With the environment in business at the top of every one’s agenda, could environmental consulting be the next big thing?

With the credit crunch the way it is big businesses are cutting down on costs and one of the first things to go in the budgets along with marketing and training are normally temporary staff – that that includes consultants.

So management consultants need to look at other areas in business that need a helping hand and consulting on environmental issues could be the opening they are looking for. Many companies need to at least being saying positive things in their literature to jump on the environment bandwaggon but also actually make changes that reduces their carbon footprint as well as recycling more and using less energy. This will of course impact their bottom line positively but generally there aren’t experts withing companies, especially smaller companies that can undertake these tasks.

That’s where outside help comes into play and many consultants could retrain – or just skill themselves with what’s required and develop programmes that they can roll out in businesses. Of course business need to see either cost savings or improve revenues from such programmes so this should be at the front of any environmental programme that’s developed.

It would appear that it won’t be top management who would hire in such experts but people who are already experts within a company – We say that’s nonsense as all businesses want to do their bit for the environment. If you are a consultant looking to get into this area, why not contact some companies now and see what they say. If you already have a sketched plan of what you are offering then go through this. What do you think?