I have known Helen Kirby of HK Graphics for several years now and we have attended many networking groups and meetings together where we have learned about each other’s businesses.
Helen has created some amazing graphics for Auxilium in the form of a revised logo, leaflets, and Canva templates so my website is now littered with her amazing work.
Helen is herself passionate about sustainability and was curious to know how this could be incorporated into her business
I spoke to her about the benefits of ‘sowing the seeds of sustainability’ for her small business and how I had helped others. We then booked a121 chat to discuss my sustainability services further.
Some of Helen’s clients are also sustainably conscious and she wanted to make sure that she was showcasing to them and all interested parties what she was doing but had not told anyone about yet.
Helen liked the structured approach of SOW where she could book in her diary time to work on this that suited her and also brainstorm with me all of her efforts thus far.
In a short space of time, we compiled the “Sustainability Statement” for the business and then using all the evidence in the four pillars we compiled the “Roadmap of Actions” for Helen to use internally and externally for HK Graphics marketing purposes.
The 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 an 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.
“Doing Good is Good for Business” – Richard Branson.
Just as a reminder the 4 pillars used in this work are based on those from CSR-A and 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.
The documents that SOW compiled have given Helen the confidence to talk about her sustainability efforts and to encourage others to do the same. If asked to evidence her work she now has all the information to hand. She has also compiled some infographics to showcase and visually represent what she does. Take a look at these on her website from her sustainability page
This is what Helen had to say after the SOW programme was complete.
“I found going through the SOW Programme with Alex so straightforward. I was nervous it was going to take up a lot of time, but with Alex’s guidance and regular meetings, it was really easy to keep on top of the tasks.
It’s great to have a sustainability statement for use on my website and I’m really pleased to have a roadmap to keep me on the right track going forward.
This programme is a great first step into really demonstrating sustainability to my clients and stakeholders.
Thank you Alex for your brilliant guidance through the process.”
I have since followed up with Helen about her sustainability journey and the additional impacts she has incorporated into her business after this work. This is all helping her to increase her impacts, share the work she is doing, and attract like-minded clients, suppliers, and stakeholders.
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 graphic designer, financial advisor, software developer, research consultant, social media expert, 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.