A panel of industry experts recently gathered at the MBA University in Bellevue to share innovative ways to integrate “green” practices into small business.

The networking breakfast was an opportunity for local business owners to learn ways sustainability can be good for the bottom line while increasing profitability and vitality to a business.

Carolyn Hope, a past president for the Sustainable Development Task Force of Snohomish County, gave a definition of what being “green” in business means. She defined sustainability as meeting the needs of the present without comprising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.

“In retrospect, this is the third time the sustainable movement has been pushed through the marketplace,” she said. “But this time around — it’s here to stay.”

Panel guests Brenda Nunes, a certified sustainable building adviser, and Cheryl Isen, the president of Isen and Company, both agreed.

“On the regulation front, energy is a hot topic right now,” Nunes explained. “Frankly, it’s the hottest topic out there. Public awareness is at an all-time high. These are issues that people are no longer going to ignore and they expect the business industry to step up and do their part.”

“By empowering your organization and focusing on something substantial, your employees will feel involved and will gain enthusiasm to stand behind their work,” Hope explained.