Sing the Praises of Your Sustainability Efforts
December 26, 2013
Profitability is likely the single most important factor contributing to the survivability and success of your organization. As you know, being profitable is only possible with customers–both new and existing. With your clients as your lifeblood, it’s important to provide every reason you can to keep their business so that they don’t leave for your competitors. Show them what your sustainability efforts look like!
Obtaining and keeping customers can be as simple as providing excellent service, state-of-the-art products, and an overall enjoyable experience. But did you also know that your waste management efforts could be of benefit to customer retention? It can! Running a sustainable business can actually attract new customers and keep existing ones.
Mark Hope, CEO of Pegasus Sustainability Solutions, believes the terrain of competition has changed. “Doing the right thing for your business can be the same thing as doing the right thing for the environment,” says Hope. “The image and quality of a brand name are increasingly influenced by perceived environmental and social performance. Environmental and social programs can differentiate your products and services by expanding the definition of quality or performance.”
Start Small
If your organization is doing the bare minimum–or worse, nothing at all–toward sustainability, it’s time to set new goals. Start by establishing a corporate commitment to the environment. What is important to you and your company? Ask employees about what they feel the company can do in the name of social responsibility. Encourage employees to share ideas by rewarding them for their efforts. Even small actions can make a big difference, when it comes to recycling, reusing, and reducing waste.
Go Big
If small results aren’t quite the impact you were after, it’s time to rethink how you do business on a grander scale. Approach the work you do and the waste you generate from a sustainable perspective first and a profitability one second. Look for ways to improve supply chains, package design, operational procedures, shipping methods, and more instead of just employing efforts such as recycling after the waste is created. Sustainability is about identifying practices that add value in the way of good business decisions.
Share Your Success
Once you’ve committed to sustainable solutions, don’t keep it to yourself. Share it with your customers, even if you’re just starting out. People may be more inclined to do business with you if they know your efforts toward social responsibility are paved with good intentions. No matter what stage you’re at, try these tips when it comes to singing your sustainability praises:
Social Media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and others are all easy ways to share your company’s goals and plans toward environmental impact. Be genuine about your efforts, making sure that your goals don’t just feel like you’re “greenwashing”–or following a trend of looking sustainable without any intention of making a true difference.
Product Packaging: If you’ve made changes to packaging to eliminate waste or leverage recycle materials, share the news on the product packaging. Consumers will see firsthand the changes you’ve made and likely be influenced by the important business decisions you’ve made.
Partner with Others: Suppliers and vendors can often be a large source of created waste for your business. Look for ways to partner together to reduce unnecessary materials, and then share the news with both sets of customers to get a two-for-one deal.
Be Creative: Customers want to be socially responsible themselves, so put them to work for you. Look for ways, such as contests and events to allow customers to help you be more sustainable. Even just starting a dialogue with them will make them feel more connected to your business and your bigger goals.
Big or small, sustainability can make a difference to your business. Start with a plan, get employees and customers on board, and share it with everyone you know. Before you know it the planet and your company will reap the benefits. For solutions on how to make your company more sustainable, let Hazardous Waste Experts show you how. Call us today at 800-936-2311.