Green Incentives Don't Help Small Businesses

"As I have studied the various ordinances and incentives for going “green” around the United States, I have found that many of the benefits for sustainable development primarily go to the larger developer. These include a rebate of impact fees or abatement of property taxes—incentives that directly benefit mostly large companies who are developing their own facilities.

But what about the small businesses? Take Central Florida, for example, where I live and work: Approximately 85% of the businesses in the greater Orlando area are small businesses with 15 or fewer employees that lease space of less than 15,000 sf. These small businesses usually are not in any position to benefit from the green incentives typically offered by municipalities for development.

We all hear in the news the ways large corporations are embracing the green movement. They often lead the pack with new trends—sustainability, for instance—and then it filters down to smaller businesses. However, a number of my small business clients are hesitant to incorporate green practices, much less start a building from scratch with “green” in mind. They find it too costly to jump on board the green bandwagon."