The Triple Bottom Line Blog

Over at Sustainable Industries--a "green business leadership" magazine we've just added to our blogroll--columnist Kevin Sweeney offers some thoughtful advice about how small businesses should interact with government. Although he doesn't use the phrase, his suggestions are all designed to maximize the "sweet spot" you can hope to find through lobbying efforts--the area where social benefit and business advantage overlap.

Sweeney's chief recommendations for effective lobbying include:

"No secrets." In other words, don't say or do anything in private that you wouldn't want reported on the front page of tomorrow's Wall Street Journal.

"Focus on frameworks." That is, look for ways to influence the philosophical direction and broad regulatory structure of government policies in ways that will be good for the environment and good for your business.

"Don't go it alone." Look for partners in the environmental community who can give your efforts greater expertise and credibility. (We would add: Partnerships with others in the business community can also be a valuable source of added strength.)

Oddly, Sweeney ends his column with a seemingly contradictory point: That, in the long run, business and society would be better off if companies were completely uninvolved in lobbying efforts. We're not sure we agree, and we're not even sure we fully understand Sweeney's argument here. (If companies pay taxes, like other "citizens," shouldn't they have a right to express opinions about the government policies and programs they pay to support? Seems logical to us.) But you should read and decide for yourself--Sweeney's a smart guy with much to say that's relevant and worth learning from.

Labels: Kevin Sweeney, lobbying, Role of Government, Small Business