T

he Small Business Administration defines a small business as, “one that is independently owned and operated and is not dominant in it’s field of operation.” Some would add on to this something about not having over a certain number of employees. Whatever your definition, most businesses in the world are considered small businesses. Look at your own downtown district. Other than maybe a few major banks, the retail climate is small businesses, usually of less than 20 employees.

Most of these businesses will not manufacture anything other than food and will not have large truck loading and unloading goods on an almost daily basis such as the big chains like Target and K-mart. Most of these business owners hop in their cars or trucks and buy locally what they need to run their business. This does not mean though that they are not making an impact on the environment or climate.

Everything they choose to use, from what kind of light bulb to what kind of packaging material makes a difference. But the choice is usually convenience and savings or environmental friendliness.