Into the Future
Into the Future
No, not off into the galaxy – a future right here on earth. A future that’s doing well by doing good. A growing number of customers want to know that businesses are doing something to make things better. So, how do you position yourself to be that business?
Here are three ways to make that happen:
- For starters, look at those pesky regulations with fines for non-compliance. Pick one that you’re not complying with and make it part of your mission to fix that one thing. If you’re getting warnings consistently for exceeding water use, start looking at the reason for that. Are there leaks that are causing the overuse? Is there a process that uses a great deal of water? Can you filter it and reuse it? Look around and find the causes.
- Familiarize yourself with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Pick one where you can see a way to meet the goal. UN SDG 8 is Decent Work and Economic Growth. You can ask your local Small Business Development Center (SBDC) to provide training for your employees. SBDC can help you make your employees more effective for your business and you can increase salaries as you promote people who know your mission from within.
- It’s not enough to fix a problem. You want customers to know that you’re doing the right things. Put a poster on the wall that lets customers know that you train and promote from within. Put one up to show how much you’ve decreased some type of waste. If you’re in your Chamber of Commerce, mention it at meetings. If you’re in a service organization, do a presentation about the value of training employees or decreasing waste.
Customers want to do business with businesses they feel good about. Position yourself to be that business. Make profits, people and planet your path to a sustainable and more successful future.
