While many of the checklist actions are applicable to most businesses, there may be some optional measures that are not applicable to your business. The "n/a" check box should be checked when you don't have control over a particular item or it does not apply to your business. For example, one of the checklist items is “Give or sell reusable bags." For non-retail operations, this will likely not apply. In this case, you should check the n/a box.

Some businesses might have a high number of “n/a” actions in certain sections of the application (possibly including “REQUIRED” actions), disproportionately limiting their available options. For example, even though you own your building, you might not have landscaped property, so many of the actions in the Stormwater Management & Efficient Water Use section would not apply. In such circumstances it is particularly important to indicate which actions are not applicable to your business, and this will be taken into account in determining whether your business meets Green Business Certification standards.

As a general rule of thumb, the percentage of actions to be completed in any section should be equivalent to the percentage requirements listed in the application. For example, if you are required to complete five out of 10 actions but only four are applicable, then you should implement two of them.