by KELLI FONTENOT
Published June 1, 2011 in The Heights Observer
Published June 1, 2011 in The Heights Observer
Steve Presser, owner of Big Fun Toy Store in Coventry, is one of the local merchants participating in the Council of Small Enterprises' grant program for energy efficiency education. Photo by Kelli Fontenot
Small business owners who are interested in saving money, improving conditions for their clients and reducing environmental impact can apply to receive one of 85 grants for energy assessments as part of the Ohio Small Business and Energy Efficiency Grant program from Council of Smaller Enterprises (COSE). The deadline for applications is June 15.
According to Tim Kovach, COSE’s energy product coordinator, the $500 grants will be given to 85 businesses in Ohio, primarily in Cuyahoga and Lake counties; the Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton, and Toledo metro areas; and counties in Southeast Ohio.
The program, which was funded by a $100,000 grant from the Ohio Department of Development, aims to educate businesses with fewer than 100 employees about energy efficiency, Kovach said.
Through the program, business owners complete assessments that reveal how energy costs add up, what upgrades are possible, how much they cost, and what the long-term benefits are. Thirty-five businesses that qualify for the first grant can get an additional $350 scholarship for certification through the Green Plus program from the Institute for Sustainable Development.
"Green Plus helps businesses to review their operations to determine how they can become more effective and efficient, and how sustainability can be incorporated into that plan," Kovach explained. "I like to view it as a comprehensive business improvement program. It is more than just an effort to green one’s business; it looks at the business’s performance, how it relates to its employees and the community, and what impact it leaves on the environment."
Big Fun Toy Store in Coventry Village is among the businesses that are participating in the program. Energy efficiency might not be one of the first things to spring to shoppers’ minds amid the extraordinary array of memorabilia, hard-to-find candy, retro magnets and quirky gifts sold in the city’s iconic toy store. But establishing a positive atmosphere for customers and reducing environmental impact are top priorities for Steve Presser, the store’s owner.
Presser submitted detailed monthly statements about the store’s energy usage to receive a customized energy audit provided through the COSE grant. Green Street Solutions came to the store to check pipes and potential leaks in the building, and identify other common building issues that might affect his costs.
"I’m frugal and I don’t want to spend a ton of money, but I want to find out what I can do to help the environment," he said.
In Presser’s case, some of the needed changes were obvious, such as upgrading from incandescent lighting, but others were less evident. "I don’t have the ability to take an infrared camera and walk around and find out where I have leakage," he said, explaining that the auditors did just that, and found a place in the building where air was leaking out and significantly increasing his monthly costs.
Energy efficiency is becoming increasingly important for small companies, Kovach said, noting that not only are energy prices increasing, but research has shown that energy efficient companies outperform their competitors by 10 to 15 percent. In addition, energy-efficient lighting can make employees more productive and engaged, according to recent data Kovach cited. Furthermore, businesses with fewer than 50 employees pay 35 percent more than those with 100 or more employees, according to the Small Businesses Administration.
"Investing in energy efficiency is a great way to reduce costs, as well as free up dollars to spend on other areas that will help a business grow and increase the bottom line," Kovach said, adding that $3,000 grants will go to 25 companies to help them carry out recommendations from the initial assessment, he said.
Presser qualifies for the $3,000 grant through the Department of Development and said he plans to use it to pay for a more efficient air conditioning system, replacing the current unit at the Coventry Road location.
"It’s such a great opportunity," he said. "You could be losing $100 a month in energy costs, and for a small business owner, those dollars add up. With this grant, I can create a better environment for my customers, I’m saving money and I’m energy efficient."
As president of Coventry Village Merchants, Presser’s goals go beyond bringing his own store’s utilities up to date. Businesses in the area are working together to turn Coventry Village into a green neighborhood, he said.
Through a partnership with the Sustainability Plan Clinic at Baldwin-Wallace College, the Coventry Special Improvement District is promoting a neighborhood approach to sustainability, considering adding recycling in the restaurants and other initiatives to help Coventry become one of the leading districts in the city.
The City of Cleveland Heights offers corrugated cardboard and paper product recycling bins. In addition, Presser’s business uses spring water and recycles regularly. In fact, his wife, Debbie Apple Presser, is an artist who creates sculptures using recycled materials. Some of these are displayed in the store’s front window.
At another Coventry fixture, Tommy’s Restaurant, cars can pull up behind the restaurant to fill their tanks with biodiesel, demonstrating one of the many steps the city has taken to become greener.
"We want to create a model that can be used in other neighborhoods—an example of several businesses implementing [green practices] in a way that’s economic and efficient," Presser said, adding that this makes the area attractive both to shoppers and to potential residents, increasing the neighborhood’s value.
Kovach agrees that Cleveland Heights is already a leader in this area. By mid-May, four businesses had signed up to receive a grant, and several more expressed interest. As part of the effort to concentrate on specific neighborhoods and encourage businesses to collaborate, Kovach and Nicole Stika, director of energy programs for COSE, met with business owners across Ohio to share details about the program.
Whether businesses are interested in attracting environmentally-conscious customers, capitalizing on the potential to reduce expenses, being green, or saving the world, an energy assessment can help, Kovach said. "It’s up to the business owner to decide what’s most compelling for them."
Businesses can apply for a COSE grant at www.smallbizenergysaver.org, or by contacting Kovach at tkovach@cose.org. Businesses that are religiously affiliated or home-based are ineligible. The $3,000 grants are awarded on a first come-first served basis.
