In 2023 I spoke to many people about the benefits of ‘sowing the seeds of sustainability’ for a small business, and everyone employed and connected to them.
I met Viral Patel of Custodia at a networking group online and we had several chats to get to know each other, and then Viral took action and booked a 121 chat to discuss my sustainability services.
WHY
- This was a subject dear to his heart and he wanted to understand more about how this could work for his small business.
- He had heard me talk about “sustainability” and all that I was doing towards my efforts for my small consultancy and how I was passionate about helping others.
- He had heard that I had received a CSR-A accreditation and wanted to know more.
- He knew he was making some impacts but wasn’t really sure how to start to evidence this.
- He had the belief that CSR was really for larger corporations and so what did that mean for an SME.
- He thought the process would be too expensive.
- He wanted to stand out from his competitors and fellow business owners.
- He wanted to show his employees that Custodia cared about the planet and them.
- He wanted to highlight more areas where he could make a difference and focus on plans to implement changes.
- He wanted to tell the world what Custodia stood for and why.
- He wanted to see where he could save money on his operating costs and reduce his carbon footprint.
- He wanted to see how his efforts can help influence others in his industry.
- He wanted to see if this influences clients to stay and ultimately attract new clients as a result.
So many reasons in fact and I am sure there are many more.
During the 121 chat, I explained to Viral what my SOW service consisted of, the benefits to SMEs, and how it would all work.
He liked the structured approach as a busy CEO and that this would allow him to think about and brainstorm with me all of his efforts thus far. This would then be used to compile the “Sustainability Statement” for the business and then using all the evidence in the four pillars we would then collate a “Roadmap of Actions”
This was all planned with Viral answering a questionnaire and two further meetings to brainstorm and review documents. This was all completed in less than a month. “Fabulous and made so easy” Viral said.
Our work together answered all of his above questions and concerns and now he is best placed to hare with the world the impacts he and his business is making and stand out from others in his industry and build on the good work he has done.
“Doing Good is Good for Business” – Richard Branson.
Just as a reminder the 4 pillars used by CSR-A are
1. Environment 2. Workplace, 3. Community and 4. Philanthropy.
You can find out more about them on my sustainability page and by downloading my checklist to get you started on your brainstorming.
Your finished statement is an external document that can be used to inform people of your intentions and actions that have been taken and can be sent to clients, added to a website, attached to a tender or preferred supplier list, or added to an employee induction pack.
The roadmap is your internal document that outlines all the efforts under environment, workplace, community & philanthropy that have been done, are planned, can be improved, and in some cases considered but cannot be done ( e.g. solar panels on the roof of your rented office ) This is a “work in progress” map of all the things you have done and are planning and can be used by everyone on the business to monitor progress and impacts.
The documents compiled gave Viral the confidence to talk about his sustainability efforts and to encourage others. He rents a space in a Business Centre who have made huge impacts on the environment in their office setup, processes, and procedures. So this work has enabled him to match his efforts and stand out from the crowd.
Viral is proud of what he has achieved and knows where he needs to focus more sustainable efforts going forward using his roadmap and with my ongoing support. I will ensure that his sustainability efforts are reviewed regularly and updated.
Remember no one is fully sustainable and there are always improvements we can make. So you must view this as a “work in progress” but confidently tell the world as Viral does ” Custodia provides “sustainable investments, services and solutions, today and for the future.”
If you are reading this and are interested in finding out more about how sustainability can benefit your business then do get in touch.
If you are another financial advisor, or a graphic designer, software developer, research consultant, solicitor, accountant, bookkeeper, marketing or consultant, then DO get in touch as I have already helped SMEs in these industries.
Take a look at my testimonials under the sustainability section to read more about what others had to say.