Be Wary Of These Business Troubles

Julie Starr • April 21, 2022



When you have your own business you are responsible for anything that happens to go a bit awry. Being prepared for all eventualities will help you manage everything should the worst happen. Here are six common business troubles that you can face and how to work around them.

High Energy Costs 

If when you created your business budget you catered for the costs of energy then you may need to rejiggle this around a bit. It can end up costing an arm and a leg these days when it comes to energy, and the cost only seems to be rising. In order to deal with this then it may be time to start reminding your employees and other workers to shut down their PCs at the end of the day. You should also turn the lights off rather than leave them on, this wastes electricity. 

It may be worthwhile investing in some form of renewable energy such as wind power or solar power. These will help cut your energy bills by as much as half. It may seem like a huge payout initially but it will pay for itself in the end. You can put the money you save on energy towards other aspects of your business such as sustainability programs. 

Security Trouble 

It can be quite common for unruly people to target businesses. This is due to the sheer amount they can actually take from them. Not only physical items but files and data as well. Keeping security tight within your business will alleviate any problems that could arise. There are many options when it comes to your business’s security, these include CCTV, security personnel, and smart locks. 

Continued COVID Concerns 

It might seem like the COVID pandemic is behind us but this just isn’t true. There are a lot of people who are still concerned about the impact of the virus, including long-COVID. This is still impacting a few different business sectors and it’s something that you should keep in mind. As well as this, some companies are still recovering from the knocks to profit that occurred during the pandemic. 

 

Make sure that whoever you choose to look after your business is verified and has reviews from previous customers and clients. You can also ask around your friends, family, or other businesses for recommendations. You just want the best for your business which means choosing the best security team for the job. Of course one of the greatest concerns is definitely cyber. That’s why you should make sure that you have the right insurance in place.   Insurance brokers  will help ensure that you find the best option on the market for your company. 


In the meantime, you can also invest in security solutions like a centralized platform for managing secrets to protect your business against online threats. Imagine a secure vault, accessible only to authorized users, where you can store all your passwords, keys, and other sensitive information. This feature not only makes it easier to manage and access your data but also strengthens your overall security framework. With features like role-based access, control, and automated rotation of secrets, you can rest assured that your data is protected and you’re following the best security practices. So avoid stress and embrace the peace of mind that comes with a centralized secret management solution and improved cybersecurity.

 

Another point to consider is essentially what’s next. Experts are already warning that COVID could just be the beginning. This could be because of constant changes to the environment and that means companies must remain flexible, ready to change for any challenge. 

Running Businesses Remotely 

Many businesses these days operate from home. This is another after-effect of COVID. Businesses were forced to operate from home because it was deemed unsafe for people to work in close proximity. Now, a lot of business employees don’t see why they should return to the office. They want a better work/life balance which is completely understandable. However, letting employees work from home presents other issues including trouble with productivity levels. As such, you will need to make sure that you do take steps to keep people firing on all cylinders. 

Injuries In The Workplace 

 

This can be devastating for your business, especially if the injured worker makes a claim in against you. It is important to be diligent in workplace safety. For instance, if the floor is wet, place a sign stating so with instructions to mind the wet floor with proper signage. This way you are avoiding any injuries from happening. Of course, some injuries are unavoidable but they are not the ones that will get you in trouble. If a worker gets injured then this will lead to them being off work. That could also lead to compensation and the need to fund a structured settlement scheme that leads to managing future payments.   

 

Bad Reviews 

Finally, bad reviews are not helpful for any business. 80% of individuals will check out reviews of a place or business before they go there. If you spot yourself getting some negative reviews then take action straight away. You don’t want one or two bad experiences to tarnish your brand. If the review was left online or on social media, be engaging and responsive by replying in a timely fashion to the consumer. Be authentic and acknowledging by commenting with ways to resolve the matter to the customer’s satisfaction. This proves that you care about your customers’ opinions and want to improve their experience with you next time.  It also helps you learn and grow as a business. 

 

5 Simple Ways to Make Your Online Business More Sustainable

By Julie Starr • August 9, 2025
Running an online business can feel like a constant balancing act. You’re trying to grow, keep customers happy, and still have time for yourself. The trick to making it all work long-term is to build habits and systems that last. You don’t need a complicated plan or endless resources to do it either. Here are five straightforward ways to make your business more sustainable without overcomplicating things. Focus on long-term customer relationships If you want your business to last, you need customers who keep coming back. That doesn’t just happen because you’ve got a good product or service. It’s about making people feel valued every time they interact with you. Simple things like remembering their name, following up after a purchase, or sending a quick thank-you email can make a huge difference. People are far more likely to support a business they feel connected to, so keep those relationships personal and genuine rather than purely transactional. Make your marketing work smarter A big part of sustainability is making sure your marketing isn’t draining your time or money. You want it to be efficient and get results. This is where working with seo consultants can help. They know how to make sure people can find your business online without you throwing cash at random ads. Even if you can’t hire someone right now, you can start by focusing on keywords, improving your website’s loading speed, and posting valuable content that answers the questions your customers are already asking. Streamline your products or services It’s tempting to try to offer everything to everyone, but that’s rarely a good idea. The more you offer, the more time, money, and resources you’ll end up using. Instead, focus on the things you do best and make them as good as they can be. When you streamline what you’re selling, you can put all your energy into perfecting it, which makes it easier to maintain quality over time. Customers notice when you consistently deliver something great, and they’ll trust you more for it. Keep an eye on your finances No matter how much you enjoy the creative or customer side of your business, the numbers are what will keep you going long-term. That means knowing what’s coming in, what’s going out, and where you can cut costs without cutting quality. Set yourself a monthly check-in to look at your spending and profits. If you spot something that’s not working financially, don’t leave it for months, hoping it will improve. Tackle it early and you’ll avoid bigger problems down the road. Look after yourself You can’t run a sustainable business if you’re running yourself into the ground. Burnout isn’t just bad for you, it’s bad for your customers and your bottom line. Make sure you’re setting boundaries, taking breaks, and switching off when you can. That might mean scheduling a full day without work every week or turning your phone off after a certain time. The more balanced you are, the better decisions you’ll make, and the easier it will be to keep your business moving forward without constantly feeling like you’re in survival mode. Sustainability in business isn’t about doing one big thing; it’s about making intelligent, consistent choices that build over time. Start small, keep checking in on your progress, and before you know it, your business will feel a lot steadier and more future-proof than it did before.

