is flooding a concern? What about drought? How will your supply chain be impacted? Is there sufficient workforce housing planned by the city for the next ten years? If you look to the future and can’t see your business continuing to thrive in that area, you need to take steps to either move or improve the situation.

Throughout all of this, you should be developing strong stakeholder relationships with your community. The city manager, selectman, clerk, etc. are all people who could be valuable contacts. Take the time to understand their needs and see if your business can help. If you are in a public facing business, you will benefit from being present in the community. This can help with customers, but it can also be of benefit for attracting talented employees who already live in the area. Bolstered goodwill and an elevated presence are important for your business.

There is a limited amount of impact you can have with just your own operations. You are in a system whether you like it or not, so decide what you want to do about that system. Maybe you can advocate for more low-impact transit support. Perhaps you want to support affordable housing initiatives. Perhaps you want to reduce waste but can’t support an entire new waste management system on your own and would fit better in a city-wide initiative. Whatever it is, there can be value for multiple stakeholders found in sustainability.