Changing the world five people at a time

Danni Craker runs Craker Business Solutions, a Chartered Accountancy firm based in Brighton and Hove. They specialise in working with local ethical/eco businesses and those in the alternative health sector and were set up with the aim of having a positive impact on the environment and the community in which it operates. I talked to Danni about how she created her sustainable business, what she wants the business to achieve this year and the thorny issue of how to get other people interested in sustainability, ethical business and the environment.

How to get started as a sustainable business
Working for a global accounting firm, Danni got to see the world but got to a point where she didn’t feel passionate about her work anymore. Investigating her options, she thought about opening a tea shop but then realised she should do something she already knows, being an accountant but one who takes account of the world and people around her.

She started planning her business on her daily commute to London, thinking about what she wanted her new business to stand for. Danni felt that it wasn’t “just about being an accountant and dealing with people’s numbers” and that she wanted to set up in a way that she believed in. She took a very strategic approach to this as she explains, “I went through and assessed the full environmental impact of the business. I looked at all the things my business needs, so all the inputs for the business, all the supplies I use and then what’s the output of my business. For each of those little bits, I then looked at what’s the most environmentally or ethically best way I can get that. So, for me, that’s what it means to be a green business, just looking at the impact my full business has and then trying to reduce that wherever I can.”

Danni’s sustainability pledge for this year
The Green Chamber Collective asked some of its members to create a Statement of Aspiration towards at least one green goal for their business for this year.

Danni’s pledge for 2013 is an ambitious one in an industry where paper still rules. She notes “my goal is to reduce business waste to zero to landfill by the end of 2013. As part of this goal, I'd aim to become as paperless an office as possible (unfortunately HMRC/Companies House still require some paper forms). This will also involve embracing new technologies and finding more inventive ways to recycle goods which are not readily recyclable.” When she set up her business, Danni found that some business supplies were easier to recycle than others, for example, ink cartridges and paper. She also found out that the local YMCA can take electronics and if they can’t fix it, they’ll recycle it. Magpie also has a similar service.

Due to HMRC and Companies House regulations, Danni can’t be completely paperless as those institutions still require paper documentation for some areas. However, she’s looking at technology that will greatly reduce her paper usage. Investing in an iPad means “no more notebooks needed to take notes in meetings. Using pdf software to get documents electronically signed as, at the moment, all sets of accounts have to be printed out and signed by clients”. Danni’s also researching options for other business recycling: what to do with old pens and old fashioned light bulbs:  “I did look into this and I think the new light bulbs, there are places you can take them to be recycled and those are advertised on the Brighton and Hove City Council website. But, if it’s an old bulb, the ones that aren’t energy efficient, they’re not able to recycle those and the only thing I’ve found are artists who are making artistic pieces of work out of the old light bulbs. I couldn’t find any artists to do that in Brighton so I’ve still got a couple sitting in a drawer.” Any Brighton artists who can make use of old light bulbs, there’s an opportunity there!

Changing the world five people at a time
One of the big issues with being green and sustainable is how to get others on your side. Economics will always play a part, especially now, as businesses may be looking short term and not seeing the long term benefits of going green. Danni is sceptical about being able to make change on a larger scale in our current economic environment but sees influence at the local level as key and how the starling effect can influence change.  She explains, “when you get those big flocks of starlings around the pier, each starling doesn’t look at what the flock is doing, it just looks at what the five birds nearest to it are doing and if it keeps up to those birds, then they all make these lovely patterns. And I see it [influence] the same way. Me as a business, if I can influence five people, then those five people can go on and influence more and then you get enough voices so that organisations will make change.”

A living wage is always better for business
Danni emphasises that running a sustainable business isn’t just about being green; it’s about people and ethics as well. She points out that “thinking about it in terms of the better way to do business, for example, buying goods from somewhere where you know they have poor wages for the employees or that they’re causing pollution. You pay a low price for those goods and that’s how your business survives as you’re paying that low price. But, what’s not taken into account is the cost of pollution in the future or that people aren’t being paid a living wage. So, for me, to be the best business it can, it should make sure that it’s paying the true cost for all of its goods and supplies and, quite often, you find that those goods are therefore better quality.  For example, if you’re buying a service from somewhere and those employees aren’t paid very well, they’re not necessarily going to do as good a job and you get a low level of service. Whereas, if you buy from somewhere where everyone’s enthused about the company they work for, then you should get a better service.” Being truly sustainable in terms of people, planet and profit also means you attract clients and customers with similar mind-sets and Danni works with clients who, while keeping their profit in focus, also care about people, how they’re buying in goods and treating their customers and clients fairly.

Making business more sustainable
Danni thinks there’s a lot of opportunity on a local scale for running a sustainable business, including tax incentives such as the Bike 2 Work scheme and incentives for investing in renewable energy. However, there aren’t any tax incentives for small businesses who are working from home. It would be great for the Government to look at this in the future, Danni and I agreed on this – think of all those leasehold buildings made up of work from home people who’d all love to use renewable energy but can’t persuade the building owner to make changes.

For businesses that aren’t run from home, she suggests finding Green Champions that “can go out, learn about it [being more environmentally conscious] and then bring that back to the business. You need a few people or even just one person who’s interested in it and has the power or influence to make decisions to say ‘yes, we’ll invest in that’ or even ‘yes, we’ll bring recycling bins into our office’.  I think the key is finding those people.”

So, there’s a lot of value in making your business more sustainable, financially but also ethically. Anyone can be a Green Champion and, as Danni says, if you can change the views of five people, you are one step closer to changing the world.

Craker Business Solutions offers a free no obligation consultation. Find out more.

If you want to find out about making your business more sustainable, the Carbon Trust has a lot of resources for businesses looking to introduce a Green Champion scheme. You can also get involved with the Green Chamber Collective.

By Susan B. Bentley
Susan is a freelance writer and communications consultant, helping ethical businesses communicate better.

If you want to contribute to the Chamber blog, contact us on hannah@brightonchamber.co.uk