4 Tips for a Greener Digital Transformation for Small Businesses

Julie Starr • October 24, 2020



Undoubtedly, small to medium businesses have been the hardest hit by the consequences of the current pandemic. Without the financial resources that are commonly available to larger companies, small or local business owners have to leverage new opportunities. And, how can we ignore the importance of fuelling a digital transformation within any business? Local businesses have the power to produce sustainably and in total respect of the environment. But, they are now significantly threatened by the measures implemented to curb the pandemic. So, entering a digital era – within your own possibilities – can help you create a community, retain your customers, and encourage sustainable growth . Start here.  

Embrace Remote Working

Remote working is among the most sustainable – and affordable – ways to increase your workforce. While, undoubtedly, you will need to adapt your IT systems to be secure and efficient, this strategy allows you to leverage the knowledge and capabilities of the best talents in the industry – without having to rent costly office spaces or asking them to travel to the office every morning.

Deliver – Sustainably

eCommerce is an excellent way to increase your profits and make your products and services accessible to your audience independently from the current situation. However, eCommerce, shipping, and transport can end up creating a negative effect on the environment. 

You can decide to introduce eCommerce in a more sustainable way , especially if you pick recyclable packaging and offer more eco-friendly delivery options. Or, if your audience is still only local, you might decide to use a bike or other non-polluting vehicles to deliver your goods. This can be an optimal choice for the environment and allows you to stay in line with your brand.

Leverage Digital Marketing

Digital marketing is an excellent way to advertise your business in a sustainable way. You won’t need to invest in paper-based marketing and billboards, but the results can be even more beneficial. Indeed, having a website and implementing a blog is fairly easy and can help you allow your customers to discover your brand values and products before deciding to commit to a purchase. 

Additionally, integrating local SEO tips can help you increase your brand’s visibility and connect with the ones around you. These strategies can help your business become more discoverable by potential consumers who are already actively looking for what you offer.  Of course, though, you have to work on digital marketing as a constant process. Issues like content decay and relevance can hurt small businesses when they don’t properly update and improve their blogs and other digital content.

Create a Local Community Engagement

Joining the digital transformation can be extremely beneficial for your business because it can help you connect with the ones around you. Community involvement and engagement is crucial for a local business to thrive, offering you a base on which to continue growing and developing. Additionally, through marketing and communication, you can host events, take part in community initiatives, and organize volunteering projects. Indeed, this can be an excellent way to help your business fit within the local community and always count on other businesses and customers’ help. 

Lastly, communicating your brand values online is the perfect way to let others who might be interested that your business is operating as normal during these unusual times.

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.