Features / Sponsored Feature
Is sustainability relevant to microbusiness?
As a micro – or small – businesses it might seem that ‘Going Green’ doesn’t really apply to you. However there are many ways you can use sustainability to your advantage, whilst also gaining real business value from it. I recently spoke at a local event for micro businesses (under 10 employees) and compiled my top tips, here are 5 of them..
1. Walk the Talk: A micro business which delivers services usually has quite modest impacts, however you can still be actively working to reduce your negative impacts e.g. energy, paper use and travel. Actively addressing and communicating these helps to ensure your credibility.
2. Set Vision & Goals: It is essential to have a strong vision of where you want to be – and how you will get there – based on the real sustainability issues affecting your business. Completing Bristol’s Go Green Action Plan is a great place to start.
3. Integrate It: It is important that your environmental and social aims are embedded into your strategy and business plan. Historically many businesses have had a sustainability policy and report which stood alone, but they are only really useful if you integrate them.
4. Products & Services: You can have real positive impacts through the advice you give to others, perhaps this can also provide you with a competitive edge e.g. as a designer – do you know how sustainability issues affect choices for materials, printing, paper and waste; or for a financial adviser – can you advise on ethical pensions?
5. Be Bold: It is worth remembering that creating the future we want does not simply mean doing things a little bit better than we did yesterday e.g. using a little less energy or creating a little less waste. The challenges we now face provide an opportunity for us to be much more creative, collaborative and innovative about how we live and do business.
If you would like to find out more then come along to our next event; ‘Cutting through the Greenwash: How Sustainability can add Real Value for your business’ on September 10 with local green business experts Triodos Bank, Ecotricity and Go Green. To secure a place contact me: Traci Lewis, Sustain-Live Consulting; traci@sustainlive.org
Look forward to seeing you there, in the meantime have a great summer.
Bristol Green Capital year is a perfect time to ensure your organisation or business is more sustainable. We provide a free Sustainability Health Check to identify how you can make your business more productive whilst improving your social and environmental impacts. www.sustainlive.org
Our top newsletters emailed directly to you
