In the second blog in our series celebrating local businesses taking steps to reduce their carbon footprint and environmental impact, we hear from Lauren Munro-Bennett, who has incorporated sustainable practices into her business LMB Coaching, with the help of Green Small Business.
The outdoors and the environment run right through the core of my business. As I use the outdoors as my part of my coaching work, it would feel hypocritical not to care about the environment and to be the best steward I can for it. I wanted to make sure my business wasn’t going to have a negative impact on the environment and wanted to set things up right from the start.
I’d only recently set up my coaching business – at the start of 2021 – when I came across Tim Maiden, the founder of Green Small Business, which offers environmental accreditation and action plans to help small businesses understand and manage their environmental impacts. We connected through Future Fixers, a social enterprise that offers training and development with a people, planet and nature focus, and thought I’d really benefit from a meeting with him. I then found out there was a subsidy through SLDC which meant I was able to access his work! So I booked in to meet Tim straight away.
He was fantastic and came up with a practical action plan that covered all areas of my business. In particular,Tim helped me consider the ‘hidden’ aspects of running a business that can have an impact on the environment: For example, where I host my website, what insurance I have and the supply chains when ordering equipment. I wouldn’t have considered these areas through an environmental lens without his input, as I was more focused on making the day-to-day practical elements of my business environmentally responsible.
What I also loved with Tim’s work was how he included building my own awareness of environmental impact so I can raise awareness within the clients that I’m supporting. I’m very much on board with this and continue to follow this advice. For example, among my swimming coaching, I discuss the biodiversity implications around Invasive Non Native Species (INNS) and what we can do as water users to prevent further spreading of INNS.
Moving my website to a greener host is next on the list for me!
I’d really recommend anyone looking at the start of their business journey, or even wanting to research more green and ethical ways of doing business to use Green Small Business’s services and amazing knowledge!
If your business is looking for ways to operate more sustainably, Green Small Business offers a range of services, currently accessible via a 50% discount thanks to South Lakeland District Council. It’s a great opportunity to join LMB Coaching and many others (see Zero Carbon Cumbria’s website for more case studies) on a carbon reduction journey.
If you know of another local business taking steps to reduce its environmental impact that you’d like to see featured on this blog and our social media platforms, get in touch by emailing anne-marie@kendaltowncouncil.gov.uk
