Young companies already lay important foundations for sustainability during their business model development, while old and existing companies have to work hard on a new image. If new technologies are not fully exploited, there will be wastage and therefore unnecessary costs.

Ideally, you only use the resources that you really need. Of course, this is about the environment, but also society. This is not only fair to your fellow human beings and later generations, but also helps the profitability of your start-up. In addition, a sustainable management style is highly regarded by investors, since their financial support is only used for the actual tasks and goals.

In the following article we will explain to you how you can counteract waste and thus protect the environment and society while you save costs yourself.

What you can do as a Founder

As a founder, you often have the opportunity to make far-reaching decisions with little effort. You can design your business model in a sustainable manner and thus avoid particularly resource-wasting products in the planning phase. You can also set certain standards for your company that your service providers must meet. The DENKWENDE sustainability guide can help you with both tasks.

Perhaps you have heard of the term “common good economy”. For example, there is no need to cooperate with energy suppliers from the oil, coal and nuclear industries. The market also has inexpensive alternatives for this, such as wind energy or geothermal heating.

When looking for office space, pay attention to insulated windows and facades in order to reduce future costs for office and heating electricity consumption. Furniture made entirely from sustainable raw materials or recycled material can also be used for furnishing. In addition, items made from recycled materials are currently very trendy.

Even little things help to save resources:

• Turn off the light when you leave the room.
• Turn off the heating after work and only heat as much as is absolutely necessary
• Don’t underestimate the power consumption of standby devices – turn them off.
• A power strip with a toggle switch works wonders.

Have you ever thought of swapping business trips for Skype conferences? This not only saves travel costs, but also increases the effectiveness of your employees, as new input can be implemented directly in the office – without any annoying waiting times.

The role of your Employees – Part of your Concept for Sustainability

Of course, you can already do a lot yourself, but your employees still have to pull together. If a sustainable way of working has been established from the start, it will definitely pay off in the long run.

For this it is also important to treat your employees fairly and to motivate them. Because only employees who are passionate about the company’s goals are more productive and efficient than employees who see themselves only as a means to an end. An unmotivated and therefore unproductive employee also costs the company a lot of money, especially if there are delays in the projects, deadlines are not met and the working atmosphere is bad.

This makes it all the more important to involve and motivate your employees right from the start. This is the only way to maintain a positive climate and increase productivity. Flexible working hours, discounts and the opportunity for home office also support a pleasant working environment. As a founder, you often have the freedom to choose beautiful work environments and combine your own goals with the company’s goals – use them generously.

At the Tech Startup School you have the opportunity to found your own company and to establish a sustainable startup through the business model. The project teams are accompanied and supported throughout the period by experienced start-up consultants until a viable business model is ultimately developed.