7 Myths of Running a Sustainable Business

cas hire 7 MYTHS ABOUT BUSINESS SUSTAINABILITY Starting a business without funds would sound impossible to many, but marketing start-ups can be an exception. If you have the right skills and are willing to do some hard work, a marketing start-up takes little to no startup costs! It's too costly It is a common misconception that environmental sustainability is an unjustified expense and makes no business sense, especially amongst larger organisations. 01 %24 Actually, business sustainability can be a great differentiator, which can set businesses and organisations apart from their competitors. It requires too many staff 02 A well-designed business sustainability actually requires minimal staffing. A clearly designed strategy can only involve one to four employees, even at large organisations It only suits large organisations With a great business sustainability strategy, the size of the organisation is often irrelevant. 03 Whilst smaller organisations are often leaner and able to faster implement sustainability measures, larger organisations are able to influence best practice in their supply chains. It only suits B2C companies Some commentators argue that only businesses which sell to consumers have something to gain from sustainability. 04 In actuality, B2B companies also stand to benefit from sustainability, as an increasing number of organisations will seek to trade with suppliers who engage with more forward looking business practices. People will think it's a PR stunt Big companies such as Starbucks and Amazon are under a lot of public scrutiny, and any claim to be sustainable is ultimately viewed with a cynical eye, especially in an age of social media. 05 f Building a business sustainability involves transparency and a willingness to admit failures as well as triumphs. It only applies to companies that make things Another misconception is that sustainability only applies to companies that make and manufacture things, and that it is not applicable to organisations that don't have supply chains. 06 In actual fact, any business that is part of a supply chain, or has a public face, should have a sustainability policy in place. It makes pure business sense Here's the most inconvenient truth about sustainability - it's a business practice that doesn't respect shareholders and quarterly profit. 07 Business sustainability is arguably much more of a long-term investment, and is as much about changing employee behaviour and customer perception, as it is about making lots of money 3 pillars of a sustainability strategy Integrated brand storytelling Employee engagement Promote the positive benefits making sure customers, employees and stakeholders understand the sustainability has real making sure customers and outsiders are aware of the positive benefits that a sustainability policy can bring, and why your organisation deserves the credit! long term benefits for employee retention, productivity and satisfaction importance of sustainability http://www.forbes.com/sites/simonmainwaring/2014/10/28/how-to-breath-new- life-into-sustainability-to-build-your-brand-and-business/ http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2009/11/23/8-myths-about-sustainability-business