Latest news with #businessOwners
Forbes
03-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Small Business And The Circular Economy: SMBs Key to Sustainability
By Olanrewaju Babalola A circular economy encourages businesses to design products and systems where nothing goes to waste. If you have been asking yourself this new kind of question of late: How can I grow my business without hurting the world around me? The circular economy might be the best business move you haven't made yet. This article will help small business owners understand why sustainability matters, what you can do about it, and how it can help your business grow. What Is a Circular Economy? In simple terms, the circular economy is a way of doing business that avoids waste. Instead of the usual pattern where products are made, used, and thrown away, a circular economy encourages businesses to design products and systems where nothing goes to waste. Materials are reused, repaired, or turned into something new. Waste becomes a resource. Products are made to last, and businesses think about the full life of everything they produce—from beginning to end. It might sound like a concept for big corporations, but in reality, small businesses are often in a better position to act. Why? Because they are more flexible, closer to their communities, and often more in touch with their customers' values. All around the world, small businesses are already making the shift to circular thinking—and seeing real results. For example: These are not large corporations. They are companies run by regular people who decided to do business in a different way. Their actions are improving lives and building stronger, more trusted brands. More from AllBusiness: Why Small Businesses Should Care About Sustainability I know most small business owners are already stretched. I mean, you are focused on making sales, paying employees, keeping your customers happy, improving your products and services, and much more. Thinking about sustainability might feel like a luxury you can't afford. But then, going 'green' is an investment and a strategic advantage you should not avoid. When you reduce waste, you reduce expenses. When you offer eco-friendly products, you attract customers who care about the environment. When you show that you are thoughtful about your impact, you build trust—and trust leads to loyalty. More and more customers are asking questions about the products they buy: Where did this come from? Who made it? What happens to it when I am done with it? If your business can answer those questions in a positive and honest way, you will stand out. Today's customers are increasingly aware of how their choices affect the world. They want to support businesses that care about people and the planet. By embracing circular practices, you can build stronger relationships with your customers and stand out in crowded markets. How You Can Join the Circular Economy So, you do not need to be perfect, and you do not need to change everything at once. What matters is that you take the first step. Here are a few simple things you can consider: If you are not sure where to begin, just start small. One good decision can lead to another. A small compost bin behind a bakery. A simple repair service for a product. A decision to use packaging that can be recycled. These small steps can lead to a bigger impact over time. This Is Your Time As we look at the future of business, sustainability has become the way of thinking. A new way of growing; a new way of leading. If you are reading this, it means you care. You want to grow your business the right way. You want to be proud of the work you do. So let this be your moment. Take a step toward sustainability. Look at your operations. Ask new questions. Find new solutions. Talk to your customers. Talk to your team. See what you can do together. The world is changing, and you have a chance to lead in that change.
CTV News
03-07-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Redevelopment work has Stephen Avenue businesses worried
Calgary Watch Business owners on Calgary's historic Stephen Avenue say they're worried construction set to begin later this month could put them out of business.
CTV News
02-07-2025
- CTV News
Extortion attempts: 3 more suspects arrested after Plateau-Mont-Royal bar shot up
An SPVM police vehicle is seen in Montreal, Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi Three more suspects have been arrested as part of Montreal police's ongoing investigation into extortion attempts targeting local bars and restaurants. The three arrests, made last Wednesday by the EMAF anti-gun squad, were in relation to a shooting at a bar on Mont-Royal Avenue East in the Plateau-Mont-Royal borough. No injuries were reported when the front door was shot up at 2:45 a.m. on May 2. The people arrested are between the ages of 20 and 34, according to police, and are part of a third wave of arrests related to the shooting. After the incident, three initial suspects were arrested: two men and a woman, all aged between 18 and 19. On June 5, a second wave of arrests was carried out when officers handcuffed two men, aged 19 and 26. All eight suspects were released on a promise to appear in court at a later date and 'are suspected of having played an active role in a series of violent incidents of an intimidating nature targeting a group of business owners,' police said in a news release. Police say their investigation continues. This latest development comes less than a month after police carried out major raids and arrested 13 suspects with alleged ties to a series of extortion attempts. Businesses have been targeted by gunfire and arson in the last several months as organized crime groups demand protection money from owners or face more violence. Montreal police are reminding bar owners who are victims of threats not to give in to intimidation tactics and to immediately call the SPVM, which has special teams with the expertise needed to investigate such cases, the force added.
Zawya
02-07-2025
- Business
- Zawya
South Africa: How to streamline your business operations and unlock greater profit?
