The Sustainability Of Remote Business

Julie Starr • May 20, 2020



A lot of businesses have had to live, at some scale, with remote working as a reality rather than an option. However, it has shown many businesses the benefits of going remote, not just for the productivity and work-life balance of the team, but also for the sustainability of the business. Here are four key ways in which a remote team could be a more sustainable one.

Cutting the commute
While some remote workers might be considered “digital nomads,” and are constantly on the move, this isn’t the case for most remote workers. In fact, most people working remotely will do so from their home, meaning they lose all the environmental impact of traveling back and forth from the office every single day. To see how much your business could help cut the carbon emissions of your team, there are commute emission tracking websites made to precisely that purpose. You can see just how much greener your business could be by cutting the commute alone.

Downsizing the office
There are a lot of ways that an employer can help make their office a greener place. However, the fact is that such a concentration of resources and people is likely to be a place where a lot of waste is generated. With remote working, you don’t have the waste of the office to deal with. You can still maintain the professional image your business needs with a virtual physical address , too, if you’re worried about how not having an office would impact your business. Similarly, without an office, you don’t need to purchase all the technology to equip your workers to do their job there, either. In a remote set-up, most employees will work with their own tech.

Passing on the paper
 One of the resources you’re going to cut down most on when going remote is the amount of paper purchased and used. Going paperless is one of the biggest steps an office can take towards going sustainable. In the average office, it’s estimated that 70% of all the waste produced is mixed paper products. As recyclable as it is, not all of it will be able to be reused and when the average office goes through about 2 pounds worth of mixed paper a day, the remote paperless option can be a huge improvement.

Empowering remote employees
 The one potential disadvantage of going remote in your business is that you don’t have the ability to influence the environment of your workers or to get them to work in a more sustainable workspace. At least, you don’t have that option directly. You can, however, incentivize them to make their own home office a little greener . For instance, you can introduce a scheme by where they can purchase some green home installations, like LED bulbs, at a discount through the company.

Another great way to empower your employees to lead the way to sustainability while working from home is to create sustainability programs. It is common for companies to have multiple employee programs that are voluntary; however, if you want to achieve sustainability, consider having a program related to this and making it mandatory for all employees to participate.

Including your workers regardless of location is an incredible way to ensure everyone is on board and adheres to measures. Also, ensure you enact the proper communication channels for employees to air out their views, get assistance and advice where need be, and suggest better methods.

Lastly, to empower your employees effectively, it would be wise to reward all efforts. Nothing is as great as celebrating success, no matter how trivial it is, by rewarding efforts. It can be as simple as sending out business thank you cards to anyone who promoted sustainability, be it your employees, sponsors, or community members. You can also give the requisite recognition honors to participants.

From cutting the carbon emissions of traveling to reducing paper use as best as possible, it’s clear that remote working could be the future of the sustainable office as we know it.

