Climate change, social responsibility, embracing sustainability and ethical processes are global concerns that affect us all. As women in business and solopreneurs, we are in the perfect position to make a difference.
Although sustainability may sound like a buzzword, it is, in fact, a vital strategy that not only reduces the negative impact we have on our environment but also brings our community together.
In the Woman Who network, we often explore the importance of sustainability in business and keep the conversations flowing around reducing the negative impact and shaping a sustainable future.
But why does sustainability matter in business?
- Community – a sustainable business positively impacts your local community.
- Environment – reducing your waste, conserving resources, and reducing your footprint helps your local area as well as the planet.
- Savings – reducing energy consumption and improving efficiency can help you save money, which you can put back into business growth.
- Advantage – your customers are looking for businesses that offer sustainability. Give yourself a competitive edge.
- Compliance – get ahead of the game before the government introduces strict guidelines.
Sustainability is crucial, but how can you integrate processes into your business?
Tips for running a sustainable business
- Goal setting – think about the SMART (specific, measured, actionable, realistic, and timely) goals you can set for your business that offer a solution to sustainability. Can you reduce single-use plastics, adopt renewable energy, or source local goods by the end of 2024? Do a business audit that includes your current impact – where do you need to make changes?
- Pack it in! – can you use biodegradable packaging materials or recyclable options if you sell products? Are the products you sell eco-friendly?
- Collaboration – can you work with suppliers who share your values and goals for sustainability? Working together, you can reduce the social impact of your supply chain.
- Work from home – where possible (and if you aren’t already a home-based business), start reducing your carbon footprint from commuting. You could also attend our Woman Who online network events. Power down your equipment when you’re not using it and consider switching over to renewable energy sources like solar power.
- Go green – when buying goods and products for your office and business, aim to buy products with sustainability certifications. Global Office Supplies is at the forefront of sustainable office products – is there a local company that can offer similar products?
- Get on the same page – if you work with a team, ensure everyone understands your sustainability goals and can work together to achieve them.
Make a positive impact
There are many reasons why running a sustainable business impacts your brand in a positive way. Aside from making savings and having a market edge, you also create trust and credibility with your customers. People buy from people – give your audience another reason to know, like, and trust you!
Sustainable businesses are also seen as being more resilient and adaptable, a trait that has been necessary in recent years.
As a woman in business, it’s a strategic advantage for you to reduce your environmental impact, engage with the community, and create a sustainable business that benefits the planet.
Shape a better, brighter, and more prosperous future for you, your business, and your community as a whole.
“Many business leaders are seeing the relationship between long-term success and sustainability, and that’s very heartening.” – Jacqueline Novogratz, CEO of Acumen
Woman Who Inspires Events
Each month, Woman Who hosts the Woman Who Inspires Online Network, and tickets to our October event are now live.
With Woman Who events, networking, inspirational speakers, and learning will be included with this month’s theme, Sustainability.
In business, we need to network to increase our contacts and our pipeline of work for the future. Whether you network online or in person, you can share your networking tips and learn new ones.
It is an absolute pleasure to attend the Woman Who Networking events and also to be part of the Woman Who Achieves Academy. The monthly networking events attract a wide range of individual businesswomen and provide so much more than just networking. The inspirational speakers deliver quality content and are more than willing to share their knowledge and expertise. Membership of Woman Who Achieves Academy is extremely good value for money with flexibility to participate around any busy schedule. So many well-structured topics are discussed with the ability to catch up on replay with any missed subjects.