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How to Launch a Sustainable Business

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StrategyDriven Starting Your Business Article | How to Launch a Sustainable Business

There has never been a better time to launch a sustainable business, with consumers actively seeking out brands that showcase their eco-credentials.

In fact, according to recent research, 55% of consumers are willing to pay more for products and services offered by sustainable businesses.

If you think you are ready to launch your own sustainable business and grab a piece of this very lucrative pie, then the blog below will tell you everything you need to know.

Carry Out Market Research

The first step in launching any new business is carrying out market research. This will enable you to find out if there is a demand for the products or services that you intend to offer.

During this step, you should also research your competitors to see what they are offering, how much they are charging, and how they are marketing their products or services.

Identify Your Target Audience

If you want your business to be a success, you need to take the time to find out everything there is to know about your target audience.

Who are they? What do they like and dislike? How do they shop? Where do they shop? What social media platforms do they use? How do they support the environment?

Try to gather as much information as possible, as this will help you attract them to your business and get them to purchase your products or services.

Write a Business Plan

Every new business needs a business plan, although it is important to know that this can change over time, and you are likely to need to make adjustments as you go.

Within your business plan, you should include all the details of your new sustainable business, including your goals and expected growth timeline. Also, make sure you include your intended green initiatives.

Find Funding

There are lots of places you can look for funding for your new sustainable business, such as with your bank, which may be able to offer you a start-up loan, or by seeking out independent investors.

An increasing number of entrepreneurs are now also turning to crowdfunding to raise funds to launch a new business, and this can be particularly effective for up-and-coming eco-friendly brands.

Find a Green Supply Chain

You need to make sure your supply chain aligns with your green goals, which means you must find suppliers that are also committed to lowering their carbon footprint and protecting the planet.

For example, if you are launching a business within the hospitality sector, you may want to source local ingredients. Or, if you operate within the retail sector, it can be a good idea to look into eco-friendly packaging insights.

Create a Green Marketing Strategy

Finally, you need to create a green marketing strategy. This refers to the techniques that you are going to use to promote your business and attract customers.

When it comes to green marketing, you need to focus your efforts on showcasing your sustainability efforts. This could be on social media, in your email marketing campaigns, and in your company blog.

Future Manufacturing Trends Your Business Needs to Know

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StrategyDriven Managing Your Business Article |Manufacturing Trends|Future Manufacturing Trends Your Business Needs to KnowManufacturing businesses are a staple in the global market, as they endeavor to keep up with the supply and demand of consumers. To do this, they have to continuously identify problems and inefficiencies, improve processes and overcome any challenges that are thrown their way.

One of the best ways to stay ahead in the industry and ensure your business is competitive is by keeping up with the latest manufacturing trends. This is because the manufacturing trends are driven by the needs of the industry and tools that are going to improve the objectives of any business, for example, technological advances.

While the industry is changing, global events such as the COVID-19 pandemic have also played a role in shaping the future of manufacturing due to the new obstacles and challenges the industry had to face. This meant a huge overhaul in the way that manufacturers had to run their businesses, as well as a shift in the way that consumers shop and purchase products. It has given many businesses a new perspective on the way things are run.

Many future trends in the manufacturing industry are going to be a response to these challenges that society faces, and provide businesses with sophisticated opportunities.

Here are some of the top future manufacturing trends that your business needs to know.

#1 Smart factories

It seems the manufacturing industry is at a tipping point, where more businesses will begin to build smart factories. This may include smart equipment, as well as smart software that provides a central monitoring system and data analytics, such as Overall Equipment Effectiveness software.

The free time during the COVID-19 pandemic was able to raise a variety of problems and inefficiencies with current software and machinery, and many businesses are using this as an opportunity to phase out older equipment and bring in new machines that are equipped with the latest technology and combines several processes into one machine.

Incorporating smart equipment will play a huge role in how efficient your business is, and the quality of your output. It will ensure you remain competitive in the market, as you will be able to keep up with your competitors who are reaping the same benefits. If you don’t, you will create a big gap between yourself and your competitors, and find your business plateaus.


