Impactful Sustainable Business Practices That Will Make an Impact

In the past, some organizations pursued sustainability outside the business environment. Yet, there’s a valid case for businesses to embrace sustainable practices. Many companies are adopting the idea, understanding that there’s room to get profit and attain social and environmental benefits. In doing this, the business can get unexpected business advantages.

This realization has inspired the development of a new model called corporate social responsibility (CSR), where for-profit businesses put an effort to achieve environmental and social goals besides their organizational objectives. Courtesy of Behind the Leaf, here are some of the ways you can transform your business practices for sustainability.

Embrace Sustainable Marketing Practices

Sustainable marketing includes marketing practices that involve products and services that respect the environment. The idea is to transform the quality of life by promoting practices and products that don’t harm the environment. Through sustainable marketing principles, you can oversee an efficient marketing system. Also called green marketing, this involves practices that help a company focus on environmental and social investments.

One of the ideas you can pursue for sustainable marketing is to embrace digital marketing. Social media marketing as a part of digital marketing is one of the tools you can use to reach your target audience in your marketing strategy. For you to run an effective social media campaign, you might want to consider enlisting the talents of marketing agencies. 

Last but not least – as far as marketing is concerned – you can probably already tell that it’s a complex process with a lot of moving parts, so you might want to utilize a go to market strategy template. That way, you won’t miss (or neglect) a vital element – especially in today’s cutthroat business environment where you rarely get a second chance.

Sustainability Work Policies

To enhance your sustainability efforts, you must also draft a sustainability policy for all your employees. You can make it a culture that all employees should turn off computers when they complete a task. Doing this can lead to great power savings, and it’s a positive step toward promoting sustainability in your business. The daily business process should include steps that contribute to environmental conservation.

Chemical Management

There is more information about the impact of chemicals on the environment.  You should strive to use green cleaning products or non-chemical products to manage pests and weeds. Use a chemical vendor to train employees on the right way to use and dispose of chemicals. When you outsource cleaning to a professional company, always insist on using green products.

Encourage Volunteerism

Another way to involve your employees is through volunteerism. You can use many strategies to pursue this goal and ensure sustainability in your business environment. For example, you can give your employees paid time off if they wish to volunteer in environmental programs.

Even something as little as two days of volunteer time off each year can empower your employees. Also, consider a company-wide volunteer drive, wherein you encourage your employees to volunteer at the local charity for a good cause.

Operating from Home

If you are running your business from home, consider sustainability practices for your home office, as well. Look into eco-friendly upgrades like solar panels and smart windows. Also, If you're going to be making these kinds of updates, make sure you keep track of them, as certain home improvements can actually improve your home's overall appraisal value.

Rethink the Supply Chain

If you produce and sell physical products, you should analyze your supply chain to find opportunities to embrace sustainability. For materials, you should source responsibly. If you buy from external vendors, research how the materials are produced and only work with companies that enforce sustainable production. Also, set up systems to reduce the consumption of natural resources.

Lastly, embrace practices that contribute to reducing carbon emissions. These include installing smart sensors in your facilities to ensure cooling, heating, and electricity are managed automatically.

In building a sustainable business, you learn the best ways to analyze different business models that can drive change. You can explore ways to consciously address the widest-reaching challenges that make it challenging to achieve sustainable business management.

Behind the Leaf helps minority women see small business ownership as a viable opportunity for economic advancement by offering educational products, workshops, and networking events so that they can access resources and connect with mentors who understand & empower. Schedule a free consultation today!

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Written by Amy Collett; a_collett@bizwell.org