9 Clever Ways to Run an Eco-Friendly Company

Business can be more than just cashing in your checks. You could conduct it in a way that goes in line with your morals, values and customer perception. In order to leave our planet in a good state for the next generations, we all need to do our part. 

An easy way to do so is by making your company more environmentally friendly. 

We’re not saying that your company will be able to reverse climate change, but you can take small steps towards sustainability. In this article, we’ll explain the importance of sustainability for your company and which steps to take to bring your brand to a new level. 

How does sustainability help businesses?

Nowadays, clients aren’t just interested in the products and services you sell, they also want to know what you stand for. 

It’s no longer a rarity to see brands openly discussing their political ideologies, efforts towards creating social change and more. Who you buy from is just as (if not more) important than what you’re buying. 

A popular example of this is Ben&Jerry’s. They are a company that puts its values front and centre and makes sure its consumers know how they’re spending their money. 

Supporting a brand like this makes people feel better about their purchases. With research showing that 82% of shoppers want to buy from brands whose values align with their own, it’s easy to see why ethical responsibility is so important. 

Furthermore, sustainability is also important to potential employees. In a study conducted by Brother, three-quarters of surveyed workers at small to medium enterprises expressed that sustainability is a crucial factor for them. 

Becoming environmentally friendly can be done in a variety of ways. We decided to focus on the ones that the widest variety of companies can utilize. 

Lower your carbon footprint with these tried and tested tips. 

Key takeaways

Ethical responsibility is an important factor for your customers, as well as potential employees.

What is customer perception?

As we’ve mentioned in the introduction, customer perception is an important part of your branding. 

Clients will want to know what you believe in and you want that perception to be in line with your actions. 

Therefore, customer perception should be the opinions your customers have about your brand that are based on your achievements. This is as important for new customers as it is for recurring ones. 

It can help you build loyal relationships with customers and in turn have a reliable monthly recurring revenue. 

A good way to work on your customer perception is by becoming more eco-friendly. 

Key takeaways

Make sure customer perception is in line with your actions and aspirations. 

Guide for running an eco-friendly business

So you’re interested in making your business more environmentally friendly? We have just the guide for you. Even if you can’t participate in every step, you’ll still be on the right track. 

Go paperless

Seeing how it’s 2022, there is no need to send out documents by regular mail. 

Going paperless won’t just save you the cost of paper and postage, it can also: 

• Speed up your sales process
• Help you avoid mistakes
• Increase the security of your documents
• Save you time 
• Help you sell more

With Better Proposals, you can easily create any type of sales document, even if you don’t have any previous design experience. Our editor is easy to use and we offer a library with more than 200 document templates you can customize to your needs. 

All of our business proposals come with a digital signature option. This completely removes the need for printing out your documents, scanning them or sending them via snail mail. Our digital signatures are secure and can be tracked with time stamps and the signer’s IP address. 

Furthermore, you can collect payment through your proposal. By integrating payment gateways (PayPal, Stripe or GoCardless) you’re eliminating the need for creating separate invoices.

In order to encourage your clients to read your proposals on the screen, we’ve made sure all the documents look amazing both on desktop and mobile. 

Going paperless will also help you eliminate physical storage. You will no longer need to have endless file cabinets taking up your office space. 

Key takeaways

Go paperless with Better Proposals. We will help you sell your products and services faster. 

Save power

Do you keep all of your electronics constantly on? Start turning off your computers, laptops and other devices once the working day is over. Find out which electronics are making the biggest difference in your power bills and make sure they aren’t plugged in all day long. 

Invest in appliances that use less power. Although they might be more expensive, they will be more profitable in the long run. 

If your employees are used to printing copious amounts of documents, try making it harder for them. For example, you can disconnect the printers from the internet and have a single computer in the office from which you can print things. 

This will discourage your employees from printing and they’ll quickly get used to working with digital files. 

Another tip is to utilize natural light. Rearrange your office in a way that takes advantage of sunlight. The less need for using lighting fixtures, the better. Additionally, integrating electrical distribution software can optimize your company's energy usage, contributing further to your eco-friendly initiatives. This software can help monitor and manage power consumption more effectively, aligning with your goal to save power.

Key takeaways

Save power by turning off your electronics, making printing harder and utilizing natural light. 

Reduce unnecessary travel

Since the pandemic, we’ve seen the biggest shift to remote work ever. With remote work, also came the explosion of tools that help you work with people from all over the world. 

Utilize those tools to reduce unnecessary travel and save time and money. Try to schedule as many Zoom and Google meetings as possible. If your clients and partners are insisting on meeting you in person, try to compromise by choosing a place that is close to you. Meet them halfway. 

