There is a 99.9% chance your business is defined as a SME (small to mid-sized enterprise with under 500 employees and/or under $1B in annual sales).  You and your peers might be small, but you employ 67% of the world’s employed workforce.  You run the world economy.

Your business is not like governments or large businesses.  You don’t have big budgets or big staffs.  You need to see immediate beneficial results – a project’s ROI must not only be positive, but also fast.

What do you need most?

Answer:  According to studies, the #1 thing all businesses (no matter their size or where we are in an economic cycle) need is competitive differentiation – standing out from your peers and convincing the prospect to buy from you versus the other guy.

Why is this harder for you, a SME, than it is for bigger companies?

Answer – SMEs are more sales-centric and more dependent on face-to-face selling.  You don’t have big budgets, to create brand imagery.  Your ‘brand’ is typically individuals.

What has the internet…and Covid-19…done to make things worse for you?

Answer – The internet has created a platform for consumers to pre-review a company online.  They are making go/no decisions based on if they feel your company satisfies their needs….before you have the chance to have a face-to-face.

What is the top thing consumers are looking for and that companies can stand out by having?

Answer – 87% of consumers want you, a candidate for their business, to be certified sustainable.  There is +$2 TRILLION in consumer spending LOOKING to move to certified sustainable companies.

How are certified sustainable SMEs that promote their certification as a differentiation tool performing against their non-certified competitive peers?

Answer:  Growing dramatically faster.  +75% overall growth; +67% investor ROI; +24% Net Income; +15% sales gains; +11% EBITDA.

Net, if you want to differentiate and stand out from your competitors, a powerful, and financially-beneficial, flag to wave is sustainability certification.

This brings us back to our tag line – Doing the Right Thing can lead to a Good Thing.  In letting Edenark Group help you become certified sustainable and also help you promote same, you are doing the right thing for the environment, all your current and future stakeholders; and also building your brand and making more money.

 

Author:  David Goodman, Alignable 2020/21/22 Local Business Person of the Year, and CEO of Edenark Group (https://edenark.com/ ), which provides the world’s premier environmental sustainability certification program, the Edenark Group ISO 14001, designed/priced for SMEs.

 

Al Wagner, a Networking Ambassador, for the Alignable Business Referral site, interviewed David Goodman, on his KLT (Know, Like and Trust) podcast.

The KLT program asks guests to talk about topics other than their business.  They can use their business as a reference and talk about things that are ancillary to their business.   The purpose is to get to know the guest better.

We appreciate Al asking David on his show and David appreciates the avatar that Al made for him, as it is a much younger look!

We were interviewed by Blanca Perper Greenstein, host of the radio talk show, Fired Up.

Blanca then asked us back, for a second interview, to talk about how Covid-19 is causing small to mid-sized businesses (SMEs) to become certified sustainable, as it helps them stand out and grow faster than their competitive peers.

This is our interview –

https://app.box.com/s/2pljgbsnxprx06lpcwshcrtabq0f0bl2

 

 

Are you happy with your prices and margins?

Per Nielsen, companies and brands that promote their sustainability see 5% year on year price growth, versus 1% year on year price growth for companies and brands that are not certified as sustainable.  That’s a 500% year on year revenue benefit for becoming certified as sustainable.

 

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TruPayroll has become an Environmentally Certified Sustainable Business

TruPayroll (https://www.trupayroll.com/ ), a relationship-driven, full service, payroll provider, located in Marco Island, Florida has pursued and attained the world’s premier environmental sustainability certification, the Edenark Group ISO 14001.

The program, for organizations that care about the environment and want to be part of the solution, not part of the problem, allows companies to progressively improve at a pace that works for their needs.  It helps the organization define how it interacts internally, externally, and with the environment.  It incorporates energy/waste/water, employee health and performance enhancement, community involvement, procurement and suppliers, compliance and regulations, emergency/security, and stakeholder engagement.  Benefits include creating a culture of continual improvement, stakeholder engagement, lower costs, higher revenues and profits, improved employee performance, and…… doing the right thing for the environment and current and future generations.

“I love helping people beyond my core corporate service.  We strive to have a positive impact on our clients’ personal lives, their businesses, and their community,” said Al Wagner, CEO of TruPayroll.  “This desire to help others is what caused me to become passionate about sustainability.  I want to be part of the global solution by making an impact in my community, for my family and my clients’ families.  The Edenark Group ISO 14001 program gives me that platform,” added Wagner.

“When an organization pursues, and attains, the Edenark Group ISO 14001 sustainability certification, they are not just doing it to see their costs go down and revenues and profits go up.  They are setting a higher bar for their organization and sending a signal to all those around them,” says David Goodman, CEO of Edenark Group.  “They are agreeing to adhere to the world’s Gold standard for sustainability certification; are choosing to be a leader and part of the solution, not the problem; and are joining an elite fraternity of over 300,000 organizations, in over 150 countries, that have committed to continually improving in every way.”

