Working with Small Businesses

Rural businesses are expected to be disproportionately affected by climate change over other businesses. More extreme weather events will cause greater property damage and increased insurance premiums. There will also be more disruption to weather-dependent industries like tourism or sports. Businesses reliant on the agricultural sector will also see worse impacts, as yields are expected to decrease with changing weather and reduced access to fresh water.

At the end of the day, businesses will primarily be concerned about their bottom line: they can’t do any good in their community if they can’t keep their doors open. Being a small business in a rural area, they may be very conscious about limiting their spending as much as possible, and that sometimes might mean making the less environmentally conscious decision.

You might also find that businesses will lean toward their customers’ preferences: a surf shop or café might be more interested in taking action on climate change than an agricultural products dealer or local auto body shop, as climate action might attract more of their target customers. Consider tailoring messaging depending on the types of businesses in your community. If your economy is predominantly based in agriculture, try aligning messaging with the personas that align best with that segment. If it’s predominantly a tourist destination, you might align better with other personas, depending on the types of tourists and businesses you have in your community.

However, each business will be owned by different individuals with their own unique beliefs and perspectives on climate change and how to respond. These personas may ultimately dictate how a rural small business owner receives messaging about climate change. When keeping messaging to small businesses general, there are still strategies you can use to communicate effectively. Climate Outreach, an organization dedicated to supporting public engagement with climate change using evidence-based communication strategies, developed a guide for working with small and medium-sized businesses on climate action. Here are their top six key principles to effective communication:

1. People don’t just define themselves based on who they are - they also define themselves based on who they are not. Tell business owners that taking climate action isn’t something that just environmentalists do - it’s something we all do.

2. Communicate from the ‘values up’, not the ‘numbers down’. Facts and targets don’t necessarily appeal to everyone. Instead, use stories that connect the business case with the values of the person you’re speaking to.

3. Connect climate change with other environmental concerns, and the desire for a less wasteful society. Reducing energy consumption and wasted resources is a widely held goal.

4. Highlight how action on climate change is an issue of security. Security is an important issue for businesses, and our uncertain future with climate change can be a risk to business owners.

5. Highlight continuity with what is familiar and trusted. Aligning with their need for security and certainty, business owners might be receptive to conversation about how renewable energy is making the best use of our resources.

6. Stress the inevitability of a low carbon future. The low-carbon transition is already underway in both the public and private sectors. If businesses feel this is the normal thing to do, they will have less reason for postponing action.

To learn about other strategies and tips for effective communication with small businesses, read the full guide here.