How To Prove You Run An Eco-Friendly Business

Julie Starr • May 3, 2021



Eco-friendliness and sustainability are often at the forefront of consumers’ minds when making a purchasing decision. They’ll want to know that your business is doing all it can to be as environmentally friendly as possible, and they will spend time researching whether or not this is a fact. This is why it pays to actually be eco-friendly. Of course, it’s great for the planet, and that is something crucial to bear in mind, but from a business point of view, it’s great for profits too. 

So that you can run a sustainable business that people are happy to buy from, the key is to make things easy for the customer. Show them what you do that is eco-friendly, and rather than having to do any background checks and research themselves, you will have done it for them – the less effort it takes, the more likely a sale will be made. Read on to find out what you can do.

Mention It Everywhere 

If you are running an eco-friendly business, tell people about it. Make sure that if you write a well-versed sales playbook , if you have a social media page, if you make any contribution to the community, that your eco-friendly status is part of what you’re saying. You can even make sure that every element of your marketing includes this element as a major factor. 

  It might seem dull to say the same thing over and over, but don’t worry. This is such an important message that those who care about it – more and more people all the time – won’t mind hearing it again and again. If you are concerned, then there are many different marketing ideas that you can implement that will get the same message across in a variety of ways. 

Apply For Awards 

There are many awards that relate to eco-friendly businesses. If you were to win one, this would be definitive proof that you are working in an environmentally friendly way. The first step is to research the different awards that are available and see which ones match up with what you are doing. If there are none, take a look at what the awards are looking for, and make the necessary changes within your business. Either way, you’ll then be ready to apply. 

  Make your application with plenty of time to spare so that you don’t rush the process. Enclose all the evidence and information that is being asked for, and wait to hear the results. It might be that you win, and if you do, you can use this award to show how serious you are about sustainability. Even if you don’t win, you might be able to legitimately claim that you were nominated. 

Sponsor Your Community 

It’s certainly possible – and a good idea – to change your business practices to work in a more eco-friendly way. This could include going paperless, using solar panels for energy, recycling more, and so on. Yet these things aren’t always going to be noticed by potential customers. 

  What will be noticed, however, is if you make an effort to sponsor your community and ensure that, in doing so, it becomes more environmentally friendly. An example of this would be to sponsor recycling bins to place around your town or organize a litter picking event. Anything like this will show people you are serious about making the world a better place. 

 

 

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.