In the larger corporate world, small businesses are usually the least well equipped to manage and respond to changing trends in environmental best practice as they are time poor and need to focus on their business operations before they can devote time to adopting new, greener business practices.

SEREG recognises this and has invited local businesses to participate in an exciting new pilot project that will help them reduce operating costs and achieve environmental best practice.

Thanks to a $222,000 AusIndustry grant from the federal government, the City of Gosnells, in partnership with the South East Regional Energy Group, Maddington Kenwick Sustainable Communities Partnership and Swan Catchment Council is piloting an innovative new project in Gosnells.

The Switched on Business and Industry (SOBI) project seeks to improve sustainable business practices within the Cities of Gosnells and Armadale and address environmental efficiency of small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs) -  namely organisations with less than 20 full time equivalent employees. 

To date, 154 businesses from across the Cities of Gosnells and Armadale have joined their Councils in the fight against climate change by participating in the Switched on Business and Industry (SOBI) project. 

Phase one of this innovative pilot was completed in the second half of 2008, and 154 'switched on' businesses have all received a Sustainability Assessment by a specially trained Assessor.

The initial one-on-one assessments focused on increasing energy and water efficiency, and reducing waste, whilst simultaneously increasing profitability and service quality.

Personally tailored reports were prepared and distributed to all participants shortly after receiving their initial Sustainability Assessment (or A Audit).  The confidential reports have been instrumental in helping business owners and managers understand where they are using the most resources in their business, and also provide detailed recommendations on how to reduce their operating costs and environmental footprint.

Twenty-five managers from participating businesses also took advantage of the opportunity to further hone their Sustainable Business Management skills by attending one of two specially tailored workshops held in March 2009.

Local member the Hon Helen Morton MLC was delighted to do her bit to help the environment by participating in the SOBI project.

'Having a sustainability assessment helped us to identify ways to increase our environmental performance and reduce costs', she said.

'Being part of the Switched on Business and Industry project has challenged us to take personal responsibility for how we use resources such as power, water and office stationary.'

SEREG is currently in the process of completing the second round of assessments, or 'B Audits' as they're commonly known, that commenced in June 2009. Follow up assessments are an important component of the SOBI project, as they enable SEREG to collect and analyse data from the same businesses (12-months on), and quantify the financial and environmental savings achieved as a result of implementing some of the recommendations contained within SOBI reports.

If you're interested in reducing your operating costs and/or 'greening your bottom line' then visit our Switched on Business Solutions [insert link to Business Solutions webpage (3a)] webpage for more useful information, downloads and handy links.

If you have a specific question relevant to your business that you would like answered by a syt! staff member click here.