Amy C. Fitzjohn's Blog, page 5
August 2, 2022
The Joy Of Shopping Slow
At the end of last year, I had a moment or pure frustration when attempting to buy a few bits in Asda. EVERYTHING I needed was only available in single use plastic. Including the bread that I watched a baker take from a cooling rack and put straight into plastic before handing to me.
I rage quit at that point.
I am so sick of our broken food system. How supermarkets aid and abet poverty, devalue food and needlessly and recklessly pass mountains of unnecessary waste onto consumers.
I had almost forgotten I was doing this until a friend asked me how it was going and I realised that I’m more than halfway through the year already.
My response:
“It’s been much easier than I thought it would be.
I’m not even trying anymore.”
Especially in a city like Bristol, where everything you could ever need is on your doorstep. In my case, literally, as I am a short stroll from East Street and North Street in Bedminster. In this little BS3 neighbourhood we’re lucky, there are plenty of more sustainable, independent, and local alternatives.
Plus, shopping slow is better for the soul.
The Joy of Shopping Slow
I had to share this from Facebook, it made me smile…

Does it officially make me old that this is how I run my regular errands?
Working mostly from home, we hardly leave the house during the working week.
We could stay at home and get everything delivered (and honestly, for many things we do, especially now that we no longer have a car).
How do we manage? We get a weekly meal box delivered from Gousto. Milk and other produce delivered by Milk and More three times a week. For everything else I’ll pop to the corner shop or go to my local high streets.
Popping out to the high street shops has almost become a ritual. It gives me a reason to leave the house and communicate with other humans. You can witness all human life on our lively local streets!
There are some great charity shops on East and North Streets, which I love browsing. I’ll pick up fruit and veg from East Street Fruit Market, Hugo’s or Five Acre Farm. Get meat from Stan Butt, Rare or Kelvins. Store cupboard essentials and plastic free household goods from Zero Green, Preserve or Southville Deli. Sundries, interesting ingredients and fresh produce from Sklep Euro Market (great for pierogis and cured meats).
In every shop I’ll pass the time of day, have a random conversation with a local, chat to the staff and as a regular in many shops I’m recognised, greeted with a friendly smile.
That’s what it’s like when you shop slow.
Stuff-ocating SupermarketsInstead of rushing around a brightly lit, crowded supermarket.
Get in, get the stuff off your list, queue, whatever you do – never make eye contact, then get out. Feeling like a meaningless cog feeding a massive corporate machine while you browse aisles of endless ‘stuff’ you’ll never buy.
Local Shops – Use Them or Lose Them!It’s… Stuff + Suffocating = Stuffocating
When I hear people lament, “how it used to be,” and, “back in the day,” or, “there’s no sense of community anymore,” I want to shake them and say, “It’s still there, use it!”
I feel more connected to my neighbourhood, plus, the amount of waste in our bin and recycling boxes is minimal.
Have I Missed The Supermarket?Honestly, No.
Have I been into a supermarket this year? – Yes. But only because I was with other people who wanted to pick things up.
I’m not forcing this experiment down people’s throats or ‘banning’ friends and family from using supermarkets. Many of them don’t even know I’m doing this.
Did I buy anything? – No.
Was I tempted to buy something? – Not even slightly.
If anything, I looked around and continued to be disgusted and disappointed by the amount of single use plastic on most items.
Nothing appears to have changed. Supermarkets continue to recklessly disregard their impact on the environment and continue to be the architects of a broken food system.
One thing I did notice was how may shelves were empty, testament to breaks in their unnecessarily lengthy supply chains in the wake of Brexit, COVID and the war in Ukraine.
I’ve not seen evidence of these shortages in small, independent businesses that source produce locally.
Does Shopping Slow Cost More Money?Yes and no.
Before, I would drop into Lidl (it’s just behind my house) 4 or 5 times a week for basket shops, regularly spending £20 – £30 a time.
Now, our regular meal box from Gousto covers most of our meals (£40 a week). And although I’m disappointed with the amount of plastic on their items, it’s still less than when I was regularly buying packets of food in Lidl.
