Supporting sustainable causes can win the admiration of climate-conscious customers and help position your brand as eco-friendly. Finding ways to advertise recycling, energy efficiency and a waste-reducing lifestyle may also make your online business eligible for tax credits and federal support as the government seeks to assist corporations that take their commitment to climate change seriously.
But before you begin buying green stickers and posting earth-inspired graphics on Instagram, you need to make sure your startup is actually sustainable. This is crucial because savvy, modern consumers will spot “eco-sham” and turn away from any brands that seem like using deceptive sales tactics.
Adopting authentic sustainability practices will help build a lasting brand identity. Environmentally friendly branding strategies will help build trust with customers as your online business grows and are almost certain to result in repeat purchases. Going green may also make it easier to partner with similar brands that care about protecting the environment while generating profits.
Understanding and avoiding greenwashing
The United Nations defines greenwashing as a “deceptive tactic” that happens when corporations deceive the public into considering that “a company or other entity is doing more to protect the environment than it actually is.” It is a serious obstacle to creating significant change and typically occurs when corporations:
- They claim to be heading towards net zero when in fact they have no credible plan
- They are deliberately vague about the damage they cause
- Mislead customers with labels and graphics that look organic and are easy to misinterpret
- Suggest that a small improvement would drastically reduce their impact
Violating greenwashing rules can anger customers and result in financial penalties. Even big brands like Volkswagen and H+M have earned fines ranging from tons of of 1000’s to hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Nor are you able to justify ignorance as greenwashing. For example, if you do not monitor greenhouse gas emissions but promote a small line of recycled products, you are almost actually greenwashing. Instead of guessing about your organization’s impact, take proactive steps today to make sure your brand grows green.
Ecological development
Growing your online business may be very rewarding if you are an entrepreneur with big dreams. However, expanding your online business inherently increases the emissions and waste your online business produces. This means you need to take proactive steps to start out building a truly sustainable business that may grow without causing undue harm to the natural world.
Start by looking at green building methods as your presence grows. This is especially vital if you are planning to expand into a brick-and-mortar location, as emissions associated with heating, lighting and cooling a physical workplace can quickly change into unsustainable. If you are making a significant profit and can afford to build your personal home, consider adoption progress in sustainable constructionlike:
- Radiant heating and cooling: Most modern buildings use forced air to manage temperature. However, this comes at a high carbon cost because huge amounts of energy are needed to effectively heat and cool rooms. Radiation control provides a low-energy alternative by pushing water through strategically placed pipes throughout the building.
- Passive solar energy: Passive solar energy is not a latest idea. However, recent innovations have maximized the potential of using south-facing windows for natural indoor temperature control.
- Smart Glass: Like passive solar, smart glass helps modulate the interior temperature without turning on the air-con. Smart glass adjusts its transparency throughout the day, meaning you possibly can provide shade in your office even when the summer sun is out.
- Cool Roofs: Cool roofs reflect the sun’s rays and keep the building naturally cool during the summer months. There are also several types of cool roofs, as coating or sustainable plantings may be used to mitigate the effects of sunlight.
These changes can significantly reduce your carbon footprint and represent a major investment in sustainable operations. This will certainly impress potential clients and make it easier to highlight your achievements without greenwashing.
However, as your online business grows, you’ll likely need to interact with more external stakeholders. This is a natural a part of expanding your online business, as you’ll be wanting to seek out suppliers who can handle more orders and work with PR firms to advertise your growing business. When looking for latest business partners, make sure you do your research and ask them about their environmental track record. Potential suppliers should have the opportunity to supply at least information resembling:
- Annual carbon dioxide emissions
- Waste management systems
- Water consumption
- Environmental standards and certificates
This will make it easier to reduce upstream emissions and make sure you work with responsible corporations that share your passion for protecting the environment.
Highlighting your achievements
Making lasting changes must be your priority as a leader of a growing business. But if you would like these changes to translate into higher profits, you need to spotlight your achievements and make sure your customers understand how environmentally friendly your online business really is.
Get the ball rolling with hosting brainstorming sessions with your marketing team. Brainstorming helps simplify complex ideas, resembling greenhouse gas emissions, and gives everyone a probability to contribute their observations. Effective brainstorming also quickens the content creation process because you possibly can encourage teamwork more quickly and refine your ideas more quickly as you’re employed on a shared document.
When selecting to publish social media posts and blog content related to the SDGs, make sure you include qualitative data and long-term goals. This builds your credibility and shows others that you just are serious about running a sustainable startup. And do not be afraid to share some of your current shortcomings. Just remember to follow a clear, publicly available waste or emissions reduction plan.
Application
Most business leaders agree that going green is vital for growing businesses. Focusing on sustainability as your online business grows can reduce long-term emissions and make it easier to build loyal customers who will buy from your brand again and again in the years to return. However, you have to watch out not to show yourself to greenwashing, as it is going to undermine consumer trust and destroy your brand image. Instead, commit to meaningful changes that are easy to trace and reflect your startup’s desire to be genuinely sustainable.