How a Franchise Agreement and a Franchise Disclosure Document differ
There are two documents that are of vital importance...
Increasingly, consumers are concerning themselves with the health of the planet and actively selecting products, services and brands that share their environmental ethos. This means that franchises that choose to go green will see increased consumption, even if their price point is set higher than their less-ethical competitors.
Sustainability is important, not only to protect the planet and attract new customers but to ensure the long-term resilience of your business. Incorporating sustainability measures does not need to be complicated or expensive. Here is a look at the practices that could add significant benefit to your business.
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Implement appropriate sustainability measures
Choose the sustainability measures that are appropriate for your business. If most of your products are shipped to the end user, consider investing in compostable or plastic-free packaging and select a courier who shares your carbon-reduction goals. If your products have a health benefit, make sure they do not contain environment-damaging or contested ingredients, such as palm oil.
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Promote your environmentally friendly credentials
There is little use in adopting eco-friendly practices if your intended client base doesn't know about it. Up to 80% of Canadian consumers say they don't know how to identify an eco-friendly company, so make it very clear for them. Discuss how your products are sustainably sourced, point out your green packaging and logistics solutions, and explain how your products benefit the environment.
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Form sustainability collaborations
Partnering with other businesses whose environmental ethos aligns with your own allows both companies to increase their reach and their reputation. Select a logistics firm with a passion for sustainability, or source your products from ethical companies. You could even form a local collaboration with businesses whose products and services complement your own to create a fuller offering for your customers with a minimal environmental footprint.
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Donate to good causes
If there is a particular area of your business operations that you are unable to change without dramatically affecting your product range or services, consider donating a proportion of your profits to charitable organizations that operate within that sector or help to fund research aimed specifically at eradicating that particular threat. In this way, you are acknowledging the shortfall but taking proactive measures to improve performance in the long term.
By embracing sustainability and demonstrating a commitment to protecting and preserving our planet, consumers will align themselves with your brand, and you will notice a marked uptake in your products and services. The effort involved in turning your business green may be significant, but it will almost certainly be worthwhile.
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Joining an Environmentally Friendly Franchise
Leaders from around the world are attempting to agree on ways in which to slow the rising temperatures around the globe (like the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference - COP27) for the benefit of the population now and in the future.
As someone looking to join a franchise, you may be wondering how to express your own personal commitment to a better future on this planet while delivering an environmentally friendly business model. If this is something that is important to you, you will be pleased to know that there are plenty of franchises that are equally committed to "going green", but you will need to do your homework to find them.
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Sustainability
Ask questions about a franchisor's business strategy, especially how they deliver a sustainable service. You should consider all elements of the business, including who they buy their stock from (fewer miles travelled equals a lower carbon footprint), how they distribute it to their customers (consider the type of packaging used and the method in which it is shipped), administration and sales. Does the franchise operate out of a building that requires heating and lighting, or is the business cloud-based with people working remotely?
If the franchise does have a building from which it operates, ask about the measures taken to make the environment more environmentally friendly. This could include things such as LED lighting, reusable or compostable cups and cutlery rather than non-recyclable plastics, using eco-friendly cleaning products to maintain a hygienic environment, and ensuring water is never left running needlessly.
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Supply Chain
Ask about where the franchise sources its stock and whether it actively considers the use of environmentally friendly suppliers. This includes choosing local businesses in an effort to reduce the carbon footprint of the products or selecting a supplier whose environmental aims align with their own.
Such aims could include reducing non-recyclable packaging on their products, minimizing packaging to just what is required to ensure that items safely reach their destination, and working with "green" couriers who operate outside of peak times or drive environmentally friendly vehicles.
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Recycling
Ask about the franchise's recycling program. Is there a corporate program for recycling waste paper, printer cartridges, plastic, aluminum, and other waste generated through the running of the business, or is each franchisee required to engage with their local waste disposal organizations to arrange the most appropriate form of disposal?
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"Green" Franchises
Of course, you could elect to join a specifically "green" franchise rather than delving into the environmental credentials of the mainstream ones. There are many franchises whose entire business model revolves around delivering an environmentally conscious service, such as eco-friendly cleaning franchises who use and sell ethical and non-toxic products in compostable or reusable containers or energy-saving franchises such as those supplying solar panels, insulation and efficient lighting and home appliances to reduce the running costs and energy use of people's homes.
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