TruPayroll  (https://www.trupayroll.com/  ) can be reached at +1.239.394.0358

Edenark Group (https://edenark.com ) can be reached at +1 561.512.2257

 

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BOSTON, MA: The largest online referral network for small businesses, with over 7 million members, Alignable.com is announcing the results of its national search for leaders who’ve gone above and beyond in supporting the business community.

 

Today, Alignable’s membership of business owners has chosen David Goodman, of Edenark Group, as a 2022 Business Person of the Year!  

 

Goodman was also chosen in 2020/2021.

 

During the contest, which ran from Jan. 10 to Feb. 11, 2022, 160,000+ votes and 32,000+ testimonials were posted, praising thousands of leaders for helping their peers and communities.

 

“Our promotional tag is – ‘Doing the Right Thing can lead to a Good Thing’ and we believe that when a company does the right thing, by becoming environmentally certified sustainable, good things will then happen for that company,” said Goodman, CEO of Edenark Group.  “Being recognized by the business community with this award in 2020, 2021 and 2022, confirms business leaders are experiencing the good things that come from their businesses becoming environmentally certified sustainable.  That is good news for all of us today and for future generations.”

 

“This has been a fun and rewarding contest to watch unfold,” said Alignable’s President & Co-Founder Venkat Krishnamurthy. “Local business owners are the heart and soul of their communities and they ought to get way more recognition for all they do. Friendly competition aside, this contest generated some incredible peer testimonials (to the tune of 32,000+), showing exactly why small business owners are stronger together.”

 

 

About Edenark Group

 

Environmentally certified sustainable businesses are doing the right thing for the environment and are also growing materially faster than their non-certified peers.  Edenark Group (https://edenark.com/ ) helps small to mid-sized enterprises that care about the environment, and want to do the right thing, to become certified sustainable.  Edenark Group can be reached at 844-722-3937.

 

 

About Alignable

 

Alignable.com is the largest online referral network for small businesses in the U.S. and Canada. With 7 million+ members across 35,000+ local communities, Alignable is the network where small business owners drive leads and prospects, generate referrals, land new business, build trusted relationships, and share great advice.

 

 

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Edenark Group is pleased to be named in the below post by Expense to Profit, a national spend reduction company.  Expense to Profit is a strong believer in using sustainability certification / carbon neutrality / ESG as a competitive advantage for your company and discusses same on its website.

The following is the Expense to Profit post:

How to Grow Your Business Faster and Greener

As all business owners worldwide, you launch your business intending to establish brand awareness, a competitive edge beyond rivals, a growing customer base, and business longevity. Thus you are always looking for ways to improve your business and choosing to grow greener might give you the competitive edge needed.

As you would soon realize, these things do not happen instantly. In fact, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), 20% of businesses crumble in the first year of inception, and 65% after a decade. Business success is not a destination but a journey of creating innovative strategies to penetrate the market, concise planning and funding, and flexibility to adapt to emerging trends.

Regarding emerging trends, the world currently faces an environmental sustainability problem. Particularly, pollution is one of the biggest destroyers of human health, resulting in more than 100 million deaths worldwide. More and more individuals and businesses are becoming aware of the current and impending impacts of not properly incorporating sustainability strategies.

Business owners are taking a keen interest in their operating services and revamping processes to stay in line with environmental regulations. Growing your business while staying ‘green’ is essential right now. Thankfully, we have curated some of the tips you should incorporate into making this happen.

Focus on Social Media

One of the best ways you grow your business faster is to have a social media presence. With over 3.6 billion people currently have social media accounts a social media presence is becoming necessary. And according to Statistica, this number is expected to hit 4.41 billion in 2025.

Most of your target audience are on social media to connect with their families and friends. Because of this your business can take advantage of the situation. With a social media account that posts content regularly, users can locate your business and even share your content with their followers.

On the plus side, your business is more trustworthy if you have social media profiles across various platforms.

Practice Corporate Social Responsibility

These days, consumers are willing to patronize brands concerned with societal causes and passionate about improving the world. While some business owners do not see this as a necessity, corporate social responsibility (CSR) should be a priority – especially when you consider the benefits:

• Attract top talents. A great CSR strategy is perfect in hiring and retaining top talents. Nowadays, employees are willing to work for businesses that have a responsibility towards bettering their community. Notably, 78% of Americans expect a company to have a positive effect on society. With an effective CSR strategy, you can influence a positive environment for productivity to thrive.
• Improve consumer perception. Competition amongst businesses is stiff. To thrive beyond this and generate more revenue for your business, you must take up CSR, not as a strategy but as an objective to fulfill. CSR can set up your business as a trustworthy brand for consumers to patronize. Some of the side projects your business engages in can raise awareness and keep your brand in your consumers’ minds, which leads to consumer loyalty. According to a survey, 50% of consumers are willing to pay more for a service or product of the business that is CSR-oriented.
• More investment. Businesses with excellent CSR are ripe for investors to be interested in. Investors generally want a profitable ROI after investing. They see businesses with CSR as not only responsible but accountable. According to a growing sentiment among investors, businesses with CSR is an indicator of corporate culture and not likely to be fraudulent. The report also notes that investors consider CSR to reduce investment risks due to ethical corporate behavior.