#2 Sustainable processes

Sustainable processes are a huge focus for many businesses in the manufacturing industry. As Governments all over the world are implementing high targets for emissions, it is up to businesses to play their role and make positive and impactful changes. They are also going to come under pressure from their clients, who are going to want to work with businesses that are meeting the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) standard requirements.

Manufacturing businesses are responsible for a large portion of toxic emissions. This is because of the variety of activities that are involved in the business, such as transporting goods, producing energy to run machinery, chemical reactions when working with raw materials, and waste in the production process.

In the near future, manufacturing businesses are going to be making more sustainable choices, for example, by only working with suppliers that have a Green certificate, not running equipment unnecessarily, using quality machines, utilizing renewable energy resources, reducing plastic consumption, pursuing carbon-neutral practices, reducing waste by recycling and reusing materials and much more.

#3 Health and safety

Health and safety should always be a priority, especially in a manufacturing business where the risk of injury is much higher. However, there are hundreds of fatalities per year, and this number only continues to rise. This has resulted in health and safety becoming a trend, in the hopes that more businesses will take it seriously.

Many businesses are employing a range of different systems and processes that will help make the workplace a much safer place for employees to be, with the goal of reducing risks and accidents. There will be more reviews in the workplace to monitor safety habits and behaviors, as well as regular training for all staff members, especially with the introduction of new technology.

Businesses are also investing in advanced equipment that will monitor the movement of their employees and even other aspects such as their temperature. This is to help with the control of COVID-19 and ensure employees are fit and well for work, and do not disrupt the workforce. During the pandemic, many businesses suffered with staff on furlough and off sick. Stricter measures that look after employees’ health will help keep staff well, happy and working.

With new technology and sustainable practices being introduced, the future of manufacturing is close.

Innovative Ideas To Help Your Business Go Green

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StrategyDriven Managing Your Business Article |Green Business|Innovative Ideas To Help Your Business Go GreenGoing green should be one of your business’s main priorities in today’s modern world as this is certainly something that your audience will be looking out for, and you have a responsibility to minimise the damage that you do to the planet. Fortunately figuring out how you can become a more environmentally conscious business doesn’t have to be as difficult as you might initially imagine, as this guide contains some of the most innovative ideas that you can utilise to go green in no time at all. Going green is becoming a more important and popular concept for businesses of all sizes. If you’re a small business looking to contribute, start by identifying the different sources of waste within your business. This could include premium custom shipper boxes that require disposal after each use or excessive packing materials that are unable to be recycled. Setting realistic goals will help keep you on track while attacking these areas of waste and ensuring that your business reduces its environmental footprint. With some creative solutions, you will be able to save resources, time, and money by going green and helping the environment in the process! So, if you’re interested in finding out more, then simply read on!

Change The Way You Handle Waste

One of the most effective steps that you can follow to become a more eco-friendly business is to change the way that you handle your waste. It’s fair to say that every business creates a considerable amount of waste no matter what kind of industry you operate in, so changing the way that you approach the disposal of this waste can certainly be of benefit to your carbon footprint. Instead of choosing to send your waste to a landfill or burning site that has a terrible impact on the environment, it’s going to be much better if you can take steps to separate your waste so that you can recycle as much as possible. Lots of different materials can be recycled, including paper, card, some plastics, metals, and more, so it’s a good idea to find a scrap yard that recycles common industrial materials so that you can dispose of your waste in the most environmentally conscious fashion. Recycling is important on a smaller scale too, so put recycling bins in your office spaces so that every bit of paper and plastic can be disposed of properly.