We get a milk and produce delivery three times a week from Milk And More (approx. £15 a week).
I spend an average of £15 – £20 a week across various other shops (Preserve, Butchers, Fruit & Veg etc. I often only run errands every couple of weeks so some weeks is less and some more, when I’m stocking up).
In an average week we spend approximately £60 – £70 on groceries (for 2 adults, chickens and a cat). Compared with £80 – £100 before.
Overall we are spending less, however, we are spending more on individual items. For example, dry goods and plastic free household products in the zero waste shops are a little more expensive, however, we waste far less food and generate significantly less plastic pollution.
ConclusionI don’t want to sound preachy or entitled, just to share my experience of shopping slow. I hope it inspires others to think differently about how and where they spend their money.
In a cost of living crisis (although I argue that on balance, supermarkets are part of the problem, rather than a solution) I realise that many people don’t (and can’t) spend as much on their household budget as we do.
I also appreciate how lucky we are to have a busy high street on the doorstep. When we lived in rural Somerset this would have been impossible to achieve without travelling many miles to a well provisioned town, our only option was the supermarket. This will be the case for many people, especially those living outside urban areas.
However, I would encourage people to do what they can, even if it means making more ethical choices in the supermarket and spending more on some things while simply not buying or spending less on other things.
For example, I’ve not bought a plastic bottle of shampoo or conditioner for years now, a shampoo bar lasts me a couple of months and is all I need. I bake my own bread and make my own household cleaning products. I grow what I can in my garden or on windowsills (with mixed success).
Backyard chickens lays eggs most days.

Local shops are often cheaper for many things, especially fruit and veg, plus you only buy what you need. The selection of spices and ingredients in zero waste shops is also brilliant – learning to make your own sauces, marinades, dressings etc. instead of buying plastic bottles of prepared mixes is cost effective, creates less waste and is better for you. No nasty preservatives or MSGs when you make your own salad dressing. It’s also ridiculously easy and takes very little time.
Having Gousto boxes has given me loads of ideas for sauces, marinades, recipes, food combinations etc. They regularly have offers (as do Hello Fresh) and is worth trying out. If only to inspire you when you get fed up making the same meals all the time or get stuck for ideas when asked the dreaded, “what’s for dinner?” question!
Plus, all of this means spending more money with local, independent businesses. A simple choice that minimises waste and feeds families and communities instead of shareholder’s bank accounts!
Shop slow. Vote with your pound if you want a better food system and to keep local communities thriving.
Why not try shopping slow, for a week or a month – without giving money to supermarkets?
The post The Joy Of Shopping Slow appeared first on Amy Morse.
July 3, 2022
Common Mistakes That Damage Your Digital Presence
Building an online presence that truly reflect you and your business is an ongoing challenge. It’s tempting to try to take short cuts, but there are 4 easy mistakes to avoid, as shared by one of our contributors.
Easy Mistakes to make…Whether you are starting an online side hustle as a blogger or are bringing your business online for expansion purposes, building a credible, successful, and long-lasting digital presence can be tricky.
Indeed, with over 1 billion websites in the world, it can be tough to get your presence noticed. For the record, over 10,000 new websites are created every hour. While they are not necessarily competing against your site, the abundance of digital noise can affect your audience’s attention span. So, of course, as a digital creator, you need to make sure you get seen and heard.
Yet, with limited budget and resources, you are more prone to making mistakes along the way. Let’s take a look at some mishaps that could damage your digital presence.

We get it. When you’re launching your website, you may not be ready to invest much money into it. While free web-builder templates from platforms such as WordPress or Wix may seem convenient, they tend to make every website look the same. It is worth investing time in finding a web design agency to help you build a unique and remarkable online presence. Templated sites can also lack technical SEO factors, which can also affect your ranking.
