As much as we don’t like to admit these things but it’s all very well saying that you will commit to a carbon cutting program, but in the light of day actually doing it is another thing entirely. Many of us have seen the benefits, heard all about the potential savings, and understood the real motives for bettering our business for a better environment, but most of us still haven’t managed to do anything about it. And why? Nine times out of ten it’s simply because we just don’t know where to start.
It’s true. Hundreds of businesses across the UK are stopping themselves from making monthly savings, cutting out a bundle of unnecessary costs, and even ignoring the government funding that they might well be entitled to, purely because the wide world of environmentalism seems to be too much of a steep mountain to climb.
Now, whether your mission statement has set its sights on Everest or pitched a tent on a more homely hillock, the recent boom in environmental awareness has proven one thing if nothing else: we are an environmentally active nation, and it pays to be so!
This might seem like an obvious statement to make, but in reality a large portion of businesses up and down the country are yet to use their general awareness and apply it to the benefit of their day-to-day business. And that’s exactly where organisations such as betre come in:
Funded by South East Economic Development Agency (SEEDA) and other national investors such as the European Union, betre offer free practical and independent advice to East Sussex small and medium sized businesses on how to cut utility costs, reduce their environmental impact and work together towards a low carbon economy.
Run regionally to support businesses throughout East Sussex, betre deliver a gamut of services sure to shrink not only your carbon footprint but also cut costs down to size. Environmental Audits, Training Events, Green Action Grants are just a small selection of betre’s environmental tools, not to mention a useful catalogue of Environmental Suppliers and recommended services.
Launched in 2001, betre already has a growing list of ‘happy customers’ more than pleased with the free, impartial service:
“Trinity Wholefoods in Hastings, East Sussex, sells organic and vegetarian produce. So, in keeping with their ethical business and concern for the environment, they decided to have an eco-friendly makeover.
A key priority, as for many shops, was lighting. With the help of a £500 grant from BETRE Trinity Wholefoods commissioned Sussex-based company Luminair to install stylish low energy lighting. Savings included a 56% cut in electricity costs.”
In operation for the past six years, betre has, quite impressively, helped provide continued support for over 900 local businesses – totalling in savings over £1.3 million.
If you are a small to medium sized business in East Sussex click here to find out more about betre and their answers to that common quandary of Where do I start? There’s an environmental solution for every businesses, no matter where you’re heading.
