4 Elements To Consider When Using Services Outside Your Business

Julie Starr • October 25, 2022



Are you using outsourcing solutions in your business model? Many companies choose to take these steps these days either in an attempt to reduce costs or to avoid overextending their workforce. While using an outside solution can be the right choice, you must approach it the correct way. So, let’s explore some of the key elements that you should consider.

Cost 

First, you should make sure that you consider the costs of an outsourcing solution. As mentioned, a clear benefit of outsourcing is that you can reduce your costs. However, this will only be true if you choose the right business service. That’s why you need to make sure that you are exploring different options on the market carefully. In doing so, you can guarantee that you choose the right possibility for your budget. Do be aware that certain solutions look cost-effective such as freight RFP when in reality they will cost a lot in the long term. Of course, this isn’t your only consideration when using an outside service in your business. 

Green Features 

Next, you should make sure that you choose a solution with the right green standards. Do be aware whichever solution you use will impact your overall carbon footprint and sustainability profile. Particularly, if a service you are using is going to be at the front and center of your business model. This could be the case if you are exploring logistic solutions. Customers are going to notice if you are not shipping their products using a green service. 

Legal Options 

You may also want to consider the legal requirements if you are using an outsourcing solution. It’s important to ensure that you are protected if there is a problem with a service that you are relying on in your business model. You don’t want to be in a situation where there’s no action you can take if a business fails to deliver what it promised. The best way to avoid a situation like this is to make sure that you hire a legal advisor for your business model. The right legal advisor will ensure that your agreement with an outsourcing service is ironclad. 

Reviews And Referrals

Finally, you should think about exploring reviews and referrals when you are using an outsourcing solution. The benefit of doing so is that you will know exactly what type of solution you are investing in. Reviews might mention anything from green standards to reliability and all things in between.

Alternatively, you can rely on referrals for services from people you know in the industry. This might include friendly rivals as well as business owners and consultants who you trust. While you can use an untrusted or untested outsourcing solution, this can cause risk levels to build significantly.  


When assessing reviews and referrals, remember that service quality can vary greatly across industries—from logistics and IT support to commercial cleaning services. For instance, a service provider might appear cost-effective initially but may fall short in reliability or thoroughness, issues often highlighted in customer reviews. Looking into peer recommendations or testimonials from similar businesses can help uncover these hidden pitfalls. Whether you're outsourcing customer service, facility maintenance, or delivery operations, learning from others’ experiences can give you a clearer picture of what to expect and help you avoid services that might damage your reputation or disrupt operations.

Hopefully, this helps you understand the key elements that you must consider before you begin to outsource elements of your business model. In doing so, you can ensure that you are using the right solution that will deliver the ideal benefits.

5 Everyday Items That Can Quietly Boost Your Brand

By Julie Starr • July 17, 2025
The best branding doesn’t always come from big campaigns or expensive graphics. Sometimes it’s the smaller stuff that leaves the biggest impression. Things people actually use, touch, or carry with them. That’s where your brand can quietly make its mark without needing to shout about it. If you’re only focusing on social media and business cards, you’re leaving a lot on the table. Here are five overlooked ways to get your name out there that feel natural, useful, and more personal. Thank-you slips If you’re already sending out orders, there’s no reason not to include a short thank-you slip. You can easily get these made through any decent online print shop , and they’re usually pretty cheap to run off in small batches. Just a simple note that says thanks, maybe with a reminder to follow you online or a cheeky discount code for next time. It’s quick, thoughtful, and makes the whole order feel more finished. Customers notice that kind of detail, especially when everything else they buy online comes with zero personality. You don’t need a complicated design either. Just something clean with your logo, a message that sounds like you, and maybe a social handle. The point is to give them a reason to come back or remember your name without it feeling forced. Branded zip pouches If you sell physical products, offer services, or run events, small zip pouches are surprisingly effective. Think of the kind you’d use for stationery, receipts, or travel bits. You can get your brand printed on the side and hand them out with purchases or include them in welcome packs. People keep them because they’re actually useful. They get tossed in handbags, school bags, or glove boxes and your logo just keeps turning up. Cleaning cloths for glasses or screens This one works brilliantly if you’re in tech, health, beauty, or anything involving screens or eyewear. A simple microfibre cloth with your branding on it can go a long way. Everyone needs one. Whether they use it for glasses, a phone screen, or their laptop, it’s something they hang onto. It’s not the kind of thing people throw away, and that means your name sticks around too. Receipt envelopes You might already use little envelopes to hand over receipts or business cards. Branding those envelopes is a small change that makes a big difference. Instead of someone getting a scruffy bit of paper in a plain sleeve, they’re handed something that feels a bit more finished. You can even add a message inside. Doesn’t need to be anything dramatic. A simple “thanks for visiting” or “see you next time” is enough to add a personal touch. Wet wipes or mini hand gels If your business is in hospitality, food, or anything hands-on, branded wet wipes or pocket-sized hand gels are surprisingly popular. People actually use them, especially at festivals, food stalls, pop-ups, or kids’ events. They end up in handbags or cars and stick around longer than you think. They don’t scream “marketing” either. They’re practical, and when done right, they make your business feel thoughtful. That’s what good branding does, it shows you’ve thought ahead.

