What Should Do if You Want To Go Paperless (but You Can’t)?

Julie Starr • June 29, 2021



Everybody is trying to make their business sustainable. And this means that when we start to think about how we can do our bit for the environment, it goes way deep into the cultural aspects of our business. But sometimes, we start to overthink matters. Because businesses need to make seismic changes through cultural components, they can easily overlook the smaller factions that can make a significant difference. Case in point: going paperless . Cutting down on the paper you use is a very simple way to help, but what happens if you try to go paperless, but you just can’t? Going digital is easy, but it’s about making sure that the paper doesn’t come back into the business. Let’s show you what you need to do. 

Surround Yourself With Similar Mindsets

The difficulty of dealing with aspects of a supply chain means that you can’t always find people that have the same mindset. But it’s important to not make massive changes right away. If you are trying to change your thinking, the best way to do this is to surround yourself and work with people who are also environmentally conscious. There are times when you may need to print things but when you do this, consider making the purchases that make the least impact. A company like Aura Print focuses on digital cards, but will always work with businesses that embody the same sort of mindset. It’s a very key component to doing business effectively. When you start to work with like-minded people, it provides you with a positive influence to keep pushing forward for constructive change. 

Forget About the Backlog

One of the best ways to consider going paperless is to forget about how much paper you’ve already accumulated. It’s so easy for us to focus on past habits when we should be looking forward. Instead of looking back, adopt a forward-thinking approach. The fact is that if you are trying to go paperless, now is the time for you to make that change. Rather than looking backward and trying to digitize all of your paper files, which can be counterintuitive, instead, make sure that the backlog doesn’t get any bigger. Sign up for digital payments and email statements. If you are a business that still sends checks on a regular basis, you’ve got to make the switch to pay online. Many companies have had digital payments for years, but there are still some who will not accept online payments. When you are dealing with certain suppliers, they may still be stuck in the 1990s, and if you find yourself in this predicament, you’ve got to explain to them that they will get their money quicker if they accept digital payments. Small businesses can accept bank transfers with minimal fees. Sometimes, when we’re working with older suppliers, they are more stubborn. However, it’s just important to remember that sometimes we have to set an example. 

Scanning and Shredding

You can start to digitize your business through a scanner, but if your business is on the small side, you may not be able to invest in an expensive scanner, however, there are plenty of smartphone apps that you can use to scan information. Once you start to scan, put the paper in the shredder. When you dispose of the paper into the shredder, you’ve done everything you can. It can be difficult to follow that habit, especially if you don’t have time, but just take the opportunity to spend five minutes per day scanning from your backlog, to see how smoothly it goes. You can always hire temporary staff to do this for you also. 

Incorporate New Workflows

Scanning and shredding your documents is one approach, but as you get more comfortable with your paperless approach, you may discover you will need more workflows. This could mean that you need to create a new content management system, especially if you need to keep information on clients, such as their business number, contact details, etc. 

It’s also important to remember that you shouldn’t overthink it. When you are facing a difficult predicament as to whether you should go paperless with certain parts of the business, it can be tough. Going paperless should make your life easier. You may feel guilty that you got a few extra pieces of paper floating around, but you need to remember that if you are holding onto pointless papers, get rid of them, but also, you shouldn’t bother digitizing papers that serve no purpose. When in doubt, shred it, and let it go. Going paperless is not always straightforward, because there are different ideologies and attitudes to going completely digital. But when you are in doubt, try a few of these methods to see how it goes.

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