Stop writing for search enginesAs we just mentioned SEO above, it makes perfect sense to discuss search engine optimization strategies. Do you need an SEO advisor? Not necessarily, as there are plenty of educational resources online. You can also consider an audit of your presence for guidance. However, it can be helpful to define precisely your audience group and how they search for content. Keyword research is important to use the right search terms, so you can attract the right people. Creating content only for the purpose of placing keywords and boosting your ranking, though, can be less effective. Writing solely to improve search engine ranking is counterproductive, as the content will feel less natural and entertaining.
The trend that keeps on giving… notEvery now and then, a popular trend appears, and every relevant blogger wants a piece of the cake. Unfortunately, using a popular topic for your content strategy can be difficult. When everyone writes about the same subject, it’s tricky to stand out from the crowd or even bring something new to the debate. If you struggle to bring a new angle to a trend, it’s best to avoid discussing it. Nobody wants to read the same idea over and over again.
The eternal filter dilemmaWhen you don’t have a quality camera or a good photo editing tool, it is tempting to rely on photo filters instead. The problem with filters, especially those used on social media, is that they make everyone look the same. They can transform your skin tone, the shape of your face, your makeup — as in they add artificial makeup to the image —, the colour of your eyes and hair, etc. Think about it: The purpose of taking photos and posting them on social media is to attract the attention of your audience. You want to be unique, not look like everyone else.
Building a unique digital presence on a budget is challenging, and it requires hard work to create a unique voice and look that can differentiate you from other digital creators. More importantly, being unique and recognizable is an investment every day in your website, content, SEO strategy, and images.
The post Common Mistakes That Damage Your Digital Presence appeared first on Amy Morse.
June 3, 2022
4 Proven Ways To Boost Your Website Ranking
How can you be heard in all the digital noise? Use these contributor’s tips to help people find your online business.
4 Proven Ways To Boost Your Website Ranking

Today the global marketplace is more accessible, inclusive, connected, and broad. Experts recommend websites as an excellent way to be visible in this competitive space. And search engine optimisation is crucial for standing out, beating the competition, and succeeding in your business. This is especially crucial considering there are more than 3.5 billion searches on Google daily. So if you depend on people to find your business via the internet, consider these proven ways to boost your website rankings.
1) Regularly publish relevant contentHow long users spend on your website influences your search engine ranking. Studies have shown that website visitors spend more time on websites when they are regularly fed with content that meets their search queries directly. And they will keep coming for more if you provide refreshing, newsworthy, and exciting content. Additionally, your site rankings will increase when users bookmark your site from popular browsers such as Google Chrome, Safari, Explorer, etc. Providing relevant and high-quality content can increase the odds of your website being bookmarked by users.
2) Improve site speedYour page loading time is critical for several reasons. To begin with, if your load time is too slow, Google will notice and penalise your ranking. A slow website will also negatively impact how your site visitors interact with your content. That’s because long load times will annoy users and keep them from engaging with your product or service. And your bounce rate may increase by 32% if your page load time grows from 1s to 3s. As a result, your ranking will suffer from those bad interactions. Slow websites are perceived as irritating, if not untrustworthy. Consider Google’s free PageSpeed Insights or one off SEO audit tools to analyse your site’s speed and optimisation opportunities.
3) Write for humans, not SEOIt is tempting to focus solely on satisfying search engines when improving your website’s overall SEO status. However, this can be counterproductive, especially when you create content for search engines instead of their targeted audience. At the same time, your overall objective is SEO and boosting your site ranking, the best way to prioritise your target audience. One thing worth noting is that search engine algorithms are clever enough to recognise when you create or develop content for them instead of humans. Google, for instance, can penalise your website when they feel you are attempting to trick their system.
4) Optimise your imagesPictures and other media content are an excellent addition to your website. However, you must correctly optimise your photos if you want them to help your website ranking. This may mean paying attention to file type and size since large graphics can drag your page loading speed. Optimise your photos by resizing or compressing them. You may also use them to incorporate keywords by appropriately naming them.
Improving your site’s traffic is not an easy feat. But it can be relatively easy with the right strategies. Consider the tips above to rank better in organic searches and increase your site visitors.
