Purpose-driven Insights: Small Business Actions Drive Sustainability

It is possible to create a socially responsible business environment that still fosters its sustainability. There is data that shows how socially responsible practices often lead to business growth. If you still feel overwhelmed, it helps to know that even one small step can help lead you toward better social responsibility.

In this roundup, contributors share what they think.

Sell Native Plants to Boost Sustainability

To give a specific example, I have been working on locating and selling native plants (ones that are likely to do well without a lot of pesticide or irrigation inputs) to my customers, rather than plants that require more resources. This is one of many things we can do to offer our product while reducing impact on the environment. For me, it is also a way of making a bit of extra profit while assisting pollinators, restoring habitat, and reducing the carbon footprint of my product shipments. A social enterprise does not need to do everything, just take an honest inventory of what might match up well with your business plan and what is good for others.

Tammy Sons, Founder/CEO, TN Nursery

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Make Ethics Daily and Measure Impact

As the CEO of Investorade, I believe that businesses can incorporate the making of ethical decisions as a part of their day-to-day activities. Furthermore, companies can support communities and the environment by simply buying from suppliers that practice fair labor and sustainable methods. In fact, a very serious social responsibility approach of such kind will lead to an increase of trust and a lowering of risk in the long run.

Additionally, simple and understandable indicators such as energy use, waste lowering, or happiness of the employees will not only turn good intentions or values into measurable things, but the business will also understand the nature of the areas where changes can be made. However, consistency is the main thing here. Its social responsibility will, very soon, become the culture of the business and the way it operates and grows when a company employs ethical practices and merges them with daily decisions. Even small, measurable actions can create meaningful change over time. By making these part of daily operations, businesses can combine doing good with being efficient and profitable.

Blake DeWitt, CEO, Investorade

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Choose Ethical Suppliers to Drive Sustainability

I would concur with the CEO of Dewit Pharma that the easiest corporate activity that can be socially responsible and sustainable is the supply chain focus. On a very simple level, it can merely entail a company selecting suppliers who either perform ethical labor or ones who use materials that can be recycled. However, these are the decisions that cause a tangible impact on local communities and the environment.

Moreover, these decisions also make the functioning of the company more efficient, which implies that accountability and profitability can coexist in the same comfort zone. The decreased use of energy and single-use materials, along with community wellness programs to help with the products, may fall in the category of trifles, but on a long-term scale, they are significant. These are little steps, though initially planned and well thought out, but ultimately, these practices can lead to the trust of customers and other partners. Furthermore, the extension of these practices can be expanded to a proper size, and the ongoing conscious activity can further evolve without any radical alterations.

Blake DeWitt, CEO, DeWitt Pharma

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Build Brand with Ethically Sourced Coffee

In terms of what I personally have found useful based on my own boutique coffee shop client, I think the best, or at least, the most feasible way to take steps in this direction is by sourcing the products they sell ethically. The coffee beans used in this case were purchased from local farmers which provided fair wages and environmentally friendly growing practices. This helped them to be seen as socially conscious and created a unique selling point that enhanced their branding.

Jan Van Zeeland, Deputy Editor, Game Designing

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Hire Local Contractors to Strengthen Communities

Here’s a simple thing we do at our company: we hire local contractors for our renovations. It’s sometimes more of a hassle than calling those big national firms. But when you see a local crew get paid and then use that money to buy their kids school uniforms, that feels different. The money stays here in our community. It’s a small step for other businesses to take, but you’ll see the difference.

Carl Fanaro, President, NOLA Buys Houses

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Drop Unethical Vendors and Ask Hard Questions

Running an online store, we learned this the hard way. We dropped a major vendor after finding out their labor practices were bad. Customers noticed right away and actually thanked us for it. Asking suppliers where their stuff comes from isn’t comfortable, but it works. It also forces your own team to think differently about what you’re selling.

BURAK KOC, Manager, STRABELLA LLC

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Empower Staff to Cut Waste, Collaborate

The best move we made at Jacksonville Maids was training our crew on two simple things: cutting down on waste and treating each other better. We just hold regular, short sessions. Now we go through fewer supplies and the team actually gets along. If you’re stuck, just start with your people. Give them some control and they will handle the rest.

