Marrying Sustainable Practices & Profit

Julie Starr • September 21, 2022



It can often seem as though businesses have a choice between being sustainable or making a decent profit. At least, that is how it is often portrayed. The truth, however, is that you can easily and effectively marry sustainability and profit, and in fact it is easier than ever to do so. Understanding some of the essential ways in which this can happen is one of the most useful things you can do for your business, so it’s something to look into.

In this post, we are going to take a look at how you can ensure your business is as profitable as possible, even while making a point of being sustainable too. As long as you do both of these, you are going to have a better business in both of these important ways – better for you, and for the planet.

Don’t Skimp On The Marketing

Just because you are trying to be sustainable doesn’t mean you can’t put effort, time and money into your marketing – in fact, you should certainly do this if you are keen to make sure that your business has a good chance of success. In order to do this right, you have to think about the many kinds of marketing you can use for your business, and there really are a lot that you can be aware of here.

One way to ensure you are not skimping on marketing, but still being as sustainable as possible, is to use some professional digital marketing services . With the help of such services, you should find that you are able to make your business a lot more profitable without reducing your sustainability at all.

Make Sustainability Your Brand

Another thing you might want to consider is actually making sustainability an important and central part of your brand itself. Doing this benefits you and your business in a few vital ways. For one thing, it means that you are putting your business out there as a sustainable one, which in today’s climate is going to act as a really effective marketing tool essentially. It’s also going to give you a focus in terms of your sustainability, which can be really useful too and help to keep you on track with that side of things.

It’s relatively easy to make sustainability your brand. You just need to decide on some specific green aims and then ensure you are incorporating them into your brand image, logo, slogan and so on. Doing this can be great for all, so it’s definitely something you will want to think about.

Pay Attention To The Supply Chain

If you want to be sustainable, you also need to think about which other businesses you are supporting, to ensure that you are not inadvertently supporting those which are unsustainable or harming the planet actively. That means paying attention to the wider supply chain, something which a lot of business owners completely forget to do, but which is vital if you really care about this sort of thing.

You might be wondering how you can ensure that your business is still profitable this way, but the truth is that there are many ways. It’s mostly about keeping the supply chain small, which helps with the sustainable aim as well. So make sure that you are doing that.

Go Low-Tech

With so much focus on being high-tech all the time, it can be easy to forget that this is not always that important. A lot of business owners make the mistake of thinking that you have to use high-tech solutions, as they are inevitably the best. But this is just not true. There are many times when going low-tech is actually the better solution, and you don’t actually need more than that. Plus, of course, this approach is going to ensure that you are using less energy, and therefore that your business is a lot more sustainable on the whole.

Cut Internal Costs Wherever You Can

You will always want to think about cutting costs as much as possible if you are keen to have as much profit as you can. But if you are not careful, you might end up being less sustainable if you cut the costs in the wrong place. A much safer approach in general is to cut internal costs wherever possible, because these are generally going to be a lot safer to play around with, and you won’t be risking the sustainability aspect of your business as much. That is a really simple change to make today.

 

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.