Is Your Business Really Sustainable?

Is Your Business Really Sustainable?

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There is so much variation about what people mean when the talk about sustainable business because sustainability means such different things to different people.

A sustainable business keeps on going without drama, it makes a sensible profit and provides a good lifestyle for everyone who works there, including the owner. If the owner is overworked and stressed in their business, this is hardly sustainable.

The young woman who served me in the local supermarket barely looked at me and looked thoroughly dissinterested. Apart from taking my money she barely acknowledged my presence. Doesn't she realise that customers are the people who pay her wages? Does she want her job to continue?

This is a real take home message for business - customers pay the wages and make sure all your staff realise that and treat your customers in a way that makes them want to come back. In fact quality management, ISO 9001, is about just this. It is about proactivly caring for customers so that they are not lost due to poor product or service.

Dramas and lifestyle problems in a business happen when staff make errors and customers are unhappy, the workplace is not safe and your people are injured or stressed, regulators arrive because you have breached regulations you and your people knew nothing about and power bills keep going up because among other things you find you are actually wasting a lot of your expensive energy.

So many things can cause a business to be unsustainable including human error and careless decisions. Even very successful sports stars like some of the golf and football examples in recent news render the business of sport unsustainable because of their poor decisions.

Sustainable business practices are what keep your business running profitably. These practices include:
• really listening to your clients so that they want to continue buying from you,
• building a good image and reputation so that you attract the clients you need
• Taking care of the health and safety of your most important asset - your staff,
• being aware of your legal requirements and making sure that your staff training and procedures prevent people accidentally breaching legislation,
• reducing waste energy and materials and avoiding other environmental damage
• proactively being aware of changing conditions, and of course they include managing your finances.

We have all heard the old adage 'Failing to plan is planning to fail' - it is so true. There is a secret to having a sustainable business and that includes assessing wll those activities that pose a risk then planning to manage them. This way you can prevent damaging errors, build in resilience and have a business that continues into a profitable future.

Why continue to put your business at risk because of lack of real planning when a simple, effective and almost paperless would help your business to be sustainable? You will find that sustainable business practices prevent problems, increase your profits and give you access to tenders and an improved image. Many businesses choose a fully integrated ISO management system that includes heir quality, ISO 9001, safety, AS/NZS 4801 and environmental management, ISO 14001 because this covers more than one risk area.

About the Author:
Jean Cannon has spent the last 11 years actively helping small to medium businesses worldwide save costs, increase efficiency and employee loyalty and become a truly sustainable business. For more information go to http://www.enviroaction.com.au/fully-integrated-management-systems.html and grab Jean's three top tips and receive a free CD and DVD



Article Originally Published On: http://www.articlesnatch.com


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