If you’re running an independent business or are a side-hustling sole trader, today’s article is for you. There are so many things you can do to help your company become more sustainable or operate more safely, so have a read through these quick tips to help you make an instant impact on your expenses and your environmental footprint.
Adopting environmentally friendly processes can also help you to cut costs in the long term, so it’s worth investigating whether any of these ideas will help you to save money and boost your profits. Let’s go..!
Safe and sustainable storage
I’m not talking about the complexities of personal data storage in this instance, as there are rules on data protection that you must follow if you’re handling the personal information of staff and customers. I’m simply talking about making your correspondence and records paperless as an environmentally friendly and space-saving solution.
Taking a digital approach to storing your small business records significantly reduces your physical storage needs, potentially saving your company the cost of purchasing filing cabinets or storage boxes while making documents instantly retrievable from any device.
This limits the amount of paper and ink used when printing documents, saving you money and minimising paper usage, making your business more sustainable.
Plus, when documents remain properly categorised and accessible in a digital library, you can check them at a glance, which may help you avoid making duplicate purchases and minimise missed deadlines.
A streamlined paper-to-digital workflow is straightforward. First, scan paper documents using a smartphone camera or scanner. Even better, opt for paperless invoices and contracts so all you’re doing is downloading a PDF rather than printing anything. Then, organise these PDF files into clearly labelled folders with ultra-secure back-ups.
When it comes to working with your digital paperwork, you’ll need to convert PDF files into editable Word documents. Previously, this used to mean downloading sketchy software (not at all safe for your business) or paying for expensive subscriptions. But if you’re looking to save both time and money, this Adobe tool offers a practical and secure solution.
As the original creators of the PDF format, Adobe’s tool maintains the precise formatting of your documents during conversion, from fonts and images to tables and spacing. You can convert files straight from your web browser without creating an account, making it a handy option for quick document editing needs. The conversion process typically takes less than a minute, with no software installation required and no file size limitations for standard documents.
Work-related waste
While I don’t know what waste your specific area of business will create, I DO know that there are government guidelines on how companies should handle their waste and recycling.
These guidelines encourage businesses to keep their rubbish to a minimum through preventing, reusing and recycling waste. It’s also recommended that your company obtain waste transfer notes for anything business-related that’s disposed of.
It’s also essential to be extra careful when disposing of any data – whether that’s destroying paper records or the ‘data shredding’ of an old laptop used for your business. A professional friendly rubbish removal team can help with any kind of business waste, from old office furniture and used packaging to the safe disposal of IT equipment and computers.
Of course, the best way to handle waste is to avoid making any in the first place. While this may not be feasible if you’re physically creating products, why not rethink your processes to see if there’s a way that you can at least minimise the quantity of waste created during production or manufacturing?
Environmental ethos
Another factor to consider when choosing to adopt more environmentally-friendly practices in your small business or start-up is that it paints your company in a positive light.
Of course, that’s not the only reason to choose to minimise waste and reduce your consumption of office consumables, but it certainly helps: the WWF found that employees want to work for an organisation that has a positive impact on the planet. Plus, sharing your ethos establishes trust with your customers and sets a standard for other companies in your industry.
And as always, it can save you money; I recently wrote about ways to take control of your business energy expenses, which included a list of ideas to become more energy efficient in your business and how to use smart meters to manage costs. Approaching every area of your business with a sustainable ethos not only minimises your environmental impact but reduces your outgoings too.
I hope these ideas have helped you to consider adopting some sustainable practices in your business, whether you’re working alone as a sole trader or have grown to a mid-sized company. Let me know what eco-friendly or money-saving elements you already use in your indie business, I’d love to hear your energy-saving or waste-reducing hacks in the comments section below. 🙂
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This article is a sponsored collaboration. The pink links in the content indicate a sponsored link or information source. The blog post reflects my own experience and the sponsor hasn’t had any control over my content 🙂