Running a small business in South Africa particularly these days comes with its own set of challenges. Between rising input costs and increasingly price-sensitive customers, you can quickly find yourself between a rock and a hard place. If you feel like your bottom line is under more pressure than it can take, it might be time to streamline your business. Jeremy Lang At its core, operational efficiency is about how well a business utilizes its resources to produce goods or services resulting in maximum output and minimal waste. Here's how to go about it: 1. Analyse your current operations Before you can improve anything, you need to have an in depth understand of the core processes and systems in your business. This means taking a hard look at all aspects of your business. Where are the bottlenecks and which processes are taking up the most time? It's also useful to get feedback from employees and customers here as they often spot inefficiencies that business owners miss. A good operational analysis will give you a clear diagnosis of where the biggest opportunities for improvement lie. 2. Simplify and standardise processes Complexity is the enemy of efficiency. The more steps it takes to get something done, the more time and resources it consumes. Streamlining means finding ways to reduce or eliminate unnecessary steps in your core processes. Start by documenting key workflows, such as onboarding a new client, fulfilling an order, or resolving a complaint. Once you have a clear process map, look for steps that can be simplified, merged or automated. Standardising these processes also means less confusion for your employees and a more consistent experience for customers. 3. Embrace automation and digital tools Many small business owners still rely heavily on manual processes – spreadsheets, paper-based filing systems, and repetitive admin tasks that take up valuable time. It's important to use tools that automate the mundane, to save you time and money. - Cloud accounting software can streamline your invoicing and expense tracking. - Inventory apps can help you monitor stock levels in real time. - Customer relationship management (CRM) systems can automate follow-ups and improve service delivery. - Workflow tools like Trello or Asana can help teams stay organised and accountable. Automating even a handful of routine tasks can free up hours each week, allowing you to focus on higher-value activities like sales, strategy and growth. 4. Tighten up cash flow and procurement Cash flow management is a key element of operational efficiency. Many small and medium enterprises (SMEs) tie up cash unnecessarily in slow-moving stock or overly generous payment terms. Others suffer because they have not negotiated better deals with suppliers or do not review procurement costs regularly. Consider using just-in-time inventory models where appropriate and always compare supplier prices and payment terms to ensure you're getting good value. If you can, negotiate bulk discounts or early payment terms or explore supplier financing if capital is constrained. 5. Delegate and empower your team One of the most common traps SME owners fall into is trying to do everything themselves. This leads to burnout and bottlenecks, especially when the business starts to take off or is more established. Streamlining is not just about systems and processes; it is also about people. Make sure you have hired the right team and that they have the tools, training and authority, while mitigating risk, to make decisions within their roles. Clear role definitions and accountability structures help prevent duplication of effort and confusion. As the owner, your time is better spent working on the business, rather than in it. But that only becomes possible when you trust your team to take ownership of key functions.
Forbes
02-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
How Your Business Can Win With Zero-Click Content On Social Media
Woman using social media on her smart phone Social media users' consumption habits have shifted. They have shorter attention spans and a need for easily accessible and digestible content at their fingertips. As such, short-form, zero-click content is now an essential part of any social media strategy. Businesses should ride the wave of zero-click content and use it to their advantage in their social media marketing. Here's how. What Is Zero-Click Content? In a nutshell, zero-click content doesn't ask the user to click anywhere else to learn more or visit another landing page. The piece of content provides all of the value or information within the post itself. The user does not need to click out (and there's no call to action to do so). This means they stay on the social media platform. Not only does zero-click content help to satisfy consumers' need for bite-sized content in a busy, fast-paced world, but by forgoing external links embedded in the post, it may have a higher chance of being seen in social media feeds. Zero-Click Content In Social Media There's an opportunity for business owners to integrate zero-click content more widely in their social media strategy. The overarching objective: Keep your content (and in turn, your audience) on the social media platform as much as possible. How? Create smaller 'bite-sized' yet valuable content the audience can digest in a few minutes or less. If you provide a call to action, make sure it encourages your audience to save, share, or comment on the post. Here are some examples of what this could look like in your content mix: How To Measure The Success Of Zero-Click Content Zero-click is primarily about delivering value and creating engagement on the social media platform - not driving traffic offsite, gathering email subscribers, or driving product sales (although these can be secondary benefits, of course). So, how do you report on success? Here are a few metrics you can report on for zero-click style content: Zero-Click Content In Search Finally, we can't talk about zero-click content in social media without acknowledging the influence of zero-click (or AI overviews) in the world of search engines, too. Data shows that AI overviews are reducing traditional website traffic. While this may be an area of concern for some business owners, businesses can use this as an opportunity to review and refine their SEO and website strategy to increase the likelihood of their website being cited in these AI summaries and appearing in search results. Remember: Don't Just Rely On Zero-Click Content It's important to note that your entire social media marketing strategy shouldn't revolve around zero-click content only. Don't shy away from asking your audience to sign up for an email list, visit a landing page, or buy a product from your website. And remember to weave long-form content into your strategy, too. Long-form content such as blog posts and webinars can still be highly effective for your business, depending on your industry and goals. It's all about being smart about your content mix and adapting to new trends in how consumers digest social media content. By providing your audience with instant value within your zero-click content-style posts, you can win their loyalty, keep them returning for more, and prime them so that they're more inclined to follow any future call-to-actions that lead them off-platform.