Thriving faster in today’s world requires your business to look beyond the sole objective of generating revenues and giving back to society. This brings us to the next tip:

Become ESG Compliant

Another way you can effectively grow your business faster, and greener is by becoming ESG-compliant. We are becoming more aware of potential environmental hazards threatening our survival on the planet.

If current waste disposal methods persist, we may be generating 43.08 billion metric tons of waste in 2050. For your business to remain relevant, it is essential to be compliant with regulatory ESG laws.

Your business needs to get the Edenark Group ISO 140001 sustainability certification. It is the world’s leading environmental sustainability program that enables SMEs to improve competitive performance, increase profits, and maintain environmental regulations simultaneously.

Research shows that 9 out of 10 consumers (either B2B or B2C) want their vendors sustainably certified. Thus, the certification program from Edenark Group is best suited for your business.

Edenark Group ISO 140001 Sustainability Certification

The Edenark Group ISO 140001 sustainability certification is backed by the UN, the World Bank, SEC, COP25, FINRA and is currently utilized by over 56% of the world’s largest 79,000 businesses and buildings. It is a prime example of how to grow your business greener. Some of the benefits you get from the certification include:

• Becoming carbon neutral
• Competitive advantage over other businesses
• Become a part of the solution, not the problem.
• Get more productive employees.
• Ripe for investors seeking ESG-compliant companies.
• Improved financial performance (growing 20x faster than non-certified businesses).
• Improved brand image for consumers and top talents
• Get you in a framework of over 300k firms and organizations.

Growing your business is not an easy feat, but incorporating the tips mentioned above will help you faster achieve your short and long-term goals.

You can also reach out to us to see how we can help you increase your profit while reducing expenses.

Marc Freedman, CEO, Expense to Profit

Marc currently serves as our Chief Cost Evaluator, expertly advising our client management team on how to help you successfully achieve your business and financial growth goals. A respected mentor to all he consults with, he is an avid collaborator and contributor to the spend consultant community, guiding thought leaders to formulate, design, and install the best operational solutions available to their clients.

 

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“The Decade to Deliver: A Call to Business Action” – written by Accenture and the UN Global Compact, collects input from +1,000 global executives. This report, published every three years, provides a statement on how CEOs view sustainability.

A few key takeaways from the report

– 99% of all respondents agree that “sustainability issues are important to the future success of their business”. Alex Ricard, CEO of Pernod Ricard, says “I need to recognize where consumers want us in ten years…I believe businesses that are only targeting profits will die.”
– 75% see a link between sustainability and corporate value and the CEOs recognize that sustainability can drive competitive advantage.
– Customers are the main reason CEO’s gave for becoming sustainable. Per Patrick Decker, President and Chief Executive of Xylem, “The younger generation is drawn to higher purpose and mission – ‘why are we doing this?’ It’s not purely the profit motive.” Mark Hunter, President and CEO of Molson Coors, adds, “Our consumers and our customers are looking for assurances that we are doing business the right way. It’s becoming table stakes.”
– Overstating sustainability attainment (ie, Greenwashing) was also mentioned. 76% of CEOs said citizen trust will be critical to competitiveness. Natura’s CEO João Paulo Ferreira says, “If at any point, consumers learn that a company or brand cannot be trusted, those brands will be heavily damaged.” De Beers CEO Bruce Cleaver added, “The time will come when there will be a threshold question that consumers will ask which is ‘can I trust this brand?’, and if the answer is ‘no’ they won’t buy anything. It will become a binary question.”

Simplified:

– Sustainability needs to be part of your plan
– Sustainability can be used to differentiate from your competition and improve value
– The largest buying groups are now expecting it
– Certification of your sustainability actions is key to achieving consumer trust

Per this article by Bloomberg, in the 4^th quarter of 2021 Morningstar stripped the ESG label from +1,200 funds, totaling +$1.2 Trillion, due to greenwashing – not delivering on their stated environmental, social and governance goals.

This is 20% of all funds that carry the ESG tag and, as the Morningstar investigation is continuing, they expect to catch more funds that are not meeting the standards they promote.

Having a globally accepted and respected sustainability program has always been the right way to go.  Hopefully, these funds will see the value of same and chart a new course that benefits all.

Per a study discussed in this article:

• 72% of European fund managers and distributors are considering halting the launch or distribution of new products that do not comply with ESG standards; and
• 68% plan to cease their distribution of all products that do not comply with ESG standards

The balance of the world is not far behind.

As this evolution unfolds, privately-held companies, including SMEs, serving the publicly-traded companies in these funds, will be swept up in the necessity to be certified sustainable and have a carbon neutral and ESG plan, as these fund-owned public companies will not be able to use vendors that do not also comply.

Tremendous opportunity exists for a SME to become certified sustainable and take market share from competitive peers that are not progressive in their adoption of sustainability.