Sustainable Choices That Heavy Industry Businesses Can Easily Make

By Julie Starr • August 8, 2025
Are you hoping to build a heavy industry business? It’s the kind of company that can have globally sweeping positive and negative effects. On the one hand, you’re contributing to the industry, ensuring there’s enough supply to meet demand, and you can do your best to operate in a sustainable way that prioritizes the environment. But on the other hand, the heavy industry has long been the most significant business polluter in the world. Despite advancements in industry technology and usage, their ranking relative to other sectors, such as food and beverage , and shipping and logistics, has remained unchanged as of 2025. Requiring extensive use of large, heavy, and expensive machinery, the fumes produced by heavy-duty factories in sectors like mining, aerospace, nautical, and metal production regularly cause harm to both human and animal life. It’s why anyone interested in investing or scaling within an industry like this needs to focus on their company’s carbon footprint. There are various ways to ensure you’re limiting your harmful output and waste, and you’ll want to use as many as possible within your operation. Check out our recommendations below. Work with Green Suppliers No matter what stage you sit at in the hypothetical supply chain, you’re likely to source at least part of your overall production material from a supplier. If that’s not the case, you’ll still need to work with companies that provide machinery and equipment, as well as replacement parts for these industrial items. All in all, to make as sustainable a choice as possible, you’ll want to commit to working with a ‘green’ supplier who makes eco-conscious choices at every step. Eco-friendly suppliers will strive to both implement sustainable practices within their production line, as well as provide sustainably made and/or extracted materials. The products and/or parts they send out are likely to be recyclable when they reach their end-of-life period, or they’ll run a scheme where you can send old or broken parts back to them. Offset Your Carbon Emissions Offsetting carbon emissions converts the waste output from your operations into something more positive. If you’re interested in programs like this , you can use official government platforms or climate charity websites to contribute. You’ll be able to find a variety of projects that have been undertaken to remove CO2 from the atmosphere, and they’ll be located in various regions across the world. You can choose to patronise as many of them as you wish, but if you want to focus on specific types, you’ll also be able to do so. When approaching a program like this, it’s usually best to offset month by month, as this helps you stay on top of your carbon footprint. Be sure to invest in as much carbon removal per tonne as your business has potentially contributed to the atmosphere in the last month. But before you go any further, there’s one thing you need to keep in mind here: Carbon offsetting is just one sustainable practice you can turn to, but it’s not the only one your business will ever need to use. Yes, it’s one of the most sustainable practices a heavy industry business can invest in. But that’s only true when it’s partnered with real-time carbon-lowering efficiencies within day-to-day operations. Repair, Rather Than Throw Away Repairing is the best option if a repair is possible. This should be the first step when evaluating old or broken-down equipment. If it can be salvaged, it should be. Otherwise, you’ll have to replace the equipment in question. Not only is that expensive, but it also means more waste to manage. And not all heavy industry tech can be recycled. Sometimes it’s potentially hazardous and needs to be disposed of carefully, and this could have harsh impacts on the surrounding environment. Repairing is your best bet, at least 80% of the time. You can get back up and running faster, and you don’t need to account for a large investment at short notice. And more equipment can be repaired than you might think. It’s not just small, singular parts that can be pulled out. Entire internal systems in even large vehicles, such as freighter ships, can be replaced by secondary parts. A marine logistics provider or deep-sea fishing operator would save a lot of money just by ordering a Cummins Rebuild Kit for one of their vessels. Deciding to put the ship out of commission and eventually scrapping it will contribute to the large-scale waste common in companies like this. Aiming to repair and limit environmental damage will get that same boat back onto the waters in seaworthy condition. Operate with Lower Emission Logistics Shipping your products to businesses and markets always generates a carbon footprint. Unless you’re operating only within the local area and you’re able to transport products back and forth on foot, this is an unavoidable issue. And seeing as you’re a heavy industry business, that’s not very likely. But some shipping options are better than others. Indeed, there are low-emission choices to be made, and you’ll want to look into these logistic partners only. You’ll likely find that air travel is a total no-go zone. Alternatives to this are long-haul road transportation or a traditional shipping company that operates via sea. Yes, even trucking your products over land generates a lot less carbon waste that can damage the environment than flying something! Staying Green as a Heavy Industry Player Working sustainably within the heavy industry is a career-long project. You’ll need to continually make moves to consider what could be streamlined into something greener and less consuming next. In the end, this can help your long-term costs decrease and stay low. Fewer risky investments, fewer fees from environmental bodies, and more productive time within your business. So, it’s not going to be easy, but it will be worth it