Business Sustainably

It’s such a watchword it’s almost a cliché. But, make no mistake, sustainability is what every business-owner needs to be thinking about. Growth without it is at best short-term, at worst completely illusory.

Thankfully, there are certain steps one can take to soup-up the sustainability of any operation. Firstly, what do we mean by sustainability?

Desperately Seeking Sustainability

In recent years, sustainability has come to refer to environmental factors. As the issue of resource depletion has grown in importance, so has the need for a company to demonstrate that it prioritises planetary peril in its list of concerns.

However, as all-important as ecological matters are, sustainability has a wider meaning. It can refer to how the business can survive all manner of privations and threats to its wellbeing. In this sense, sustainability is all about robustness. We’ll look at this aspect first.

Net Cost

There’s growing awareness of the vulnerability of business to cyberattack. Consequently, businesspeople should at some point turn their thoughts to such operations as disaster recovery planning in case of failure of IT and voice services.

As businesses become more comprehensively linked to other bodies via the internet, it’s becoming increasingly important that these touchpoints are looked at and checked for safety.

Sturdy Staffing

Businesses are only as good as the staff within them. It’s a hoary adage but a sound one. So, a sensible business-owner should look at their staff and check firstly that levels are optimal, both operationally and cost-wise.

Following this, other checks need to be done. Is there succession planning in place? Are there any training needs in evidence? Are your staff performing as you would like them to? Are they happy?

It’s only by attending to the short, medium and long-term needs of the staff that a business can be truly sustainable.

World-ly Wise

And so we come to the environment. Eco-awareness crept into the spotlight in the 1960s but was for a long time dismissed as countercultural, marginal and not compatible with commerce. However, once it was clear that the disasters forecasted by those farsighted forebears were actually coming to pass, it became incumbent upon all to polish their planetary profile.

So, what can businesses do? Lots.

Shipping

Companies can offer green options for getting goods from seller to buyer. Examples include DHL Go Green and DPD Total Zero, which are net zero shipping options.

Packaging

This can be made all recycled (and recyclable). Or sustainably sourced. It can also be minimised. Or it can be repurposed. For instance, H&M has a shopping bag that turns into a clothes hanger.

Returns

Returns can be made less likely by ensuring that product information is correct and up to date on the website.

Remote

Finally, businesses can invest in remote working tech so that commuting is cut.

The great thing about eco-sustainability is that it contributes to the general sustainability of the business. Ethical or environmental concerns dictate the purchasing of 28% of consumers. Make sure you keep them happy.

Lasting Value

Any business that’s in the business of sticking around has to think about its sustainability. The stronger its construction and the better its eco-ethic, the more a business will achieve growth that will be both long-term and laudable.

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