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5 Things Your Small Business Should Outsource
It’s easy to fall into the trap of trying to do everything yourself when you work for yourself. However, there are some parts of your business that are easier to outsource than others. Take a load off with these contributors’ tips.
What Can You Outsource?Small business owners have a lot on their plate. Not only are you trying to get your business off the ground, you’re trying to make sure that all of your efforts make this business a complete success. While you are doing this, you are going to need to consider getting extra help. It’s all very noble to try and do everything for yourself, but if doing everything for yourself means that you feel burnt out, there’s a problem. By outsourcing some of your daily business costs, you can spend more of your time growing your business as a whole, rather than trying to do it all yourself and letting things slide.
Whether you need to outsource work to a legal marketing service, or you need to outsource your admin so that you can finally get a handle on all the paperwork that’s been building up, you should consider outsourcing and how you can gain an extra pair of hands. There are always ways to ask for help, and here are some of the things that your business should look to outsource today.

You should never mess with money, especially if you are not aware of how to do your accounts and payroll on your own. The accounting side of business is time-consuming, and it can be very difficult if you’ve never had any experience with it. Outsourcing your accounting will not only help your business to manage better, it will also take the weight off your shoulders that you need to get your tax returns in on time.
Customer serviceThere are plenty of businesses out there that outsource their customer service overseas. If you want to outsource your customer service but remain in the country you are in, that is also possible. Most customers are happier with an immediate response rate when they have a customer service question, and you might not be able to maintain that kind of response in your business. Instead, outsource it and have somebody else do it for you, because you still look at a professional service.
Digital marketingMarketing is one of the most popular things to be outsourced. You might not know about all the facets and multiple areas of digital marketing such as SEO, blogging and even legal marketing. Mastering and managing all of his areas as one person is practically impossible as each area has its own expertise and niche. Instead, outsource!
Admin workBelieve it or not, you can actually outsource your paperwork. If the pile is getting too high, let it go and hire a virtual assistant to help you. They will ensure that your business is running smoothly and complete all of the repetitive business admin so you have been putting off.
BloggingContent is key in today’s world, but writing all that content can become pretty tedious over time. Instead of doing it yourself, hire an exceptional writing service for them to do it for you. They will be more than happy to take on the work on a case by case basis, so you only pay for the content work that you have asked for.
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June 1, 2022
How To Launch A Killer B2B Social Media Campaign
Social Media is an essential tool for your online marketing. However, without consistency, you’re just another small voice in a big crowd.
This contributor content will help you to be smarter in your Social approach.
What To Consider For Your Next CampaignA B2B social media campaign that is effective does involve a significant amount of effort, but if it is carried out correctly, it may provide an unlimited number of positive outcomes. Within the context of business-to-business interactions, there are a lot of different things you can do to make sure that your social media campaign stands out. A more effective and fruitful business-to-business (B2B) social media campaign may be launched with the aid of the following suggestions.

The first thing you need to do is figure out who your audience is. This is the most important aspect, and it can determine the success or failure of your campaign. You have to communicate with individuals and show them how your product or service is going to improve their lives. The first thing you need to do in order to do this is to locate the social media platforms where you can find them.
Improve the quality of your content.Your content has a significant impact on the outcome of your social media marketing strategy. If you have engaging material, more individuals will participate in your campaign, which will contribute to its overall success. There are numerous different approaches to improvising your material, and the two most common approaches are as follows:
Write Better.Your written material has to have a high readability rating, contain information that is pertinent, and be optimised for search engine results. One of the most common and effective strategies for assisting with social media initiatives is content marketing. Posts on blogs are one of the most effective and widely used ways to disseminate information about your campaign.
Research in the field of multimedia has shown that consumers are more drawn to engaging visual material than they are to any other type of content. Create a visually appealing campaign by using infographics, films, photographs of high quality, and other media of this kind.
You may further enhance the quality of your material by including testimonials from your staff, customers, and other stakeholders. For your B2B digital marketing strategy to be effective, developing compelling content is therefore another essential component that needs your attention.
