Communicating your business's sustainability commitment
All businesses can benefit from embracing sustainability, not just massive corporate giants with lots and lots of energy output. Small businesses that are smart and committed also adopt effective sustainability practices and reduce their energy consumption in their day to day operations.
But adopting sustainable practices alone isn't going to give you a competitive advantage - you also have to communicate your efforts, market them to your customers. We're not talking about Greenwashing here (when you make some cursory sustainable efforts and then shout them from the rooftops to get some positive PR). We're talking about showing your customers that your business cares, because you actually do. Communicating your commitment internally and externally gives your employees something to take pride in. Communicating externally gives your business partners and customers a certain expectation about how you do business.
So how do you communicate your sustainability commitment?
1. Write it down
Develop a plan, publish it (using your website, Facebook, anywhere really) and then measure it.
2. Choose visibly sustainable products
Choose cars and utes that are sustainable and efficient. Your travel to jobs is one of the biggest expenses in a trades business and this will also over time help to reduce your costs.
3. Go electronic
Give quotes, receipts or brochures etc via email and communicate that they are only available in paper form on request. Of course, this might clash with your quoting effectiveness so choose the right things. Flyers and even newspapers are often seen as unsustainable choices in terms of marketing too, so think about what paper advertising says about your business.
4. Recyle
Instead of taking all trade waste to the dump, recycle what you can.
5. Give discounts for sustainable options
Communicate your caring for the environment by incentivising sustainable choices with discounts. Not always appropriate to affect your bottom line but putting your money where your mouth is makes a strong statement about your commitment.
6. Only use subcontractors with similar standards
When choosing suppliers or subcontractors, investigate their sustainability practices before hiring or signing contracts.
7. Locally source products
Products that travel less are less harmful to the environment. Sourcing local timber is an example of what you can do, but obviously some products have to be imported or distributed from a central Australian location. Simply having the awareness of where your products come from can help to affect your supply decisions.
8. Offer sustainable qualifications
Get qualified as a sustainable tradie and offer this service to your customers.
