How & Why Sustainable Energy Should Power Your Business

Julie Starr • June 16, 2021



We have an incredible shift in the consumer culture of our countries. Lately, the wave of eco-consciousness has overtaken every part of our society. It’s been a long time coming and finally, governments and regulators are paying attention to how consumers are changing. Customers nowadays will be happy to pay more
for sustainable natural products rather than cheap and polluting products. The eco-friendly movement has swept into the corporate side of the business too. One of the main focuses is to power businesses, using green energy instead of the methods of old. Here are some of the ways which are gathering pace.

Old but new

Crude oil and natural gas are the two most popular energy types for businesses. Although they are going to be made obsolete by electric methods, they are still very much needed. For one thing, they are cheap and their pollution can be controlled. Modern sustainable oil and gas energy services seem to have cracked the code. This company produces oil and gas using greener methods, which has helped them to stay ahead of the competition. They now supply 5 billion cubic feet a day, to over 700 industrial clients. If you need oil for your business assets such as cargo ships or other types of freight, make sure it’s sourced sustainably. This will allow you to market your business in a more eco-friendly light, which could help to retain customers. 

 

Manufacturing and solar energy

It will come as no surprise to you that manufacturing uses a lot of energy. The main power for manufacturing plants is electricity. However, this electricity is made by oil and gas plants. Rather than wait for other companies to become eco-friendly, you should try to install a hybrid energy approach. Solar PV panels on the roof of your manufacturing plant could help to cut costs, and make your business far more sustainable. By the end of 2016 , solar power officially became the cheapest energy source in the world. In fact, Tesla’s new gigafactory will be powered completely by solar power , such has the technology advanced so quickly. Nowadays, there is no excuse why large flat surfaces on industrial facilities do not have solar panels.

Wind power

If your business is located in rural parts of the country, wind power is never far away. Wind power is a very common energy source for many rural business types, such as those in agriculture, manufacturing, warehouses, and product test sites. You should find out if wind power is being offered near your premises by checking the renewable energy map of your country. It’s quite common for wind power to be one of the first energy options offered to businesses in rural parts, because of its location. Wind power may be stored for city use and may not be used as readily as gas or oil. So as a business, you get priority of wind energy supply.

You need to invest

There’s no other way to get eco-friendly energy off the floor and around the world unless businesses that need energy invest in it. Businesses cannot expect to wait around and hope the government will get their act together and fund green energy projects. This is why Tesla and other major companies are taking on the challenge by themselves. This way, they get multiple advantages such as:

  • They own the IP of new sustainable energy. If you create a brilliant new solar panel to power your business, other businesses will want that tech. Why not sell it to them while owning the rights to the tech itself? This is a great return on investment.
  • You also avoid penalties that governments will impose on polluting businesses. Not to mention, since you are not asking the public purse to be opened for your energy needs, you also get a favorable seat at the government’s table. 
  • The bottom line is, if your business becomes energy self-sufficient, you protect yourself from all sorts of harm. Volatile market prices in oil and gas won’t affect you. You will not have to rely on another energy business to power your business. You’re less likely to be at the mercy of power cuts, etc.

There is no excuse why you cannot utilize green energy for your business needs. Whether you’re in manufacturing or just have offices, you should seek to find out what type of eco-friendly power options you have. The sooner you invest in green energy, the sooner you can make the transition from ‘old’ unclean power to future-proof energy.

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.
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