Switch Up Your Energy Supplier & Use Less Power

Another innovative idea that you can explore to become a more eco-friendly business is to switch up your energy supplier and take steps to use less power. In today’s modern world a large percentage of energy comes from fossil fuels or finite resources, and there’s even been a rise in nuclear facilities too. Unfortunately these are all very bad for the environment, as they are unsustainable practices which use up depleting natural resources while creating toxic waste and more. Thankfully there are also green energy companies that are creating power by using sustainable methods, including solar power, wind farms and even hydropower. Switching to a green energy supplier is a much more environmentally conscious choice, so it’s something you should certainly consider. Using less energy doesn’t have to be as difficult as you might imagine, as you can start by installing motion sensor lighting that switches off when no one is around. This means that no lights will be left on through the night, as this is a common, reoccurring issue that increases your energy use considerably for no good reason.


Go Paperless

Going paperless can no doubt aid you in your quest to go green, especially if you have several office spaces that currently use paper for a variety of different tasks. Thanks to modern day advances in technology, the need to use paper is rapidly decreasing. Things like sending messages, providing invoices and storing data can all be done through the web rather than having to use paper, and many companies have now taken steps to stop sending out mail of all kinds simply to use less paper. Of course when you take steps to go paperless you need to know how to productively replace paper in certain situations, but this can be an easy task to tackle. You can use email to converse with clients or customers, and secure commercial messaging platforms to chat with your remote employees and share files safely. You can use encrypted cloud data storage instead of keeping a room full of filing cabinets, and send digital receipts directly to clients or customers via email. The less paper that your company uses the more environmentally friendly you will be, as we need to take steps to plant trees instead of cutting them down!

Helping your business to go green has never been such a simple task when you can take the opportunity to utilise some of the excellent ideas that have been carefully described in this guide. There’s truly no time like the present to begin your journey to becoming an environmentally conscious company, so what are you waiting for? Get out there and start helping the planet rather than harming it!

How To Make Your Restaurant Eco-Friendly

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StrategyDriven Managing Your Business Article |Eco-friendly restaurant|How To Make Your Restaurant Eco-FriendlyBecoming eco-friendly may appear difficult due to the number of adjustments required in your daily restaurant operation. However, implementing more sustainable methods in your daily food service operation can decrease food waste and save money. Restaurant giants such as Starbucks, KFC, And Mcdonald’s are making efforts to go greener, with a US study showing that businesses benefit from ambitious eco goals. Consider these tips to make your restaurant more eco-friendly.

1. Get seasonal with your menus

Learning the importance of seasonal menus is useful if you want to go green. And using seasonal produce is a straightforward approach to developing a sustainable restaurant menu. This can benefit your business in several ways. For example, seasonal menus ensure that there is always something new to offer. Additionally, ingredients are considerably cheaper, fresher, and more delicious. Consider growing your own ingredients if you have a backyard. Regarding food service, authenticity is key to beating the competition.

2. Eco-friendly cleaning products

Your restaurant’s cleanliness is one of the most crucial factors for its long-term sustainability. The truth is that there are more toxic restaurant cleaning products than not, and the costs can be prohibitively expensive. Fortunately, there are several affordable options to make your restaurant more eco-friendly. It can be useful to consider companies with green labeling when shopping for cleaning products. These are symbols printed on products or packaging to promote their environmental characteristics or quality. Using eco-friendly cleaning products is a sustainable way of meeting your present business needs without compromising safety.

3. Green packaging

Research shows that an estimated 14.5 million tons of packaging and plastic containers were produced in 2018 alone. The numbers have increased tremendously considering the recent increase in food deliveries and takeout, especially in the aftermath of the pandemic. Therefore, it is critical to adopt eco-friendly packaging to make deliveries sustainable. Since foam containers can harm the environment, it is advisable to pack your dishes in environmentally friendly containers. Your shipping and storage costs are likely to be lower since you use few raw packaging. Meanwhile, green packaging solutions are easy to assemble and pack and reduce labor costs.


4. Save water

Water costs can quickly add up in food businesses. From cooking to cleaning dishes, most restaurant operations require water usage. Check for leaks in all restaurant pipes to reduce how much you spend or waste on water. For instance, a leaking faucet can cost you thousands of gallons of water annually. You can also save water by serving water to only guests who request it and running the dishwasher only when it is full. Also, consider thawing food in the fridge rather than under a faucet.