Justin Carpenter, Founder, Jacksonville Maids

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Use Conflict-Free Suppliers to Build Trust

Listen, when I was working on that jewelry brand, the biggest change was only working with certified conflict-free suppliers. It wasn’t just about reducing risk, it made people feel good about buying from us. It didn’t fix everything, but it got things moving in the right direction. If you don’t know where to start, just figure out where your stuff comes from. It makes a real difference.

Nadia Johansen, CEO, Dealicious

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Lower Costs with Greener Data Centers

We switched our data centers to greener options and our energy bill went down right away. Clients like that we’re doing it too. So take a look at your setup. You might find that just by automating a few things or allocating resources better, you can save a surprising amount of money.

Alvin Poh, Chairman, CLDY.com Pte Ltd

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Select Renewable-Powered Clouds to Scale

At Apps Plus, we did something simple to cut our carbon footprint. We switched to cloud providers that run on renewable energy. That change really worked as we scaled. You should check your own providers’ green energy policies regularly. These small tech choices actually add up over time.

Tashlien Nunn, CEO, Apps Plus

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Simplify Systems to Cut Energy and Complexity

We cut our server needs by updating some old software and automating our reporting. Our energy bill went down, and compliance got a lot simpler since we weren’t pulling data from three different systems anymore. Just simplifying our tools saved us money and a major hassle for everyone. I’d suggest any company should take a regular look at what they’re running.

Richard Spanier, President & CEO, Performance One Data Solutions (Division of Ross Group Inc)

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Cut E-Waste with Phone Trade-Ins

Here’s something that actually worked. A few years back we told customers to bring in their old phones for credit toward a new one. People did it. We kept a lot of electronics out of landfills, and our customers got phones they could actually afford. It’s just how we operate now. It helps the planet and we still make money.

Branden Shortt, Founder & Consumer Advocate, Cellphones.ca

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Refurbish Equipment and Donate to Communities

Instead of just tossing old fitness equipment, consider refurbishing it. At Hire Fitness, we send used machines to schools and community centers. This cuts down on waste and lets the equipment help more people. Not sure where to start? Try partnering with local groups. You’ll find that clients and the neighborhood really appreciate the gesture.

Paul Healey, Managing Director, Hire Fitness

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Adopt Rechargeables to Save and Impress Clients

Switching our mobile key cutters to rechargeable batteries was a good move. We’re not throwing away dead batteries every week, and I’ve stopped making those last-minute runs to the hardware store. It’s saved us money. Clients actually seem to like it when we mention it on site. My advice is to just pick one thing like this and see how it goes.

Nadav Levi Yahel, CEO, Locksmith Unit Orlando, FL

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Divert Materials to Local Reuse Programs

We try to keep old stuff out of landfills. We worked with a local reuse center once, and they took old cabinets and fixtures to people who needed them. It’s good for the environment and helps the community. This approach doesn’t add much cost, and I’ve noticed it makes some clients feel better about selling their house to us. It just feels like the right thing to do.

Lawrence Irby, President, Bay Area House Buyer

About Our Contributor

Lindsey Flagg is a professional content creator with a passion for writing, music, and making the world a better place. She holds a B.A. in Communication from Purdue University and has over 12 years of experience in digital communications. In her free time, she enjoys language learning, reading, and discovering new music.

About Purpose-driven Insights

Welcome to Store with a Heart’s HeartBeat’s blog series, Purpose-Driven Insights, which unites experts and changemakers to discuss what it really means to make a difference. This series offers readers practical advice and novel viewpoints by showcasing insights from leaders in charity, sustainability, mental health, social entrepreneurship, and other fields through insightful round-ups and interviews.

Purpose-Driven Insights offers the insight and motivation required to transform your goals into significant action, whether your goal is to lead with compassion, improve your community, or support a cause that is dear to your heart. Come explore organizational strategies, individual experiences, expert insights, and industry practices that enable us all to make a positive impact on a more compassionate and interconnected society.

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What small change has had a big social or environmental impact?
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Purpose-driven Insights: Small Business Actions Drive Sustainability