Thinking outside the box. Three surprising ways your business could save money by getting greener.

Don’t like saving money? Then stop reading right now. We’ve uncovered the small business plan that’s better for your bottom line and the planet. 

Whether it’s eating out, travelling around the county or entertaining at home, as the weather warms up there’s a flurry of consumer activity across all industries. 

For many businesses, it’s the season of flash sales and price drops.

And that means profit margins are already feeling the squeeze. 

So as a small business, what can you do to help improve your cash flow?

Well thinking outside the box when it comes to business strategy is what Greener for Business does best. 

Their new platform is all about helping small businesses (SMBs) save money across key business areas such as energy, waste, electrification, packaging and logistics. 

Their simple advice and step-by-step guides help businesses keep more dollars in their pocket and improve their sustainability credentials at the same time. 

Saving money in surprising places

We know sustainability isn’t always top of mind for SMBs when it comes to making a profit. So we decided to take a look under the hood of Greener for Business to see how it all works.

Our verdict? The savings are real.

Here are just three ways that Greener proves that being a more climate-friendly business can benefit more than just the planet. 

A power move to save on monthly bills

We’re all so used to getting letters in the mail about rate rises and insurance premium increases that you may not have even noticed the cost of power increasing.

The not-so-great fact - depending on where your business is located - is from July 1 this year, the Default Market Offer (aka DMO) for small business customers grew somewhere between 14.7 per cent to 28.9 per cent.

The DMO is a maximum price that energy retailers can charge for electricity to customers on default contracts, also known as standing offer contracts.

Now, if you’re really lucky, your business might not have taken the hit yet; but if you missed that letter or email amongst the hundreds of other priorities you’re juggling, today might be a good day to check your business’ kWH rate and see if you could get a better deal.

Think you’re too busy to make the switch? 

Well the good news, Greener for Business has actually done the hard work for us. 

Not only have they worked with Origin to create an exclusive energy offer that includes a discount off the reference price, their new platform even has a bill comparison tool to make it easy to get an instant quote online to see if you could save. 

They’re even throwing in 100 per cent GreenPower at no extra cost. 

Why is 100 per cent GreenPower important?

By getting 100 per cent GreenPower included in your electricity plan, you’re ensuring that an equivalent amount of electricity from GreenPower-accredited renewable sources is added to the grid on your behalf.

It’s one of the quickest and easiest ways for businesses to reduce their own emissions. Getting GreenPower typically costs between 10 to 15 per cent more than regular energy, but thanks to Origin, businesses that sign up to Greener for Business can get this included in their energy plan at no extra cost. 

So, with Greener, not only could you save on your overall power bill, you could be getting one step closer to net zero emissions too. 

Just like Berry Tea Shop who made the switch via Greener for Business and is now saving $537 off their annual power bill; or Figtree Physio, who are now saving $545 off their annual power bill. 

According to Greener, this one simple switch took these businesses less than 5 minutes to sign up, and has the equivalent effect of taking 8 cars off the road in emissions too.

Delivering dollars for you and payoffs for the planet

With peak trade ramping up and more deliveries on the move, shipping costs can add up quickly.

This means shipping can be a great place to save money too. 

Greener has worked with fellow certified B Corp, Sendle, to make carbon-neutral shipping a better business decision, with an exclusive member discount of upwards of 18 per cent for new Sendle customers. 

Savvy businesses like Go for Zero know that delivering customers a great product doesn’t have to come at a cost premium - They’re currently saving an average of $3.18 per parcel with 100 per cent carbon neutral shipping thanks to Sendle.   

"As a carbon-positive B Corp, we consider our impact on the planet in everything we do; but for businesses that are just starting out, sustainability can feel incredibly overwhelming. It can be hard to know where to start, and cost is a huge factor in any small business' decision-making process,” says Ellie Degraeve, founder of Go for Zero.  

“So having a platform like Greener for Business helping to educate, making it easy and showing businesses they can actually save money in the process is game changing," she says. 

Laura Hill, managing director at Sendle says: “Coming into this time of the year, small businesses are under a huge amount of pressure to maximise profits while reducing costs across the business.

“Many owners may feel that to do this, they have to choose cheaper and therefore unsustainable options, particularly when it comes to shipping. 

“At Sendle, we believe earning a profit and protecting our planet are not mutually exclusive objectives.

“Our mission from the start has been to be the more affordable and environmentally friendly shipping alternative for small businesses, and it's great to partner with Greener for Business to help get the message out there.”

Don’t let savings go to waste

Thinking outside the box (or should we say bin) when it comes to waste management can also pay off. 

If you’re in the hospo game, diverting more waste from landfill can actually save you some big bucks. 

Surprised?

Restaurants like Butter in Surry Hills are proving that working with bin suppliers to divert more waste from landfill can actually help an average 40-seat restaurant save a whopping $1,860 a year. Win for them. Win for the planet. 

“The biggest thing that always comes up when we talk to other businesses about becoming more sustainable is the cost factor. Most people just don’t realise there are ways to do it, and save money too,” says Julian V Cincotta, executive chef and so-owner of Butter Sydney. 

“For us, education is so important; we’re always on the lookout for better ways we can be doing things, but a lot of people just don’t know where to start. 

“So having a platform like Greener for Business means there’s a really easy way to access this type of information for free - learn what other businesses are doing and how they’re saving money, and get the right tools and support to keep making positive changes.” 

Interested in finding out what you could save?

With real money at stake, why wait?

We all know what happens when we add things to tomorrow’s to do list… tomorrow never comes.

The best time to sign up to Greener for Business and put more back in your pocket is today. 

You might be surprised at how easy it is to bank real savings (and feel good about doing your part for the environment too).

Plus, join before November 30 to unlock a great rate on your energy plan, and you could be one of the smug business owners saving dollars just doing what you’re already doing. 

Sign up at greener.com.au/business 

Join Greener for Business before November 30, and you could be like one of these smug business owners saving dollars just doing what you’re already doing.