Make your in-person meetings more impactful by covering multiple assignments. For example, if you’re a social media manager, make sure you’re bringing a photographer on each visit in order to create new content.

While all this extra planning seems like more work, implementing capacity planning software into your sustainability strategy can help optimize resources. With everyone's time and future tasks accounted for, you're ensuring that every aspect of your operations contributes to eco-friendly practices efficiently.

Key takeaways

Reduce unnecessary travel by relying on video conferencing tools. 

Choose your partners wisely

If sustainability is important to you, that should be reflected in your choice of partners. When looking for new suppliers, integration partners and such, make sure you’re doing the right type of research. 

Ask them about their:

• Values
• Efforts to be environmentally friendly
• Process of giving back to the community
• Long term goals

Working with partners that are actively trying to make their community a better place is really rewarding. Think about it this way - who do you want to see grow and become more successful?

We’re sure that the answer is - someone who deserves it. Make sure you’re uplifting the companies that actually care about more than profit. This approach will help you build a better company, attract new clients and work on your customer perception. 

Make sure to inform your audience about all the sustainability goals you’re trying to achieve and how buying from you could help. It could be done through investment newsletters, social media posts, blogs and such. 

Key takeaways

Don’t give up on your sustainability efforts when looking for business partners. Make sure they share your beliefs. 

Recycle 

Changing the habits of your employees may be a tricky task, but over time they might start making these changes in their own homes. 

Recycling is one of those changes. Once you start, it becomes second nature. 

Encourage your employees to recycle by making it easy. Sometimes, it’s as simple as that. Create recycling bin islands around your office and make sure they are emptied on a regular basis. 

Recycling doesn’t just refer to the way you manage waste, but also the way you buy. Invest in items made from recycled materials and make sure your employees are using them. If they don’t love the substitute, they will never make the switch. 

Look into different items you could rent out, instead of buying. For example, if your work is seasonable and you only need specific machines for 3 months a year, it doesn’t make sense to buy them and have them waste space and energy (if left plugged in). 

This is more of a long-term goal, so make sure you’re proactively thinking about the changes you can introduce in your office. 

Key takeaways

Make recycling easy for your employees and they’ll quickly pick it up. Also, look into buying recycled items and renting out devices you’re not using too often. 

Stop using single-use items

Single-use items like plastic cutlery, paper cups and paper towels can be replaced with more sustainable ones. 

Make sure the office kitchen is packed with enough plates, glasses and cutlery for everyone. Introduce this change via a company-wide email and explain who will be in charge of the washing up and such. 

Encourage your workers to bring their own lunches instead of ordering takeout by making sure there is enough space in the fridge for everyone. You could even pay for a subscription service that sends pre-portioned ingredients to their homes and helps them keep a healthy diet. 

Key takeaways

Put a stop to single-use items by investing in real cutlery and other kitchen items. 

Teamwork is dream work

The only way you’ll be able to stick to any changes is if the rest of your company is on board. It’s important that you listen to your employees and understand what type of changes they want to see around the office and in your business. 

If you’re just ordering them to change their habits, you may not achieve great results. 

Everybody has different interests and passions. Find out what they are for your employees and include them when creating a sustainability plan. 

The same goes for your clients. Ask them which issues they would like to see you get involved with. You can create Instagram polls or find other ways to engage your audience. 

Maybe they’re interested in reusable packaging, you donating a little bit of the proceeds towards a good cause, or being involved in a volunteering project. Get to know your audience and learn how they would like you to get involved. That way, you can change their customer perception.

Key takeaways

Talk to your team and clients and find out which issues they would like your company to get involved in. 

Fix electronics instead of buying new

We’re not saying that you should never buy new devices ever again, but sometimes your electronics can be fixed which can save you money. 

If you find that your electronics can’t be fixed, make sure you’re participating in electronic recycling programs. 

Key takeaways

Instead of rushing to replace your old electronics, find out whether you could fix them. 

Work with local businesses

Small businesses will go the extra mile to gain new and keep existing customers. That’s just one of the reasons you should look for local businesses to supply your office. 

Even if you run a remote company, you can find ways to support businesses from the hometowns of your employees. Order them flowers or cake on their birthdays, schedule spa days or organize small trips. The more effort you put in, the more your employees will feel appreciated. 

Key takeaways

Working with local businesses can help you on your sustainability path.

Conclusion

Running an eco-friendly business shouldn’t be a hassle. In order to do it successfully, make sure to start with a plan. That way, you’ll know exactly what needs to be done and you’ll be able to get your team members on board. 

Create your plan easily with Better Proposals. All you have to do is choose a template and you’ll quickly make a beautiful presentation that your team members can sign to show their support. 

Start your free trial today and find out about all the different ways you can use Better Proposals for your business.