Follow and study your rivals.It should not be disregarded, despite how unsettling it may appear. Your rivals can provide you with a wealth of information that can educate you on how best to proceed with your campaign. You may gather the information you need on how your rival is managing their campaign by using a monitoring tool on the social media platform of your choice.
Keep in mind that you should restrict the amount of time you spend observing your rivals and avoid becoming too connected with them. Do not forget to direct most of your attention to your own campaign!
Monetize Your ContentYour social media marketing plan may be more successful if you invest a small amount of money in it. You may increase the exposure of your campaign by providing relevant ads to the consumers you have targeted. On social media networks such as Twitter, Facebook, and others like them, organic reach is typically rather modest. Therefore, running advertisements on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn will lead to better visibility for your campaign among the audience you are trying to reach on those specific platforms.
Maintain a Record of Your EffortsYou have to be certain that the social media marketing strategy you are putting into action is going to be successful in order for it to be worthwhile. Utilise social media analytics, monitoring tools, statistics relating to visibility, feedback from your target audience, and other similar data. You must always be aware of whether or not the strategies you are employing are producing a return on investment (ROI).
Participate in Communities or Groups That Are Like Yours.To build your brand, you should either engage in existing comparable communities or organizations, or you can even start new ones. You will be able to network more effectively and make new connections as a result of this. You will also be able to receive helpful suggestions on how to enhance your campaigns as a result of doing this. When you get together with other individuals who have a similar interest in business, one of the most valuable things you may take away from the experience is likely to be networking.
There are many different steps that may be taken to guarantee that a B2B social media campaign is effective, as B2B is always progressing and changing. The single most critical thing you can do for your social media strategy is to continually innovate and update it. You should always be on the lookout for ways to optimise the information you have and enhance the tactics you use.
The post How To Launch A Killer B2B Social Media Campaign appeared first on Amy Morse.
May 31, 2022
Act Local Think Global – Thoughts on Sustainability
Sustainability. What does that word mean for you?
As a wordsmith, that’s always an intriguing question for me.
Here’s what the Cambridge Dictionary has to say on the subject:
Sustainable, a definition
A core constituent of everything I do is ‘sustainable enterprise for sustainable living’ – but sustainability means different things to different people at different times.
In this context, there are two parts to it:
1) Economic SustainabilityFrom an economic point of view, it’s about creating consistent, steady and reliable income and business practices.
2) Ecological SustainabilityIn the context of ecology and the environment, we can think of renewable energy, working with instead of against nature, minimising waste and maintaining natural resources so they can continue to benefit future generations.
Now, I’m not going to pretend to have all the answers on how to balance these, often opposing, forces, but both enterprise and the environment are subjects that fascinate me.
Lurching From Crisis To CrisisHere in the UK, off the back of our greatest act of self harm in history (Brexit), there was a global pandemic and now a war in Europe. All exposing the fragility of our supply chains and over reliance on importing most of our food and commodities.
A hangover from our colonial past, successive governments have always assumed that when we need something, we can get it from other countries and they will be grateful for our business. Environmental impact, climate change, poverty, they are all problems in other countries. We watch documentaries by national treasures like David Attenborough showing harrowing images of oceans full of rubbish, great swathes of rainforests cut down and wildlife suffering as their habitats are encroached on and violated by human activity. We watch these films from our sofas made in china out of tropical hardwood, watching our TVs made from minerals extracted from open cast mines in Africa and oil from American fracking, wearing synthetic clothes made in sweat shops in Bangladesh – and we ‘tut’ and roll our eyes – without irony – at those people in those poor countries destroying the environment.
Things need to change.There is only so much we can do as individuals.
Business can be sustainable in both senses of the word by focusing on the Triple Bottom Line and not just making money regardless of the consequences.
Lessons LearnedIf these crises have taught us anything it’s the importance of short supply chains. A lesson for small businesses and sustainable living, as well as saving costs and the environment.
