Per this Entrepreneur Magazine article, nearly three-quarters of CEOs are prioritizing sustainability.
However, if you are running a small business, or even a start-up, with a thousand things pulling at you, is proving you are sustainable ‘worth it’?
Consider this:
Buyers are using sustainability as a yardstick
- 64% of consumers say they will pay more for sustainable products
- 78% of consumers are more likely to purchase environmentally-friendly products
- So, as a small company, with limited advertising and purchasing power, sustainability can be your marketing solution. This is a powerful differentiator, as consumers will move their business to companies that can prove (ie, become certified) they are sustainable
Employees want to work for sustainable companies
- 61% of Millennials (who are now 40!) list sustainability as a deciding factor in where to work
- 60% of Gen Z (up to 26 years old) will not apply to a company that has not proven it is sustainable
- Net, if your website cannot convince the visitor you are legitimately a sustainable company, you lose out on over half of them
Many private investors are funding sustainable startups
- As reported before, investors are more likely to support sustainable companies
- As reported before, sustainable companies are able to raise more money
- 78% of investors felt organizations should put sustainability above short-term profits
- Things always take longer than expected and it is nice when your investors are willing to grant you extra time, tied to your sustainability efforts
The world is hungry for green thought leaders
- Sustainability gives you a voice that no other topic can currently match
- Legitimately (ie, certified) sustainable companies are trusted and have credibility
- Think of how much money you would need to spend to replicate what sustainability can do for your brand
We suggest all companies considering sustainability to follow the recommendations in this PPP.