Two focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. Once you start your business, one of your challenges will be to keep it going. Likewise you want to think about its sustainability. The following contributed post is entitled, Top Ways to Make Your Business More Sustainable.
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Growing your business often means you have enough on your plate to deal with, without adding more. However, sustainably growing your business can improve your business, increase your profits, build your reputation, while adhering to future government mandates and doing your part for the environment.
Being more sustainable can often be perceived as something that takes time, hassle and extra money, and running a business doesn’t always mean having disposable income. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Sustainable practices can increase your customer base, and many of the things you can change can save you money.
You should begin by researching to see what changes are mandatory, how you can stay in line with the tcfd recommendations, what your competitors are doing, and how you can be more innovative.
Then you can move on to make changes in your business. Here are some of the top and easiest ways you can make your business more sustainable.
Review your properties
If your business operates in buildings, such as warehouses and offices, then you should start there. Firstly, you can review the government guidelines to see if there is any funding or access grants that you are eligible to apply for, to help you offset changes you wish to make.
You should review the energy efficiency of your buildings and the current practices of your employees. There are many small changes that you can make, which will add up to a big difference, for example:
● Change the lightbulbs to compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) or light-emitting diodes (LEDs)
● Replace kitchen appliances with more efficient ones
● Programme a timer to control your lights, heating and appliances to ensure they are not expending energy unnecessarily
● Keep your hardware maintained and efficient
● Ensure your buildings are well insulated and there are no leaks of air from your windows, doors or loft space
● Encourage a culture of sustainability by promoting cycle and walk to work schemes, reducing paper waste by moving to online systems and raising money for charities
Review your partners and suppliers
You have the power to make a change. It can often feel like you don’t, but you are essentially deciding with every purchase you make. This is a great opportunity to review the companies that you partner with, for example, manufacturers and service providers, as well the companies that supply your utilities in your buildings, to ensure their values align with yours and they are moving forward with sustainable practices. An important part of making your business sustainable and making impactful change is to ensure every part of your business is sustainable, not just the part that consumers can see. Do your research and find out more about the company’s you partner with and invest in, check their mission and operations, and ensure they have strong green credentials. Try to source local suppliers and work with local businesses to reduce your carbon footprint, and reduce any unnecessary packaging across your suppliers.
Getting started is the hardest part. When you have more knowledge on the subject, and steps that you can take, you can build momentum and improve your practices.
