How To Make Your Small Business Green?

90% of Australian consumers are more likely to buy sustainable products.

That’s what a recent report revealed.

What’s more, 85% of consumers want brands to be more transparent about their sustainability policies and initiatives. 

In a world where resources are dwindling fast and the negative effects of consumerism are showing, consumers are becoming increasingly concerned about the environment. 

And they now expect companies to lead the change with green policies.

Not only is going green good for your business in terms of PR, but it also helps you save money.

So, in this post, we’ll share five easy ways to make your small business more sustainable.

Turning Your Small Business Eco-Friendly

Reduce Meeting Costs

Sure, meeting a potential prospect face to face is sometimes critical and a virtual meeting just wouldn’t be the same. But for all the other meetings such as team meetings, presenting to your existing clients or negotiating new terms with your suppliers, hold a virtual meeting or give a phone call.

The pandemic has accelerated the adoption of video conference tools such as Zoom and normalised virtual meetings making reducing the cost of meetings easier than ever.

Go Digital

Tempted to print brochures to advertise your new services to potential clients? Don’t. In this day and age, promoting your offering online is not only easy but it’s also the most effective form of advertising.

For example, emails have the highest ROI across all marketing channels! For every $1 spent email marketing generates a staggering $38. There are heaps of great ways business owners can use emails to help their business scale.

Plus, think about it. What happened the last time someone gave you a brochure?

That’s right. It probably ended up in the trash.

Don't get us wrong, there are some businesses that still flourish with traditional media - and if you're one of them, consider moving to more eco-friendly products such as recycled and sustainable paper.

There are also other ways you can advertise digitally, including Facebook, Google and TikTok. Check out our articles which will walk you through how to get started advertising on each of these platforms:

• ‍How to set up your first Facebook Ad
  
• ‍How to set up your first TikTok Ad‍
• How to set up your first Google Ad

Reduce Your Energy Consumption

Love blasting the air con in summer even if it’s not particularly hot, just out of habit?

You might have to adjust if you want your business to be more sustainable.

‍Research has shown that lowering the temperature by only one degree can increase your energy consumption (and therefore your electricity bill) by 10%.

Here are some other steps you can take to transition into a more sustainable business:

• Conduct an energy audit to identify areas where you could reduce your consumption and save money
• Use cut-out switches. This will allow you to cut out standby power usage
• Set up automatic lighting sensors
• Choose green energy providers
• Purchase hybrid vehicles for your vehicle fleet
• Fix any leaky taps in the office
• Consider investing in solar energy for your office (if you have the capacity to)

Buy Green

Whether it be the paper you use for printing, the electricity provider you select or the equipment manufacturer you choose, always enquire about their sustainable policy and invest in green products.

They might cost you a bit more at first but they’ll last you much longer and will allow you to save money down the road.

And don’t forget to let your customers know about your sustainable initiatives. They’ll appreciate the effort and reward you for it!

Reduce Plastic Use

Did you know that Australians use 70 billion tons of soft plastic each year including things such as food wrappers?

Plastic is convenient and it’s everywhere, making it readily available to consumers. But unfortunately, plastic isn’t just found on supermarket shelves. It’s also present at the bottom of our oceans, the peak of our mountains and even in our blood!

So, to reduce your plastic use drastically and work toward a 0 plastic office, here are some of the main things you can do:

• Encourage your staff to bring their refillable water bottles and reusable cups. You can even provide them with branded water bottles and reusable cups to encourage them to use them.
• Use bulk condiment containers and avoid single-use servings at all costs.
• If you provide fruit for your employees, buy it fresh and never wrapped in plastic.
• Use recycled, recyclable or biodegradable bin bags

Need Business Insurance?

At upcover, we’ve created an instant quote generator where you can get an estimate on market-leading insurance in seconds. Simply enter your occupation and expected revenue to get started.

This way, you don’t have to spend precious time scouring insurance providers and can focus on growing your business with your team.