Knowledge Bank

For this capstone project, our research team partnered with Green Scope, a Columbus-based sustainability consultancy, to develop tailored recommendations to strengthen its current service offerings and expand its market reach. This project began by conducting a competitor analysis on ten consultancies, broken into two categories: 1) zero-waste firms similar to Green Scope, and 2) broader corporate consultancies offering general sustainability services. To gather information, we held interviews with consultancies and reviewed publicly available data to understand each company’s client base, outreach strategies, and performance metrics. This research revealed leading industry practices and informed the development of a general competitor matrix and a zero-waste matrix for evaluating business strategies. Next, we performed a comparative market analysis of sustainability initiatives in Columbus, Minneapolis, Seattle, and New York City. This analysis examined key sustainability-focused legislation and programs in each city, identified cross-market similarities, and outlined opportunities for Green Scope to establish or enhance its presence within these markets. Building on competitor analysis findings, our team performed a comprehensive Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis to identify internal and external factors likely to influence Green Scope’s future growth. Additionally, we developed seven actionable recommendations based on insights gained from our research to guide Green Scope in expanding its service offerings. These recommendations include creating digital media content for clients, hiring a spatial data analyst, showcasing successful client stories, setting targets for Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and applying for the B Corp Certification. We also recommend that Green Scope establish a one-year follow-up interview protocol with clients and target companies seeking annual certifications that require waste audits.