Sustainability in Business

Sustainability has many advantages for your business. It can provide an improved brand image, greater employee retention, competitive advantages, and tax benefits, as well as minimize business costs and increase productivity and efficiency. Caring about sustainability has become more prominent in recent years, and consumers are more aware of a company’s impact on society, the economy, and the environment. Taking action to create a more sustainable company can increase customer loyalty and help to grow a successful business.

This article will break down sustainability into its three main pillars; social, economic, and environmental. These pillars are also sometimes referred to as people, profit, and planet.

Social Sustainability

What is Social Sustainability?

Social Sustainability focuses on how business operations impact people; including employees, suppliers, and partners. Social Sustainability can improve business strategy, supply chain, and consumer perception of the business. It can also help attract business partners, improve employee morale, risk management, and can help a business lead their industry and stand out against the competition.

Businesses that focus on social sustainability tend to prioritize things such as:

• Human rights

• Fair labor practices

• Healthcare access

• Workplace safety

• Diversity

• Equity

• Proper work-life balance

• Cultural empowerment

• Community engagement & volunteering

 Questions to ask yourself:

• Does my business aim to meet the needs of a disadvantaged and/or marginalized group?

• Does my business recognize cultural, ethnic, and racial diversity?

• Does my business welcome diverse viewpoints, opinions and beliefs?

• Does my business practice and encourage community contribution?

• How does my business demonstrate commitment to an improved quality of life?

Economic Sustainability

What is Economic Sustainability?

Economic Sustainability focuses on a business’s environment and economic wellbeing. Economic Sustainability promotes the idea of providing long-term benefits by growing the company in a way that is efficient and responsible to ensure consistent, ongoing profit without degradation.

Businesses that focus on economic sustainability tend to prioritize things such as:

• Profit

• Cost savings

• Efficient resource use

• Long-range planning

• Smart economic growth

• Taxes

• R&D spending

Questions to ask yourself:

• Am I tracking my business expenses, profit, and savings?

• How can my business meet my present economic needs without diminishing future economic opportunities?

• Am I reinvesting my business?

• How much of my resources go to waste?

• Does my business contribute to the financial welfare of the owners, employees, and the community it operates in?

Environmental Sustainability

What is Environmental Sustainability?

Environmental Sustainability focuses on maintaining business functions without jeopardizing the environment and the future of the planet. A business should responsibly interact with the planet to ensure natural resources are maintained and an environment that can continue to support human life is kept a priority. Environmentally sustainable business practices can also help to gain a competitive advantage in the market.

Businesses that focus on environmental sustainability tend to prioritize things such as:

• Resource management

• Emissions reduction

• Renewable energy sources

• Recycling, composting

• Natural alternatives

Questions to ask yourself:

• Are my decisions reducing my business’s negative impact on the environment?

• Am I developing strategies and processes that will lead to my business becoming more sustainable in the future?

• How can my business lead the community and other businesses towards environmental sustainability?

• Am I looking at short-term gain instead of focusing on my business’s long term impact?

• How and where does my business source its materials and resources?

• Does my business publish an annual environmental report?

BOLD Leadership Overview

In today’s day and age, it’s nearly impossible to run a business that doesn’t include a digital component. Incorporating digital aspects to your business can look like so much more than just an online storefront. Many entrepreneurs may be missing out on huge opportunities to strengthen their business by not taking advantage of all technological possibilities.

That’s where Alberta Women Entrepreneurs’ BOLD Leadership program comes in.

Over the course of the program, entrepreneurs get a baseline of knowledge about what a digital transformation can look like for their business before creating a plan that fits their needs and abilities. “The Bold Leadership Program focuses on the critical components of building a digital strategy for a business.” Says Gabriela Touma; Bold Leadership Program Advisor. Covering a range of topics from digital marketing to improving the customer experience, the aim is of this program is to get participants thinking about all of the ways, big and small, that digitalization can save them time and money.

A lot of people feel overwhelmed because there is so much technology out there. AWE’s Bold Leadership program tries to give people enough of an idea of what the technologies are about and then how to start to incorporate that into their business.

Some entrepreneurs, like Danielle Cherewyk, focus on mapping out how to automate their business processes, saving their team dozens of hours a week. Others may focus on developing new revenue models so they can start scaling up. Beyond the tangible benefits that can come from putting new technologies into practice, the greatest win can be a shift in business culture.

We want to help leaders start creating a culture of innovation in their companies. Sometimes leaders will feel that all of the innovative ideas fall on them, but we help them build a framework so that they can actually draw on all the innovation and the talents in their team to help move the whole company forward.

“Within The Bold Leadership Program, business leaders will learn everything from how to build a digital strategy, how to effectively leverage current and emerging technologies, and how to understand the drivers of transformation, Touma says, but most importantly we are helping them navigate the digital space with other inspiring women leaders that are excited to learn, collaborate and add to the conversation.”

While teaching the skills is important, AWE recognizes that creating a network of support for businesses as they go through their digital transformation is what takes an idea from concept to execution. Participants have access to one-on-one time with expert digital advisors during and after the course so they can continue to receive advice that is relevant to their unique business.  

“The connections that happen in the program are remarkable. We’ve heard from many participants how much it has changed their businesses!”