CSR for the growing business
Article Date: Jul 15 2009
The environmental outlook of your business can help to attract and retain staff as well as winning new customers – and small steps taken by a large number of small businesses can make a big impact.
Entrepreneurs have always been aware of the financial contribution they make to the economy in terms of job creation, driving innovation and boosting gross domestic product. But increasingly, they also wish to add a further ethical dimension through what is known as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
CSR can be demonstrated in many ways, including reducing poverty, addressing skills shortages, improving the work-life balance that a company’s staff experience. Businesses also want to reduce their negative environmental impact and/or to provide products and services which reduce pollution and waste. Entrepreneurs are also aware that policy makers, their customers and clients and their own staff are now demanding more than just economic and financial benefits from business.
The requirement to demonstrate environmentally responsible business practices is increasingly being enshrined in the tendering process. Companies whose behaviour falls short are being excluded at the outset so green business practices can help save money and help win business. A Henley Centre Headlight Vision study into sustainable buying behaviours conducted in 2007 found that 26 per cent of respondents would boycott firms that damage the environment – up from only 9 per cent in 2001.
You may already be doing your bit to help cut back on transport congestion and carbon emissions by avoiding the daily commute through practices such as home or flexible working. This is popular with businesses as it can potentially provide a better work-life balance for your staff as well as reducing your overheads. But you can extend your environmental credentials in the home by reducing your energy consumption, too.
The next step in greening your operations is to calculate your carbon footprint, so that you can gain an understanding of how much carbon dioxide your business activities create – and reduce your energy consumption. BT’s carbon calculator uses data from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to help determine your individual carbon footprint.
Green IT
Technology is pivotal to enhancing your CSR credentials. Audio and web conferencing as well as emailing cuts down on journeys, and shutting down computers and other electrical equipment can also benefit the environment. Leaving a PC monitor on all night wastes enough energy to microwave six dinners, according to the Carbon Trust.
There is online software which allows you to store documents electronically, cutting down on paper use. These workspaces are like virtual meeting rooms, allowing colleagues to access information relating to any given project in one place. Technology is also available which allows electronic signatures to be used, meaning documents do not need to be printed, again saving on paper. Using recycled paper and packaging can also help you to reduce your carbon footprint.
The world of British business is changing. Hundreds of thousands of new businesses start every year, many from home. However, going it alone is as much about finding the right help as it is about relying on your own knowledge.
It’s important SMEs get the right support from the outset. The good news is, there is a range of expert support and information out there to ensure home workers get off on the right foot.