We can vote with our wallets and choose Farm to Fork alternatives to our broken industrial food system. And as businesses we can choose to work with local suppliers using seasonal ingredients.
As businesses and individuals we can simplify. If you want to reduce your impact on the world, concentrate on simplifying your life. Make an effort to reduce the number of things you own, keeping only belongings that use or enjoy regularly. As a business, we can consciously choose ethical, waste free products and services and not be part of the problem by producing needless ‘stuff’ that will end up as waste.
As consumers and businesses we can buy direct from the producer. Shopping and selling in farm shops, local businesses or at farmers markets also guarantees the best possible return for the producers, and for your business.
You can’t get any more local than your own back yard! We can grow and produce more locally. We can support other small businesses both as consumers and as businesses – saving time, money and resources.
If more of us think local, the impact will be felt globally.

The post Act Local Think Global – Thoughts on Sustainability appeared first on Amy Morse.
May 26, 2022
My Big Plastic Count Results
Did you do the Big Plastic Count last week?
My results are in!
69 pieces of plastic in the Morse house and 49 of them were cellophane wrapped packets from our Gousto boxes.
I’m disappointed that ONE place is responsible for the vast majority of plastic waste in our house. And they are a B Corp organisation! Partly why I favoured them over Hello Fresh for our meal boxes.
OK, so it’s lots of tiny sachets that cumulatively squish into a small carrier bag. But I’m still annoyed about it!
NONE of that is ‘recyclable’.
But, that is also not the point because when we are fobbed off with the epic greenwash that is ‘recyclable’ this is what actually happens…

I am heartened, however, that our efforts to reduce plastic waste at home is reflected in this result.
Overall, we had hardly any plastic waste in most categories, but there is one obvious source for the majority of our plastic!
I decided to call them out on Twitter…

They did reply, but it doesn’t really answer my questions…

It’s especially annoying as Gousto has effectively replaced most of my supermarket shopping since I started my year without supermarkets.
Aside from supermarkets perpetuating our unsustainable and broken food system, my reason for boycotting them is the excessive single use plastic packaging!
Can you live with less plastic?At the end of the Big Plastic Count submission process is a PDF guide ‘Living With Less Plastic’.
Even if you didn’t manage to do the count this year, it’s worth reading: Living-with-less-plastic-handbook.pdf (thebigplasticcount.com)
I still have more work to do to achieve a plastic free bin/recycling box…
What about you?Were you surprised by your plastic count? In a good or bad way…?The post My Big Plastic Count Results appeared first on Amy Morse.
May 17, 2022
How Do We End The Culture Of Waste?
This infographic about minimising waste popped up on my Facebook feed and I had to share it.
We are all consumers and we all have power. Don’t let anyone try to convince you otherwise!
[image error]Waste – It’s Not About RecyclingMinimising waste in not the same as responsibly disposing of it.
Every time I see ‘recyclable’ printed on plastic packaging it enrages me. It may be able to be recycled but it probably won’t be and that’s not the point. The producer is shifting their responsibility and culpability to individuals – It’s flippant, cynical, greenwashing.
The point is not to extract the oil, create the virgin plastic and the associated pollution, then ship it around the world in the first place!
Recycling waste is a last, not first, resort. Better to not create the waste in the first place and when we do, reuse or repurpose it instead.
There is always a compromise and sometimes recycling is the best option. Some materials are easily and widely recycled, multiple times (glass, paper and metal). Plastic is not.
Market Forces Are The Problem Not the Solution
Right now, society treats packaging as something disposable – something that can be used once then tossed away. This mindset has led to the plastic pollution crisis, and moving back to refillable, reusable packaging is the best way to turn things around.
An increasing demand for ‘stuff’ leads to the supply of more ‘stuff’. I’m not ‘anti-capitalist’, I’m pro ‘responsible business practices’ and sometimes that involves strategic level intervention.
More stuff means more waste.
This is a simple equation.
Our appetite for ‘cheap stuff’ is fuelling the stripping of the Earth’s resources and converting them into mountains of toxic waste.