How Student-Led ‘Energy Audits’ Are Cutting School Costs (and Lighting the Way Forward)

By Julie Starr • July 14, 2025
What happens when students stop waiting for adults to fix things and start conducting their own energy audits? Money gets saved. The lights get switched off. Data gets analyzed. And a quiet revolution in sustainability begins—inside schools that once overlooked their own inefficiencies. Across the globe, student-led energy audits are proving that change doesn't always need to come from a policy shift or a major capital budget. Sometimes, it begins with a clipboard, a spreadsheet, and a group of curious minds asking: Why are the hallway lights on at noon when sunlight floods the building? The Energy Detectives These audits aren’t science fair projects. They’re rigorous investigations, often done in collaboration with facilities staff, local environmental nonprofits, or even engineering mentors. Students go from classroom to classroom measuring electricity usage, checking for phantom loads , and identifying where heat is escaping in winter or air conditioning is leaking in summer. One high school in Ontario saved over $12,000 a year after its Grade 11 physics students ran an energy audit and suggested simple changes—LED upgrades, motion sensors in bathrooms, and smarter heating schedules. They didn’t just propose ideas. They pitched them with spreadsheets, thermal images, and payback timelines. It worked. Learning That Pays Off—Literally Unlike textbook learning, these audits blend real-world math, environmental science, economics, and persuasive communication. Students aren’t just learning about sustainability. They’re doing it. And the savings add up. From dimming overlit hallways to reprogramming HVAC systems that run all weekend for empty buildings, students are surfacing blind spots that administrators often overlook. In some districts, their findings are influencing energy policy. Elsewhere, the audits have inspired school boards to hire sustainability coordinators—often alumni of the student programs themselves. There’s something poetic about a school funding new books or laptops from money saved by students who found out the vending machines didn’t need to be plugged in 24/7. Why This Matters More Than Ever With education budgets tightening and utility costs rising, every dollar saved is a dollar that can go back into classrooms. And here’s where it gets interesting from a family finance perspective, too. If you’re a parent setting aside money for post-secondary savings, every bit of school efficiency helps. Fewer energy costs might mean more programming, better STEM facilities, or even bursaries. That raises a broader point: when families save for their children’s future, they often look into RESPs (Registered Education Savings Plans). And many wonder—is a RESP deduction available on my taxes? While contributions themselves aren’t deductible, the gains grow tax-free, and students often pay little to no tax when they withdraw the funds during school. A Movement Worth Replicating These audits aren’t just an exercise in environmentalism. They’re leadership labs. Students learn how to spot inefficiencies, speak up in board meetings, and make a business case for change. They don’t just flip switches—they shift mindsets. And they carry these habits into adulthood. The result? A generation growing up not only with climate anxiety, but also with tools to tackle it.