GOING green has paid off in spades for Grassroots Productions founder Gillian Milne.

The Yarraville small business owner was awarded a $5000 grant from the Victorian Employers’ Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s (VECCI) Grow me the Money program last week for her eco-friendly business approach.

Her home-based business, Grassroots Productions, is a boutique event management company that specialises in eco-friendly business events, weddings, celebrations and other functions.

Green measures include running the business on green power, recycling, using grey water and favouring green suppliers.

It’s not a new concept overseas, but Ms Milne found she had her work cut out for her here, where eco-friendly events were uncommon.

Ms Milne, 33, tapped into her entrepreneur instincts in 2004 when she went back to university to get a degree in event management.

After a couple of years’ research, she started off Grassroots Productions in December 2008 – at the height of the Global Financial Crisis.

Apart from the trouble of getting her company’s name out there, Ms Milne also had to contend with many events contracting substantially as businesses and people started cost-cutting.

“It was really hard,” she said.

“(But) I’ve always had determination and belief in what I’m doing. I wouldn’t want to do anything else.”

Ms Milne, who has one employee, has spent the past year organising a range of events around Melbourne and hopes to expand this year by opening her own office.

She eventually wants to organise her own eco festival and other sustainable living events.

VECCI’s Grow Me the Money is a year-long online program designed to help small to medium businesses become more sustainable and save money.