Affordable Sustainability: How Your Business Can Go Green and Reduce Costs

I am text block. Click edit button to change this text. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

I am text block. Click edit button to change this text. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

As the UK edges closer towards the goal of Net Zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, many businesses are fighting harder than ever just to stay afloat. Since the Bank of England raised interest rates in June for the thirteenth time since December 2021, cutting costs is all that matters for many.

Climate friendly choices have to be kicked into the long grass – or so it seems.

Yet regulation is increasingly asking – or instructing – businesses to operate in more sustainable ways. The Plastic Packaging Tax came into effect last April, the Ultra Low Emission Zone blankets the whole of Greater London from August, and electric vehicles (EVs) will be the only kind legally available in 2030.

We recently interviewed an electric fleet expert about the present and future of EVs. If you’re curious, go ahead and read his insights on the reality of electrifying your fleet.

So how are small business leaders expected to square the pressure of rising costs with the green agenda?

Well, the good news is consumers already back sustainable business practices – and some are willing to pay more than you might think.

In this piece, we’ll look at consumer habits and the regulatory landscape before asking the experts what businesses can do to go green – while staying in the black.

Conscious consumerism on the rise

Recent global health pandemics and increasingly drastic weather events are affecting the way consumers think about the environment in general. In 2021, 81% of those living in Great Britain had made lifestyle changes to help tackle climate change. It’s undeniable that record-breaking heatwaves and flash flooding are affecting how we think and act.

Yet it’s more than just the weather that’s got us changing our behaviour. With inflation topping 11% in October 2022 (only dipping down to an eye-watering 8.7% in May), cost-saving has become a bigger priority for everyone.

As prices go up, research has found consumers are looking to the longevity of the products they’re purchasing. Brits are picking up higher quality products less often, with a 20 percentage point increase in the number of shoppers buying fewer brand new goods between 2021 and 2020.

More than one in three (38%) paid extra for a long-lasting product in 2022. That’s remained consistent since 2021, showing that customers are thinking about the long-term when it comes to buying decisions today.

And around one third of consumers (32%) are willing to pay more for a sustainable product or service – across all categories. That should pour water on doubts over the pivot towards more eco-friendly products.

In fact, shoppers are increasingly looking to support more eco-conscious brands in general. In 2021, 40% of UK consumers chose brands with environmentally sustainable values. That’s a six percentage point increase on the previous year.

Greener products can save money for consumers. A recent investigation by the BBC’s Sliced Bread podcast found that reusable nappies are far cheaper than buying disposable nappies of any brand. And yes, that’s taking into account the cost of water, energy, and detergent that goes into cleaning them.

I am text block. Click edit button to change this text. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Large CTA subtitle
Large CTA title
Strapline
Dialpad logo
Dialpad
3.9
Pricing $20 - Bespoke
Quick overview

With one foot in the present and another in the future, Dialpad is known for its innovative use of conversational artificial intelligence (AI). Known as Dialpad AI, this function accurately transcribes your phone calls in real time, and flags whether or not the conversation features happy or frustrated customers. It also automates post-call summaries, and enables you to create notes with tips and advice that appear on screen when certain keywords or phrases are said during a call. You can also choose to turn off this feature for confidential conversations. This futuristic functionality earns Dialpad a 4.2/5 for features in our research.

The other great thing about Dialpad is its robust customer support. Scoring a 4.5/5 in this category in our research, Dialpad gives you access to a user forum, a knowledge base, live chat, phoneline, 24/7 live support, and 100% uptime guarantee.

Strengths

Great customer support, including a user forum, knowledge base, and live chat

Fantastic customer reputation, with an aggregated review score of 4.4/5

Offers a broad range of features

Weaknesses

Not very easy to scale, scoring a 3.3/5 in our scalability analysis

Limited number of eligible platforms for integrations

Pricing
PlanPrice (per user, per month)
Standard $20
Pro $30
Enterprise Bespoke

I am text block. Click edit button to change this text. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

I am text block. Click edit button to change this text. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

Written by: