Sustainability –what really makes your business sustainable & where do you start?

Questions, questions, questions… Rebecca Hawkins is a busy women because she is answering these (and more) this week during her presentations at both and the International Hotel and Restaurant Association congress in Switzerland and the Hotel and Catering Show in Bournemouth.

Don’t be mistaken and think that certification makes your business all green, ethical and responsible, it takes more than a logo to get you there. The logos are the badge of honour and the proof that you have the processes in place to deliver sustainability. But they won’t deliver savings or customer benefits without the commitment of the board, the culture to innovate and the ability to ensure that every member of the team is batting for the same sustainability goals.

Although sometimes it’s the vision and enthusiasm of one individual that gets the ball rolling, getting more and preferably, all aboard makes for better progress and gets the shift in culture from the top down (and from the bottom up) to create an enduring commitment to the triple bottom line in all business operations.

We think that doing good business and doing sustainable business should be the same thing. It delivers the triple bottom line: financial, environment and social, improves quality and gives your business a sustainable future.

Savings from energy, water and waste prevention & recycling from within a business is a first step (and we would be crazy to miss out the plug here…RHP are experts in helping business deliver these!).But the next step can go beyond navel gazing, taking a look at your wider supply chain –your food futures (and current supply) availability, cost, ethical production and the implications your business has on the local environment and communities (Guess what… we can help you with this bit too!). Only once these pieces of the puzzle are in place can you really get the seal of customer approval, that guarantees a high level of repeat visits.

The key message is that you can save money, but sometimes speculating is important to accumulating. Sustainable business – good business, can give you the edge over your competition, deliver you greater market share, loyal customers, committed staff and investors AND… if that’s not enough….thinking about business now in a resource constrained future will make your business lean and not mean!

It goes without saying… you know the drill by now… RHP can help you make it happen – Research, training, consultancy and communicating your successes, we have the tools for the job.

Be lean not mean – invest in your triple bottom line and give us a call: 0845 5913 6350