Leaving ‘the market’ to solve the issue is simply not an option.
If market forces were sufficient we wouldn’t be living on a planet choked with waste!
A Mindset ShiftInfographics, such as this, help to educate and influence the individual.
Ultimately, when our mindset shifts to create less waste in the first place, producers and retailers will eventually have to respond.
Because how we spend our money is casting a vote for a future we want.
There is, however, only so much we as individuals can do.
There needs to be action at a government and corporate level to end the culture of waste. To end the profiteering practice of inbuilt obsolescence. It will take more than consumer choice to change this, it needs high level intervention to force retails and producers to behave responsibly.
In the meantime, however, we can all do a little better.
It’s not about a few of us doing ‘zero waste perfectly’, but all of us doing something.
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May 13, 2022
8 Great Tips For Enhancing Your Business Identity
They say, ‘you never get a second chance to make a first impression.’ This contributor article share 8 great tips to help your business create a lasting first impression.
As a business owner, you know that your brand is one of your most important assets. After all, your brand is what sets you apart from your competitors and helps you build trust and credibility with your customers.

Photo by Nik Shuliahin on Unsplash
But what are some ways you can enhance your brand?
Here Are A Few Ideas:First, Make Sure Your Branding Is Consistent Across All Channels.Your branding should be instantly recognisable, no matter where your customers encounter it. Everything should reflect your brand in a consistent manner, from your website and social media accounts to the packaging of your products and even the way your employees answer the phone.
Keep Your Messaging Clear And Focused.When crafting your branding messages, make sure they are clear and to the point. Trying to communicate too many things at once will only confuse your customers and make it difficult for them to remember what you do.
Invest In Professional Design.A well-designed logo and website can go a long way in making your brand look more credible and trustworthy. If you don’t have the budget to hire a professional, plenty of DIY logo design tools are available online that can help you create a high-quality logo on a tight budget.
Another way to enhance your brand is to create a slogan or tagline that encapsulates the essence of what your business is about. This can be a great way to communicate what makes you unique and why people should choose your products or services over those of your competitors.
Make Sure Your Content Is Top-Notch.Your content is another critical element of your branding. Whether it’s blog posts, social media updates, or even just the text on your website, everything should be well-written and free of errors. Poor quality content will only hurt your brand’s reputation.
Pay Attention To Your Online Presence.In today’s digital world, your online presence is crucial to the success of your business. Make sure your website is optimised so that you have a strong social media presence and search engines by doing a quick search on Improve My Search Ranking.com. Creating informative and engaging content will help you attract more visitors to your site and build a positive reputation for your brand.
Focus On Customer Service.Happy customers are essential for any successful business. So make sure you offer excellent customer service and treat every interaction as an opportunity to build relationships and strengthen your brand image.
Be Active In Your Community.Get involved in your local community and develop relationships with other businesses and organisations. This can help you raise awareness of your brand and build a positive reputation.
Make Use Of PR And Marketing.PR and marketing can be powerful tools for enhancing your brand. Use them wisely to spread the word about your business, generate positive media coverage, and build relationships with key influencers.
In ConclusionYou can enhance your brand image and make your business more successful by following these tips. Investing in your brand is one of the best investments you can make for your business – so start today!
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May 4, 2022
Making Profit Is Not The Point (But Not For The Reason You Think)
What is the true cost of doing business?
Climate change has become a climate crisis, inequality, poverty, Brexit, a cost of living crisis, a pandemic, war in Europe…
With so many challenges to respond to, business as usual is more and more unusual.
What if the price of doing business didn’t cost the Earth?This is part of the philosophy behind the ‘Triple Bottom Line‘.
The term was first coined by British sustainability consultant John Elkington, in 1994.
I view it as the makings of a recognition that everything and everyone, cannot, and should not, be commodified and measured purely in financial terms.
I’ve always thought that the point of ‘a business’ is not just to make money, but to ‘serve a purpose’. To provide products and/or services that offer solutions, and that go further than a mere financial exchange, regardless of the costs to people and planet.
