The Benefits Of Sustainability In Business

Julie Starr • June 8, 2021



For many people, especially in the business world, sustainability is becoming increasingly crucial. Climate change continues to impact our lives and the fate of all other species on the planet. Sustainable business practices are becoming increasingly important for business owners, leaders, and administrators, and this is because business owners have the responsibility to show individuals what to do next. 

Yet when you run a business that is deemed sustainable, there are many additional benefits other than those that relate to the environment. It is vital to understand these benefits if you wonder why you should make your business much more sustainable. Once you’ve read this list, you may well decide that becoming more sustainable within your business isn’t just something that you want to do; it’s something that you need to do. Read on to find out more.

Consumer Perception 

When you run a business, you need to think of the customer at all times. If you don’t and you only implement changes and do things that help you, your business won’t last for long. You must ensure that anything your company provides, including how those things are provided, links with what your customers want. In this way, you will find that not only will your current customers stay with you, but that new customer will navigate towards you, impressed by the APIs and other tools you use to show you are a sustainable business. 

  Keeping the customer happy is one of the top reasons, other than the environment, to become a more sustainable, green business. People are becoming more aware of global warming and waste issues, and they want to do what they can to help. If they can buy from a sustainable business, they will. 

Business Perception 

You want your business to look good in front of current and future customers, but you also want your business to look good on the global market, and being sustainable – and showing that you are – is a great way to do this. 

When you are perceived as a ‘good’ business by other business leaders, your business worth will grow. If you are the business to beat, you’re clearly doing something right, and this will give you good standing in the business community. This will also help when you want to hire staff. Anyone who is in your industry will be aware of the best players, and those are the businesses they will want to work for. If you are deemed as being at the top because of your sustainability efforts, among other things, you will have your pick of the best candidates, and your business will become even better because of this. 

Save Money 

It might sound like a strange thing to suggest that becoming more sustainable could save your business money , but depending on how you go about things, this could be the case. 

Although you will have to change the way you work, this isn’t always a negative. When looking for new sustainable suppliers, you may find that you can buy the products and services you need for less than you’re paying now. You might not have customarily shopped around, thinking you were happy with who you were using, but the need to become sustainable changed this. 

On top of this, you can also save money by signing up for government initiatives. Check your local area to see what is available; when making your business more sustainable, potentially grants and business loans can help you.

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.