The Benefits of Taking Your Small Business Green

An interview with Patricia Gaylor

During the last 25 years, interior designer Patricia Gaylor has achieved just about everything that anyone in her profession could want - prominent exposure at showcases and industry events and a steady stream of well-to-do clients who can afford to invest in her innovative ideas.

So why did she decide to transform her business to “green” by specializing in environmentally responsible interior designs? So much so that she was selected to create environmentally responsible interiors for BASF’s Near Zero Energy House, a state-of-the art green building in Paterson, New Jersey.

When we saw Ms. Gaylor present her interiors on Good Morning America a few weeks ago, we were fascinated by all the green materials she was able to use: beautiful moldings made from cherry wood that is veneered over a substrate of chopped wheat stalks, bedsheets made from bamboo, pillows stuffed with recycled plastic bottles and other environmental wonders.

How and why did Ms. Gaylor take her company green? What have the benefits been? Our Executive Editor Barry Lenson called her up to ask.

Barry Lenson: When did you first see the advantages of going green?

Patricia Gaylor: I guess it was always in the back of my head. Even as a young woman just starting in business, I was extremely uncomfortable in an office setting. Those offices were windowless and eerily lit, with inadequate ventilation. And in those days, smoking was actually permitted! So suffice it to say, I never lasted very long in an office situation. Thank God! I was able to find work that had me in the field most of the time. Over the years, as I learned more about “sick building syndrome,” I still felt helpless in terms of exactly what to do about it. It's only been in the past few years that this problem has been seriously addressed, and “off-gassing” has become a familiar term.

BL: How have you let customers know that green design is now a core activity of yours?

PG: I never really made a huge deal out of it, or got on my soapbox. Green design is front and center in the media at the moment, so I don't have a problem now at all in attracting customers who are interested in green design. But even prior to this recent movement, I would speak to my customers about their initial design needs and then talk about why creating a natural, enduring, and non-toxic environment is essential on so many levels.

First of all, if children live in the house, it's a given that the parents will want it to be as healthy as possible. And I always stress ENDURING. There are so many shows on TV that make design and remodeling look so easy and quick, and it simply isn't true. The quick fix doesn't work. And it doesn't last. All that sloppy weekend warrior stuff winds up in a landfill pretty quickly.

BL: What have the benefits and advantages been to your business?

PG: Well, of course, the benefits speak for themselves. One Earth, One Chance to get it right. We all can do small things towards a cleaner planet. By simply changing one regular light bulb for a compact fluorescent one, you are saving hundreds of pounds of carbon emission. And carbon emission is what causes global warming. Just think if we ALL did it, what a difference it would make. That's the advantage.

BL: That’s the big-picture stuff, but how does going green help the bottom line - by attracting customers, cutting costs?

PG: Being more conscious of the environment, and promoting your business as earth-friendly, can only make your business look better in the eyes of the customer. Many large manufacturers of goods that I use for my interior design practice, like ceramic tile and carpet, are actually making money on the reclamation of their scrap materials. So not only do they look environmentally friendly in the eyes of the public, they are using their waste to create new products, and saving money at the same time.

Small businesses can do the same thing on another level, by promoting their green awareness, gaining respect from their customers and building new business on that basis. It becomes a win-win situation for everyone involved.