As a small business owner, you’re probably already aware of the importance of sustainability. After all, companies that are good for the environment tend to thrive. But with so many different definitions floating around, it’s hard to know exactly what makes a business sustainable. And even if you think you understand sustainability, there are plenty of pitfalls that can trip you up along the way. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to make sure your company thrives long into the future, and they start with making sure your sustainability is on point. Keep reading for essential tips on how to create and maintain sustainability in your business.
Create A Sustainable Business Plan
The first thing you need is a sustainable business plan. This will help you create a blueprint of what your business’ sustainable future looks like. Think about the five-year goal for your company and how you’d like to make it happen, including what values the company needs to live by and how you think you’re going to get there. Additionally, think about sustainability in terms of your company’s stakeholders, your employees and customers. If you want them to be invested in your company’s sustainability, then they need to know that their input matters as well. It can be easy to brush sustainability off as an afterthought, but when it comes down to it, this is critical for the long-term health of your business.
Sustainable Materials For Your Products
One of the most important steps in making sure your business is sustainable is ensuring that the materials you use are coming from a sustainable source. You want to make sure there’s no harm inflicted on the environment or people during the production of your products and materials. It’s not always easy to get information about where your materials and products come from, but there are plenty of resources available. For example, if you’re considering a new printer for your office, you can search online to find out how much energy it uses and what its carbon footprint is. If you have an interest in buying coffee beans, you can check their fair trade status online. If you want to be really thorough about this process, you could even put together a questionnaire for your suppliers requesting all the information about their sustainable sourcing practices.
Environmentally-Friendly Packaging
Environmentally-friendly packaging is one of the easiest ways to increase sustainability in your business. When you package your product, think about how it will end up after it’s opened. For example, when you ship a product to a customer, will they put the box in the recycling bin, or will it end up in the general waste bin? If your packaging is environmentally-friendly, you can rest easy knowing that if your box is put in the wrong bin, it will biodegrade quickly without causing a negative impact on the environment.
Improve Your Knowledge With A Business Sustainability Course
One of the best ways to start creating and maintaining sustainability in your company is by taking a business sustainability management online course. These courses offer vital information about business sustainability, including what’s involved with being sustainable and how you can incorporate it into your day-to-day business decisions. This information will help you identify things that might be harming your company’s long-term impact without realising it. You might even find that some aspects of your business are unsustainable. Either way, these courses provide invaluable insights into how you can improve your company’s sustainability management.
Reduce Your Paperwork And Consider Going Paperless
One of the easiest ways to go green and create sustainability in your business is by reducing paper. Consider going paperless or at least aim to reduce your use of paper as much as possible. You could also offer a digital rewards program for your customers, which can eliminate the need for coupons and vouchers that are not reusable. If going completely digital is not an option for your business, you could improve your sustainability by changing from normal printing paper to recycled paper.
Get Your Employees Involved
Get your employees on board making your business more sustainable. Start by educating them about the importance of sustainability and what it means for your company. Next, you’ll want to make sure they know how to reduce any negative impact their work has on the environment. Additionally, you might want to encourage them to recycle or upcycle materials instead of disposing of them. If you have an open office space, you could encourage employees to walk more often instead of taking the elevator or using a coffee machine that requires disposable cups. Finally, hold regular meetings with your employees so they can share their sustainability best practices with each other and come up with new ways they can improve these practices as a team. As long as there is continued education and communication between all levels of employees, sustainability will become second nature for everyone involved in the process.
Encourage Staff To Use Eco-Friendly Alternatives When Commuting
One of the simplest ways for a company to be sustainable is to encourage staff to use eco-friendly alternatives when commuting. Whether your employees are driving, biking, or taking the bus, you can help make the world a better place by promoting the use of low-impact transportation.
Make Contributions To Charities Committed To Sustainability
Support charities committed to sustainability. Giving back is always a good thing, but giving back in a way that ensures future sustainability is even better. By giving money and time to these organisations, your business will not only be able to provide essential funding for causes that need it, but you’ll also be supporting causes that are important for your industry. Not only does this help ensure future success for society, but it helps produce long-term results for your company as well.
Use Local Suppliers
When you purchase products locally, it benefits both your business and the environment. In addition to supporting a local economy, it also cuts down on transportation costs and emissions.
Conclusion
The idea of becoming sustainable can seem daunting, but with a little foresight and planning, it is possible. The single most important thing you can do is create a plan. Take the time to develop a sustainable business plan, get your suppliers onboard and educate your staff and customers. As you work towards sustainability, don’t be afraid to make mistakes and learn from them. Successful businesses are made sustainable by the people who are involved in them. By taking small steps to make your business more sustainable, you are ensuring that your business, society and the planet will continue to thrive for years to come.