Mercer Island
Chamber of Commerce

Even with costs escalating, consumers are increasingly making purchasing decisions based on a company's values. Sustainability and transparency are no longer just buzzwords – they're key factors influencing brand loyalty and attracting a new generation of eco-conscious customers. According to recent research , consumers sustainability demands are rising and customers are willing to pay more for it. Now is the ideal time to embrace going green for more green. It’s More Than Just Saving the Planet While environmental responsibility is a noble goal (after all, who wants to destroy the planet?), there are strong business benefits to embracing sustainability. In the past, the fact that embracing sustainability practices in business was expensive halted a lot of forward movement in that area. However, things have changed. Research shows customers are willing to pay more for products that are sustainably produced and services that are greener, making it beneficial for businesses to embrace the green movement. Here's are some of the benefits your business may experience: · Attract New Customers. Studies show that over half of consumers are willing to pay more for products and services from sustainable brands. Showcase your commitment to the environment to capture this growing market segment. If you have a brick-and-mortar business, talk to your customers about what makes you different as they browse. Understanding your commitment to the environment may drive sales. · Boost Employee Morale. Employees who feel their company is making a positive impact on the planet tend to be more engaged and productive. Implementing sustainable practices can foster a sense of purpose within your team and make recruiting easier . · Reduce Costs. Going green can lead to savings by reducing energy consumption, minimizing waste, or optimizing supply chains. You may also be rewarded for your efforts through tax incentives or grants. · Enhance Brand Reputation. Demonstrating a commitment to sustainability builds trust with customers and strengthens your brand image. It positions you as a responsible and forward-thinking company. Show, Don't Just Tell Consumers are savvy and can see through “greenwashing” – empty claims of sustainability that don’t bear up under scrutiny like saying you recycle to save resources but then you leave all your lights on every night. Sustainability is a commitment that impacts every area of your business—front office and back. Transparency is also crucial. Here are some ways to showcase your commitment: Clearly Communicate Your Sustainability Processes Explain the steps you're taking to be environmentally responsible. This could include using recycled materials, sourcing local ingredients, or implementing energy-saving practices. Partner with Eco-Conscious Organizations Collaborating with other sustainable businesses or environmental non-profits adds credibility to your efforts and expands your reach. If you don’t know anyone who can help, your chamber may be able to introduce you. Be Data-Driven Show your environmental impact. Numbers sometimes mean more than words and help paint a clearer picture of the impact or your efforts. Track metrics like waste reduction, energy consumption, or your carbon footprint. Share this data with your audience to show progress and hold yourself accountable. Going Green Doesn't Have to Be Overwhelming While sustainability is a commitment that impacts all areas of your business, you don’t have to launch with a sweeping initiative that changes every business practice. Start small or in a way you can manage. Identify areas where you can make a positive impact. Then chart how you will expand your efforts over time. Here are some practical steps: · Reduce Paper Usage. Embrace digital solutions like e-receipts and online communication. · Switch to Energy-Efficient Lighting. LED lighting options offer significant energy savings. · Offer Reusable Shopping Bags. This simple step reduces plastic waste and promotes your brand. It might even make you a few pennies on every purchase. · Partner with Green Suppliers. Choose vendors with sustainable practices throughout their supply chains. It not only shows your commitment, but it also broadens your impact. By embracing sustainability and doing so in a transparent way, you're not just making a positive impact on the planet – you're also building a stronger, more resilient business that resonates with today's consumers. AND…For those of you old enough to remember it, Kermit the Frog was wrong . It IS easy to be green.

Small business owners and solopreneurs learn quickly that they must wear many hats. While this ability to work in every area of their business may save money in the short term, it doesn't take long to understand that multitasking can be bad for business. When your focus is diluted across many channels and business goals, you may find that you do a little bit of everything but never solidly complete anything. You spend a good part of your day putting out fires and starting projects and at the end may realize you didn't finish anything to your satisfaction. That's why keeping your focus is one of the best things you can do for your business. It also models good behavior and sets your employees up for success. Here are a few tips on how you can keep your focus in a world that rewards anything but. Retaining Focus in a Busy World You are pulled in many directions throughout your day. There are internal and external things battling for your attention. Finding a way to silence these distractors can help you meet your business goals. Silence Notifications This is the most obvious one but also the hardest for most people to do. We’re conditioned to respond every time the ding that notifies us of an email or text goes off on our device. Even if you don’t attend to it at that moment, it has likely interrupted your thought and you’ll have to revisit what you were doing. You may not have the luxury of silencing the phone at your business, but you can silence e-notifications. No, really. You can. You’ll survive. Set your devices to go in and out of Do Not Disturb throughout the day or give yourself designated 30-60 minute work sprints followed by 10-15 minute times to answer those emails or texts. There are very few electronic communications that can’t wait one hour for a response. If you’re worried you’ll miss a customer communication and thus a sales opportunity, look into AI chatbot options or hire a message service. But do this only if you’re in a business where waiting 60 minutes is the difference between life or death (and even so, most doctors will tell callers on their message line that they should call the ER if it’s a life-threatening emergency). Most situations can wait. Silencing notifications means you get your to-do list finished in a fraction of the time and with a much better, more focused quality. That focus yields better outcomes. Give yourself the gift of time by silencing those notifications. Decide on Your Most Important Tasks and Keep a List If you’re silencing notifications, you should have 30-60 minutes of limited interruptions. If you work behind a counter, in a brick-and-mortar business you will still have those interruptions but here’s how you will make the most of your day. You need two lists. The first list is comprised of 2-3 things that will make the biggest impact on your business TODAY. They are your short-term wins. They’ll move the needle quickly. The second list is comprised of the things you can chip away at. They’re important, but they’re long-term goals or tasks that are not time sensitive. They could be quick wins or long undertakings but they’re things you can work on when you have a spare “minute or two.” As a business owner, you will always have unexpected time—waiting for a meeting or on a vendor, a slow moment at the store, you get the idea. Make a list of things you can do during that time that will impact your business. For example, use AI to brainstorm a new name for the newsletter. Look for a new color scheme (if you’re considering a rebrand.) Watch a video on YouTube on something you want to learn more about like digital marketing. Most of the time when we have these stolen moments, we don’t maximize them. We go onto Facebook and remark about how big our friends’ kids are getting. While heartwarming, this is not a great use of time. Instead, make this list and keep it handy. (Storing it on your phone means you’ll likely have it wherever you are.) That way you can use your stolen moments for the greatest impact. Fill Your Attentional Load If you are working on mundane tasks that don’t require a lot of thinking, you may find you’re more easily distracted. Using music or other intentional distractors that you control can actually help you stay focused because it “fills” the part of your brain that requires stimulation. This action works in much the same way that a sail may flap in the wind with small gusts but larger gusts that fill it will keep it pulled tight with less flapping around. Keep a Notebook When something internal distracts you from your task, ask yourself if it is critical that you address that distraction now or can you table it for later. If it is not an emergency, write it down in a notebook (or digital note app) and return to it when you have finished your work. Once it’s in your notebook, let it go. Don’t let it continue to take up space in your mind. Finally, retaining focus is not always about discipline. Nurture a curiosity as you go through your day. Look for connections on what you’re working on, your goals, and how they tie into the community, interests, and a host of other things. You will start to uncover an interconnectedness that may help you see additional possibilities for efficiencies and partnerships in your business. Sometimes, what initially identifies as a distraction, could be your next big idea.