How To Be An Eco-Minded Entrepreneur? 5 Things To Consider When Starting Your Own Business

Want to make a difference in the business world? Being an eco-friendly entrepreneur is the way to go. And, the good news is that you will be winning at customer loyalty. 

“Eco-friendly” is the new norm in the business world. The whole planet is trying to go green! So, why would businesses be the exception to the rule? 

Eco-consciousness is on the rise among both consumers and entrepreneurs. So, with customers asking for green and sustainable practices, a growing number of businesses are going green and adapting their practices to become eco-friendlier. 

Going green with your business isn’t good only for the environment. Your business’s bottom line will also benefit from it. That’s right! A 2014 global study conducted by researchers at Nielsen found that 55% of consumers are willing to pay more for products or services that have a positive environmental and social impact. In other words, customers are really supportive of green businesses. 

So, when you are just starting your business, and want to make sure it will be a green one, what things should you keep in mind? This article will give insight into the most important aspects to consider when starting an eco-friendly business. 

   1. Start with a green business idea

First things first, to start a business, you need a great business idea. But, besides finding an idea that will sell, you now also have to keep sustainability in your mind. 

So, how do you find a green business idea? Well, you’re going to need to do a little bit of research to find out the impacts a business can have on the environment. 

Or, you can also play it safe and go for a business idea that has sustainability as its core factor, such as a recycling company. 

It would also help to talk with an environmentalist and ask for advice. A specialist can help you understand what business practices are sustainable and how you can adapt them to your business idea. 

Starting with a green business idea in mind will make it twice easier to continue to run your company in an eco-friendly way. 

   2. Don’t greenwash

What’s worse than not being an eco-friendly business? Lying to your customers! 

Going green with your business can be really beneficial in terms of customer loyalty unless you’re only doing it for a PR-friendly label. If your business only poses as green for marketing purposes, your customers will eventually find out, and you’ll lose them all. 

The term “greenwashing” has appeared in the 1980s. It refers to the false corporate environmental claims. In other words, greenwashing means that you lie about your business being greener than it really is. 

Many big companies have been accused of greenwashing. You’ve most likely heard about the Volkswagen emission scandal, for example. The company suffered a decline in sales of 104,661 vehicles, valued $5.2 billion back in 2016. 

So, don’t try to fool your customers because the truth will eventually come out.

Instead of lying to customers about how green your business is, you should be honest and say how green it is now and what improvements you’ll make in the future. Consumers will appreciate your sincerity and constant efforts to improve the impact you have on the environment. 

   3. Recycle your waste

If you really want to be an eco-friendly business, you need to say “NO” to the throwaway culture. 

Huge amounts of waste come from large and small companies. And unfortunately, corporate waste is rarely handled in a sustainable way and often ends up in the landfill or in our planet’s oceans. 

Take Coca-Cola, for example. The company produced 3,000,000 metric tons of plastic waste in 2017. This amount is about the same size as 28.000 Blue Whales. Nestle, another popular brand, has produced over 1.7 million metric tons of plastic in 2018 only. 

Now, most companies have started to be more conscious about the way they manage their waste, especially plastic waste. For example, McDonald’s and KFC have both eliminated their plastic straws and replaced them with paper straws. Brands like Nike and Adidas have pledged to use more recycled materials for their footwear. So, the whole business world is trying to make a change and reduce the impact we have on our planet. 

So, to be an eco-conscious entrepreneur, you must figure out the most sustainable way to handle the waste your business produces. You can, for example, use waste balers and compactors as recycling solutions for your business. There are many useful resources where you can learn more about this type of equipment and how it can help your company. Also, it would be best if you used recycled materials for your products. 

   4. Allow your employees to work remotely

Allowing your employees to work remotely makes you an eco-friendly entrepreneur. Why? Because you help reduce the impact commuting has on the environment. 

Think about it: your employees will be driving from and to work every day, wasting not only time but also energy and combustible. 

According to Global Workplace Analytics, if people with jobs that allow work from home work remotely just half of the time, the national savings would total nearly $700 billion every year. The greenhouse gas reduction would mean taking the entire New York State workforce off the streets forever. So, remote working can be really beneficial for our environment and your employees’ pockets too. 

The good news is that in today’s modern world, technology allows your employees to work from anywhere in the world. Videoconferencing platforms, collaboration software, and many other tech tools can help your employees continue their work remotely while also protecting the planet from more carbon impact. 

   5. Market your business online

Marketing your business online isn’t only necessary in today’s digital world, but it’s also good for the environment. 

Not using prints, flyers, or merchandise to promote your business helps reduce the waste and carbon footprint your company would produce. 

Keep your marketing strategies online. And, the good news is that you have so many online marketing tactics to choose from that you don’t even need to worry about not reaching enough audience. 

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