How To Create & Promote A Company Culture That Cares

Julie Starr • November 17, 2020



The world is a better place when companies like the one you run cares about the environment, people, and improving the world as a whole. It’s up to you as the leader and boss to create and promote a company culture that cares and is willing to step up and make positive and impactful changes.

It’s not enough to sit back and watch others take forward action. Customers and employees want to know that the business they’re purchasing from or working for is committed to improving the way everyone works and lives. It’s time to step up and prove with your actions that you’re a company culture that cares and is committed to the cause.

Set Your Vision & Mission

Create and promote a company culture that cares by making it part of your vision and mission. Write down and record specifics about what you believe in and stand for and share it with others. It starts by setting the right tone and expectations at your workplace. It’ll become a part of all you do and the decisions you make so that you’re always working toward making the world and Earth a better place for all to reside. You need this messaging and these ground rules in place so that you stay true to them throughout the years and they are the foundation for all you do at your workplace.

Attract Top Talent

When you create a company that cares, you can use it as a recruiting tactic to attract top talent. Hire the best and the brightest and ensure they believe in what you’re doing so they stick around for the long-term. Employees want to work for businesses that care about the environment and giving back to others. They’ll see you’re serious about it when it’s part of your vision and mission, and you’re taking actions that support your promise. You’ll be able to count on your staff to help you follow through with your initiatives and come up with new ways and ideas for showing that you care.

Connect with Customers

When you’re a company that cares, you’ll have proof to show your customers so that you can please them. Use PPC agency Robben Media to run ad campaigns that talk about all you’re doing to give back and how you’re helping to improve the environment based on the decisions you make and how you run your business. You can run relevant contests and social media campaigns to get consumers excited about your causes and what you’re doing. Get the word out and spread the messages you have about caring about people, the world, and making improvements that will positively impact future generations and workers.

Get Out in the Community

Create and promote a company culture that cares by getting more involved in the community . Sponsor or host events and introduce yourselves and talk about your mission and vision to those you meet. Donate to charities and causes that you believe in and support your goal of making the world a better place for all. Show those in your local area that you’re a business they can get behind and should be proud to associate with by taking action to improve your community and help those around you.

Focus on Sustainability

Go green at your workplace and focus on sustainability to show that you’re a company that cares. Lead by example, and other companies may follow your lead and want to help too. Create a culture where everyone at your business is working together to recycle and use less energy and reduce your office carbon footprint . You can also order food from local farmers or restaurants for events and purchase equipment that won’t harm the environment. Organize a committee of employees who can ensure everyone is following through with positive actions in the workplace and helping you to be greener and implement sustainability practices.

Reward Your Employees & Customers

Your workplace will be a happier and healthier environment when you reward your employees and customers. Make it about them instead of you to show that you want to come together for the greater good. Create and promote a company culture that cares by showing your appreciation and gratitude to those who’ve supported you and your business along the way. Offer attractive benefits to your employees and give your customers a call to say thanks. Focus on getting everyone who you work with and encounter to see your business in a positive light by holding true to your promises and ensuring they’re satisfied with your leadership and management style.

Make Time to Give Back

You may also want to consider volunteering your time to create and promote a company culture that cares. Many people are in need, especially around the holiday season. Therefore, be willing to take days and time off work to gather your employees and contribute your time to a charity or cause that is meaningful to all of you. You may also want to get involved in local events that support a sustainable and green lifestyle and business environment. You can meet new people, share ideas, and work together to improve the community for everyone. People will see that you care when you not only say you want to help, but then you put in the time and effort to give back and support those in need.

Celebrate Successes

Your company will be a much happier and healthier place to work when you create a positive vibe and atmosphere. You can ensure this holds true by celebrating your successes and calling people out for all their hard work. Take the time to thank those who perform well and show you care by throwing a celebratory lunch or giving people some time off work to enjoy as they choose. Promote teamwork and come together as a group to share in each other’s successes and support those around you. Write press releases about all you’re accomplishing and doing so that the public and consumers are aware and understand and can get behind your mission too.

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.