Sometimes, an idea is just so simple and good, it makes you slap your forehead and wonder why no one thought of it sooner. Professor Muhammad Yunus, the “father of microcredit”, spent years developing the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh with a financial concept that turned business lending on its head: lend self-selected groups of women up to $3,000 to get their small businesses off the ground.
The goal all along was to eradicate poverty, not to make a profit. Yet the loans perform positively, with repayment rates in excess of 99%. And this concept can work in any economy, and any culture, from its origins with 7.5 million Bangladesh borrowers to Grameen’s presence in 38 countries and over 100 million microcredit loans. Continue reading
Here in North America, energy use represents approximately 30% of operating costs for commercial buildings, and HVAC comprises 30-80% of that energy cost. It’s not rocket science to recognize that implementing simple, energy efficient measures can dramatically reduce consumption; accordingly, business owners and commercial property managers are actively seeking ways to leverage these efficiencies without the costs and complications associated with complex burden of major structural improvements. 
Since 1999, La Sirena Grill has been committed to supporting sustainability and what they deem “some simple beliefs: to preserve the planet for future generations, nurture the soil, be humane to animals, and accomplish zero waste while creating innovative food and a place to enjoy family and friends.” Not such a small order!
some other catchy alliterative phrase, corporations around the world are embracing the concept of the 
Businesses and concerned citizens around the country are doing their part to conserve energy and incorporate more eco-friendly practices into their lives. Reusable bags are prevalent, recycling is commonplace, BPA-free water bottles are toted, incandescent light bulbs have been replaced with CFC’s….the list goes on. But one obstacle for many small businesses to joining the sustainability movement remains: the ability to calculate current environmental impact.