This month at our WIBN meetings we've been talking about sustainability in our businesses.

It's a topic that many of us found difficult to talk about. Not because we didn't want to, but because we didn't know enough about it.

A Big Draw For Customers

In 2019, a YouGov study of over 9000 consumers found that they were 67% more likely to choose a product or service from a business that is taking action on climate change and the environment. Is this true for small businesses like ours? Many of us would like to do more but don't because we think it's too expensive.

What Can We Do?

There are the obvious things of buying recycled products such as ink cartridges and of course since Covid much has been automated so less paper is being used to print things out but what else can small businesses do?

Some of our members have signed up to companies that will plant trees. For £6.99 per month, you can plant 20 trees and become carbon neutral. It's a start but is it enough?

Little Things Add Up

We've spoken about the little things that we do. One member is trying to buy her clothes this year from charity shops, another recycles her boxes and puts a sticker on them to her customers saying 'sorry this packaging is not pretty but I'm recycling' and another takes back old jars of skin creams and refills them.

Things You Wouldn't Expect

We had a really interesting chat about eco-friendly funerals and coffins and pension investments with companies that are ethical and sustainable. Did you know that you can get a lower rate mortgage if your house has an Energy Performance Certificate in band A or B when you remortgage or purchase a new home?

It would be really interesting to hear what you do in your business and perhaps we can learn from each other?

Image credit Canva Feb 2022