6 Effective Ways To Offer Value To Customers

By Julie Starr • 02 May, 2024
Understanding that acquiring new customers can cost up to five times more than retaining them empowers you to make strategic decisions. If you're not offering value to your customers, you won't be able to retain existing ones or attract new ones. In a world where there are seemingly a million customers all offering the same thing, standing out above the noise and offering value to your customers can boost retention. Look At What You Do Well To offer value and identify the reasons why people do business with you or what makes them choose you, take pride in what you do well. Where do you excel? What entices people? What are you most proud of? It is in these areas that you find value and get a better idea of what customers want and expect. Improve Your Brand Image and Perception How people see and perceive your brand will show them what you have to offer and can be a great way to help people connect with your brand. Be clear about who you are and what you represent. It might be that your whole company is built on sustainability, and if people know this and can align with your beliefs, then you can develop a relationship with them based on mutual goals and ideals. Take some time to see what your brand perception is and what message you are putting out there about who you are, and if it doesn't wholly represent you, then you can work on changing this so the message is clear and representative of what the company is about. This can be a great way to offer people value and something another brand provides. Improved Quality The quality of what you should always be top-notch, but you can still go a little extra. It doesn't matter if you're selling whole podcasts, parts, repairs, or services; the level of quality received by the customers for the price point will often play a massive factor in whether or not they will make another purchase or become a regular customer. Even if you don't offer anything else that seems exemplary, if people are more than satisfied with the output level, you can guarantee they will definitely be back. So whether you upgrade the quality of your ingredients for food and drink-based products, offer additional content or support for your services, or outsource to machine shops for fabrication requirements, improve the quality of what you do to give you that edge over competitors. Provide A Positive Experience Value isn't always about something you offer for a price point; it's about the experience as a whole and, oftentimes, the things you don't do. By providing all customers with a positive experience , you can leave a lasting impression in their minds that they really enjoyed their contact with your company. This will help to ensure they come back to you time and again, feeling they have received a good service and this is of value to them. Many customers want to know their business is appreciated, and you can do this by ensuring that each and every interaction with your company is a smooth, positive one that requires little to no effort with a good payoff at the end of the transaction. Quality Over Price Sure, you can go out there and undercut your competitors, but this tactic isn't always the best, nor does it work for everyone. However, what you can do is emphasize the quality of the product and justify its price point. Even if it's slightly more expensive than your competitors, you can win people over by showing exactly what they're getting for their money and why it's worth its price tag. Don't be tempted to hike the price point up to give it an air of superior quality. You still need to be pricing realistically; however, by focusing on the benefits of the value of what you're offering over the price, you can show people lie in purchasing from you. Educate customers By offering tutorials, demonstrations, trial products or services, FAQs, and practical assistance, you not only offer a good value product or service but also give customers a chance to learn more about you, what you do, what you stand for, and what your company is all about.  This, in turn, along with good customer service and knowledgeable representatives, will offer your customers value as they will be able to understand your product or service better and know you're investing in our product and that you care about their experience. There are many ways to offer value to customers besides discounts or freebies. Any of these options can directly benefit your business and require little outlay.

Embracing Sustainability: How To Shift Your Business Efforts For A Greener Future

By Julie Starr • 26 Apr, 2024
Imagine walking into a world where every business breathes sustainability. Great, right? That’s where we’re all headed, and today, we’re looking into how your business can join this green revolution. It’s not just about planting trees or cutting back on plastic; it’s about a total game-change in how we think about business. Reimagining Your Supply Chain Alright, let’s talk about your supply chain. It’s the backbone of your company, and it might be time to give it a little eco-friendly makeover. Instead of just churning products through a one-way street from creation to landfill, think about making it a circular journey. How? By designing products that can be recycled or reused at the end of their life. This little twist not only reduces waste but could also save you some money and spark some serious innovation. Investing In Sustainable Technologies Now, onto tech. Investing in the latest tech can seem like a luxury, but when it comes to sustainability, it’s more of a necessity. Technologies like AI can make your operations super efficient, slashing energy costs and reducing waste before it even happens. And then there’s blockchain. It’s not just for crypto enthusiasts; it can help you keep your supply chain transparent, letting everyone check if you’re keeping your green promises. Empowering Employees And Building A Culture Of Sustainability But technology and plans are only part of the picture. The real magic happens when your team gets in on the action. Start with some fun workshops or team challenges—anything that gets everyone thinking about sustainability. Maybe set up a green squad within the company who can lead the charge and come up with fresh ideas. Remember, if your team is excited about a project, they’ll put their hearts into making it work. Customizing Your Sustainable Transformation Tailoring your sustainability efforts can be tricky, but it’s a lot smoother with some expert guidance, like ZBrains’ Zoho Consulting services. They’re great at tweaking Zoho’s tools to fit just right with what your business needs. Need to track your energy usage or cut down on waste? They’ve got an app for that. Automation? Yep, they can make those repetitive tasks disappear, too, all while keeping Mother Earth happy. Building Partnerships For Sustainable Innovation Going solo can be tough. Why not buddy up? Collaborating with other companies or non-profits can lead to some groundbreaking eco-friendly innovations. It’s all about sharing what you know, pooling resources, and sometimes, pushing for changes that make it easier for businesses to be green. Plus, working together means you can share the spotlight when your cool new sustainable project hits the headlines! Going Beyond Compliance Lastly, don’t just play by the rules—aim higher. There’s a whole world of eco-certifications out there that can push your business to do better. Whether it’s getting a LEED certification or joining the ranks of B Corps, going the extra mile not only helps the planet but also polishes your brand’s reputation. Think about it: customers love companies that care, so why not be the one they love? Conclusion Switching up your business to be more sustainable might seem like a big leap, but it’s all about taking one step at a time. Whether it’s rethinking your supply chain or empowering your team to lead the charge, every little action counts. Ready to start? Let’s make your business not just better, but greener and more resilient for the future.
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