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If you in any way follow the news, politics or current affairs, you’re unlikely to have missed the widespread talk of a green revolution of one sort or another sweeping the business landscape of the country and the world beyond it. It is one of the very few topics on which almost every politician and business leader are in broad agreement – the planet needs some assistance, and the most important thing we can all do is live sustainably.
In business, sustainability is even more important. When people talk about us all needing to do a little more, that really goes double for commercial energy use. Whether it’s a manufacturing plant, an office with multiple computers and other devices, or a store with plenty of lighting, businesses use more power than people – and just 100 companies are somewhat responsible for 71% of energy use worldwide. So, while the message may be to make sustainability a watchword for your business, it’s clear it needs to be more than just a word.
Think about how your new business can be a green business
Even if it’s not a field of particular expertise for you, sustainability is a matter of clear importance, and it’s not going to go away. So if you can think of a green angle for your new business, it is worth focusing on that angle to ensure a more environmentally conscious delivery. If you need further convincing, then consider how you might benefit from the R&D Tax Credits engineering companies can currently claim. The same credits are also available across a range of STEM-based businesses looking to find greener solutions to existing problems.
You set an example to more than just your customers
If you’re a green-focused business, then a lot of your sales process is going to involve educating the customer about why your product is beneficial and why they should care. You’re doing good work out there, and it will make a difference, but making a difference closer to home is also important. It’s useful to have brainstorming sessions with employees, too. As people are already conditioned to green thinking, your employees will be more receptive to recent discoveries in sustainability and occasionally unknown facts. For example, recycling food packaging is beneficial, but just a small amount of oil on it can render a whole pile unrecyclable. Also: recycle every plastic bottle you can – they’re important!
Walk the walk, but talk the talk too
It’s hard to say this and not sound cynical, so let’s just get it out of the way. Being a green company, and letting that be known to customers? It’s not a bad thing for your business’s profitability. Customers are increasingly making ethical choices because not doing so is likely to hasten environmental disaster. So being a company that is on the right side of the fight against that disaster is a selling point. It shouldn’t be why you take a more sustainable approach, but the rewards for taking that approach will go beyond a warm fuzzy feeling. And yes, that does sound cynical – but let’s be honest, the less sustainable companies aren’t exactly going to be worrying about their messaging, are they?
You may also like: 6 Ways To Go Green for Your Small Business
Image source: Pixabay.com