Arguably, many of the challenges we face in the world today exist because businesses have functioned, and been actively supported by policymakers, to do only one thing: to generate money – to make ‘a profit’.
This is an outdated economic approach that is literally costing the Earth.
What is Triple Bottom Line?The true cost of doing business comprises of 3 Ps:
PeoplePlanetProfit
(Source: diligent.com)
However, why focus on profit when what we should really be focusing on is prosperity?
Profit vs Prosperity – Changing the Triple Bottom Line
It is inherently unsustainable, because Profit is fundamentally Excess. Profit is about greed and self interest – the most destructive things for people and planet.
I argue that it is not possible to benefit People and Planet if you focus on making Profit. Instead, focus on Prosperity to be financially and ethically sustainable.
I’m not saying ‘money is bad’ – like any tool it can be used to make things or destroy things. The point of the Triple Bottom Line is to create something positive with your monetary tools. Instead of feeding the endless cycle of greed, excess and destruction.
Prosperity is about having enough, for everyone with a stake in your business.
The opposite of austerity; prosperity uses financial tools to invest in sustainable outcomes.
As long as ‘profit’ is the third P, businesses will focus on it. It’s merely doing business as usual and treating the other 2 Ps as marketing outcomes to greenwash the ethically and environmentally dubious elements of the business.

For real change to happen in the way we conduct business in a changing world, let’s stop talking about Profit and shift our mindset towards Prosperity instead.

This isn’t just about ‘doing the right thing’ (which of course, is important). There are tangible, genuine, sensible, economic, and business reasons for considering more than profit.
Risk Management and MitigationBusiness is inherently risky, but looking beyond profit identifies risks before they cost you money!
Attracting and Retaining TalentEvery employer knows that it is far more costly, both in reputation and finically, to be constantly losing and recruiting staff. It’s cheaper to keep the people you have than constantly replace them.
Humans are not light bulbs to plug in, use up, then discard and replace!
Good people want to work for a good business.
Employees have always worked and been loyal to businesses for more than just money. We’re humans, not fruit machines! We need more than cash to be fulfilled.
The employees of the future – Gen Zs – make choices based on personal ethics.
Reputation
Deloitte’s Global 2021 Millennial and Gen Z survey found that 49% of Gen Z respondents had “made choices over the type of work they are prepared to do or organisations they’d work for based on personal ethics”.
The Triple Bottom Line Explained: Meaning, Importance and Future (diligent.com)
Consumers are increasingly concerned about the impact of their buying choices. They vote with their wallets and actively choose to buy from the more ethical business. It’s why greenwashing has so much traction. Green business is good business. And it’s why I’m going for a year without supermarkets.
Longevity and SustainabilityInstead of being a flash-in-the-pan business, actively doing business in an ecologically sustainable way is financially sustainable too. You are future proofing your business by pursuing the Triple Bottom Line.
Reducing CostsIt’s an inconvenient fact that oil and gas will run out – in the lifetime of the next generation!
It’s an inconvenient fact that the Earth has finite resources. We can’t keep mining raw materials and creating mountains of toxic waste forever. The Earth already cannot sustain our levels of consumption, we are living on borrowed time.
It’s the basic economics of supply and demand. If there is dwindling supply and increasing demand, costs rise. We see it starkly in the current cost of living crisis. It will only get worse if we continue to do nothing and behave like the problem will just go away.
Legal ComplianceThere will only be more social and environmental legislation over time.
40 years ago CFCs (Chlorofluorocarbon) were widely used and the ban in 1987 averted a climate catastrophe.
The UK government have introduced a Plastic Packaging Tax of £200 per tonne from April 2022. (Hooray, finally something decent. Although it’s still pretty measly and doesn’t go far enough!).
These are just two headline grabbing examples. Why wait for the law to change before choosing to act responsibly?
But, naturally, the big benefit of the Triple Bottom Line is; not treating people and planet like trash! That ought to be enough…
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