In our series Selfmade U, we’ll tackle the most common questions and pain points that come up for business owners with tips and tricks from Selfmade, a virtual business coaching program, founded by Brit + Co founder Brit Morin and sponsored by Office Depot OfficeMax. We’ll hear from Selfmade members and business coaches on what it takes to run a successful business and make it as an entrepreneur.
Bringing sustainability into your business is not only good for the planet, it can help save on business costs and make your brand more appealing to customers. According to a survey from McKinsey, 66 percent of all respondents and 75 percent of millennial respondents say that they consider sustainability when they make a purchase.
“After selling and producing products for the past year, I have had the opportunity to learn more about how I can incorporate more sustainability into my future products, which includes my latest game Go Big or Go Broke, that uses zero plastics,” says Chrissy Fagerholt of EAP Toys & Games. EAP offers party games, family games, and toys for ages eight and up.
Chrissy started her life in games after she hung up her shears as a floral designer, realizing that a weekend-heavy career wasn’t ideal with two small children at home. Following a girl’s trip, where Chrissy and her girlfriends played a fun, interactive game that one friend made up, they all decided to launch a Kickstarter and eventually sold the game to a major publisher. Chrissy decided to continue the business and develop more games with her friends’ full support.
Chrissy joined Selfmade to help learn more about the business aspect of entrepreneurship. “I am constantly trying to find avenues that will help make me a smarter, wiser, more informed business person and that doesn’t require me to give full-time or finances to a formal education,” she says.
Through Selfmade and Office Depot OfficeMax, Chrissy was able to connect with other emerging founders, hear from established entrepreneurs who have paved the way, and get personalized coaching sessions to help her grow her business.
“I really love listening to the different interviews with existing founders. When you get to see that not everyone who is successful is a Stanford grad with a business degree, there’s something really supportive about that.”
Now a few years in, Chrissy is looking for new ways to evolve her business. One of them is finding more sustainable ways to create games without using plastics. “My manufacturer is also growing new ways to offer more sustainable alternatives to plastics,” she says.
Looking to bring sustainability into your business? Here are four key tips.
Do a sustainability audit. Look at your current business operations, processes, and products to discover areas where you can make improvements with sustainability in mind. This could include reducing energy consumption (such as energy-efficient lighting and renewable energy sources), minimizing waste (recycling, composting, and reducing single-use plastics), transportation (carpools, bikes, public transit), and sourcing more sustainable materials (recyclable and biodegradable packaging, for example).
Set clear goals. Define your sustainability goals that align with your business values and mission. Communicate to your teams the importance of sustainability and how it aligns with your business objectives. Encourage them to contribute ideas for improvement too.
Market your efforts. Highlight your sustainability efforts in your marketing campaigns. More consumers value businesses that prioritize environmental responsibility. Being transparent about your initiatives builds trust. You can encourage your customers to join in the eco fun by offering incentives for eco-conscious behaviors, like using reusable bags or containers.
Track your progress. Measure your environmental impact to assess the effectiveness of your initiatives. This will help you identify areas for improvement and celebrate successes along the way.
As a self-published, one-woman show, Chrissy has made more of an effort to reach consumers directly through shows and social media. “I love to just go to shows and be around people who do creative things. Getting my products to not just be sitting on a shelf, but getting them to the actual user, that’s been really fun for me.”
Her mornings start early, before anyone else in the house wakes up, and she tends to emails, builds out her day, and works on marketing and social media. She was also one of 10 women to participate in the Selfmade pitch competition, earning an Office Depot® OfficeMax® merchandise card that she used to help her build out her home office and ship products to her next show.
“It’s a learning experience and fun to do, but it also gives you an opportunity to share what you’re doing and learn how you’re pitching, what you’re pitching, and just go for it.”
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Illustrated by Daniela Jordan-Villaveces
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