4 sustainable attitudes for your business to adopt today!

When you align these points, you can even bring profits and obtain a competitive advantage in the eyes of the customer. Therefore, it is a great investment for the entrepreneur.

Want to understand a little more about it? Keep reading and check out the concept, importance, and tips to make your business more sustainable!

Key takeaways from this post

1. In this article, we seek to bring 4 simple tips that you can easily incorporate into your company’s day-to-day. They are:

1. choose sustainable partners and suppliers;
2. replace products;
3. adopt small changes;
4. train your team.

The first suggestion is to find other companies that share a mindset that values ​​sustainability . Talk to your suppliers and partners to understand what attitudes they have in this regard. You can even agree to do actions together that promote this principle.

2. The second tip concerns thinking about the products you use in your business today, and which you can replace with more sustainable alternatives . This applies both to items used on a daily basis by the company (soap and paper, for example) and to those that make up its services and products.

There are also very easy ideas that promote significant changes for the sustainability of your business. Saving energy by turning off computers when not in use, using alternatives for flushing to save water and adopting recycling are some of these actions. In addition, it is essential to encourage employees to have attitudes aligned with the concept, such as riding a bicycle to work.

3. The last tip talks about raising the awareness of your change agents , that is, your employees. Conducting short training sessions that demonstrate the importance of adopting more sustainable attitudes helps to engage employees in carrying out these transformations effectively.

What is sustainability?

Sustainability is a term, quite widespread, used to illustrate actions and attitudes towards the conservation of the environment , in general. When applied to companies, it reflects the environmental and social responsibility of business, and aims to ensure that economic development will take place in a way that respects available resources, considering the future.

The term originated at a UN conference (United Nations) in 1972, after major questions raised about the indiscriminate use of pesticides and excessive industrialization.

It was the moment when the perception of the need to preserve the environment and monitor the predatory development of companies began. After all, this resource extraction model did not leave us with many alternatives for the future.

Since then, scholars and leaders from all over the world have been researching, meeting and discussing ways to make consumption and business activities of great impact, so that they are compatible with the preservation of the environment and, therefore, of our own species.

We know that effective and impactful actions must be carried out on a global and governmental scale, however, individually or on a smaller scale, we can do our part and help in this process. And how important is it to be sustainable on a smaller scale, like a small business? That’s what we’re going to talk about next.

What is the importance and benefits of adopting sustainable attitudes for the business?

Preserving resources and presenting ethical and sustainable economic development is the least we must do if we want to continue investing and living on this planet. With each passing day, we perceive the advancement of difficulties related to the environment, such as climate change, and society needs to seek alternatives to minimize or curb these conditions.

In a small enterprise, adopting sustainable attitudes for the business helps to contribute to environmental and social development. Also, it can inspire employees and customers to do their part.

In addition, being a sustainable company can attract greater financial returns, either by saving on the actions taken or by attracting more customers with similar values, which strengthens the brand image . Consumers are increasingly aware and, therefore, have sought companies that care about the environment.

In order to strengthen the brand’s image, the dissemination of these sustainable attitudes can also be encouraged, thus reaching the public that believes in and supports the environmental cause.

Therefore, it is important to show people what actions your company takes in this regard. You can use digital channels, such as Instagram , to take photos and make Stories that tell a little behind the scenes of your business and the involvement it has with sustainability.

In addition, it is possible to encourage an attitude based on these principles for your customers. Your company can be a vehicle for transformation and information on the subject . To do this, again, use social media to share relevant content and make your audience even more aware.

How to adopt sustainable attitudes for the business?

Did the subject pique your interest? Check out, now, 4 tips on how to implement actions to bring sustainability to your company!

1. Choose sustainable partners and suppliers

Do your suppliers have sustainable attitudes? Talk to them to understand if they are aware of the importance of the topic and what actions they take in this regard, such as using renewable energy.

Another example is working with organic food. If you are in the gastronomy sector, for example, it is worth buying from suppliers that work with this type of production. Paying attention to this information when choosing who your company buys from means having an eye toward sustainability.

Therefore, it is important to have partners and suppliers that have the same values ​​as your business , and sustainability is one of them. You can even combine joint initiatives in this regard, if there is interest.

As a result, they have more resources available to invest in these actions. It is possible, for example, to carry out a sales action in partnership, and revert the profits to organizations that protect the environment.

2. Replace products

Could it be that the products or raw materials you use in your business don’t have a more sustainable alternative ? The question is valid both for the items you and your team use on a daily basis and for the production of what your company sells.

If you have a restaurant, how about starting to adopt some organic foods? You don’t need to modify your entire menu, but adding this option is already a step towards sustainability.

For beauty salons, for example, there are several alternatives for good products with great cost-effectiveness that come from sustainable producers. Test this type of solution in your establishment to see the response from the public.

You can start by giving a discount on a hydration made with these new item types. So, if they are well received, you can incorporate these products more widely into your business. Another option is to ask clients to bring their own materials, such as pliers, to reduce the consumption of these items in the salon.

3. Promote changes in the business structure

To be sustainable, you don’t need to spend on cutting-edge technology and more advanced trends. When we talk about small businesses, simple changes already make a difference .

Use and encourage employees to adopt bicycles for commuting, whenever possible. Replacing disposable materials, such as plastic cups and cutlery, is also an important attitude, as they are a major source of waste. To avoid this situation, you can give professionals gifts or promote the use of reusable mugs or cups.

Reducing paper usage is also a simple thing to do. Adapting and automating processes facilitates work and minimizes the use of paper, which also helps to reduce costs. Setting goals with the team can be interesting to encourage this attitude.

Stimulating water and energy savings are essential actions for sustainability. Place reminders at strategic points in your company so that employees always keep this in mind.

Also, turn off computers when they are not being used so you don’t waste more energy than necessary. Seeking alternatives for flushing the toilet is also a good idea to make your company sustainable.

Does your business provide snacks for employees? So, opt for healthier foods and preferably not packaged in plastic. It is always better to avoid consumption, or practice it consciously, than to think about how to minimize its impact.

But, in cases where this cannot be done, recycling can be another simple attitude that will make a difference in your company. Place a bin for each type of item to facilitate collection, instruct employees and promote waste management in line with sustainable development .

If your business is a little bigger and your budget allows, investing in solar energy is a great way to practice sustainability. In addition to using clean energy, the investment returns to your business, which will have a cheaper electricity bill, helping to reduce costs.

4. Train your team

When we promote changes in an environment, mainly with a cultural background, it is important to involve and sensitize all people who need to be part of this transformation , so that the actions adopted are effective.

Many of the sustainable attitudes towards the business depend on the individual commitment of the employees. Conducting short training sessions that demonstrate the brand’s commitment to this concept and the importance of the proposed changes usually engage the team and help ensure greater adherence.

In this post, we saw that adopting sustainable attitudes for the business is a fully possible and very important task. These actions reflect your brand’s commitment to environmental and social development, inspire employees and customers, in addition to the possibility of bringing financial return.