5. Energy-efficient equipment

You will likely pay a lot in monthly electricity bills since most of the equipment you use in food preparation and cleaning depends on electricity. It is critical to perform regular maintenance on your appliances to reduce their energy consumption. That’s because optimally maintained machines are energy efficient. Also, consider buying energy-efficient appliances if your restaurant requires new ones. For instance, commercial undercounter freezers are highly energy-efficient, reducing energy bills and creating a cleaner environment.

Other things you can do to reduce your energy consumption include turning off appliances when not in use and using energy-saving lighting. Installing low flush toilets and using the air conditioner only when necessary is also advisable.

6. Composting

Many environmentally-conscious restaurants compost organic waste on-site or via hauling services. So instead of dumping them in landfills, organic waste is converted to humus for fertilizing crops. Humus is a better alternative for crop fertilization since some chemical fertilizers harm plants and decrease yield. To improve soil, you can reduce food waste by composting organic scraps like eggshells, coffee grounds, or tea bags. Your business can also benefit from creating a good recycling system.

7. Buy locally

It is expensive to purchase food items and have them transported from across the country. Instead, invest your time and energy into sourcing your food items locally. Locally sourced foods are usually those within a 100 and 150-mile radius from the farm. Doing this can save you money and guarantee the freshness and ingenuity of your menus. Additionally, you become more involved with the local suppliers and farmers in the community. Your business can also benefit from goodwill since you are perceived as a community partner.
Making your foodservice business more eco-friendly can benefit the environment. These tips can help you reduce your carbon footprint since you are likely to produce less waste and save energy in your daily activities.

3 Top Tips for Every Entrepreneur

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StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article |Tips for Entrepreneurs|3 Top Tips for Every EntrepreneurThe world of business is ever-changing, and there have been more changes in the last 18 months than we have seen or experienced in the last 20 years. Entrepreneurial action has changed, and the purpose of business may have softened to include a range of social stakeholders, but the basics should not change. This article presents three of these entrepreneurial basics that should form the foundation of your enterprise and basic operating instructions. Entrepreneurial success is not widely guaranteed. As such, any head start you can get on your competitors is well worth the time it will take you to finish reading this article and plan your ascent.

Perfect your core business

The journey of any entrepreneur is primarily to strive to be the best at what it is that they sell or do. This is the be all and end of entrepreneurial success, and many will fail in the first year. There is no point being in business if you’re there to make up the numbers. Your product or service must meet a specific need in order to be relevant and sustainable.

This should be your main concern, and everything else will stem from this. Business acumen can be learnt, taught, and if all else fails, subcontracted out—there are people who can do your HR, IT, and accounting a great deal better than you can. Stick to what it is that has allowed you start the business, and above all else pride yourself in perfecting this to the best of your ability.

Sweat the small details

It is proven that the entrepreneurs who care about the small details are the ones who make it big. Its not about being pedantic, but rather paying attention to detail, ensuring that what you and tour team do is worthy of the brand you hope to build. It’s as simple sometimes as the DC to AC inverters that you don’t see and yet can’t run without; it’s the logo positioning perfectly on each product; it’s the small elements that can make or break you as an entrepreneur. You need to notice the elements that others don’t.

Speed and not haste

Business is fast moving and ever changing; you must become accustomed to the pace and the need for immediacy. The modern customer or client doesn’t want to wait and won’t understand your schedule or the reasons that you won’t make a deadline. They will simply find another supply or service provider. The speed of action is what defines successful and sustainable businesses: the speed to market, the speed to deliver, and the speed at which you return communication with customers and consumers. In the same vein, avoid haste at all costs. It’s the rushed response, the hurriedly prepared order, and the unplanned haste that is the downfall of many a good product.

These are three pieces of advice that every entrepreneur, regardless of their sector, should be following. Success is hard come by, and by keeping processes simple yet clear, you will able to begin to plot a way to success.