Every decision you make as a business owner builds your identity. This includes things like what you decide to do for packaging and materials. Researching and using materials that are sourced responsibly is important to show off your values. Customers want to know what their products are made out of and also how the products are made. You also want to provide information about the materials because customers appreciate it. If you want to source materials responsibly keep reading how to source materials responsibly.
1. Figure Out What’s Important to You
Before you find what materials you want, you need to figure out what is important to you. Say you want your materials to be recycled, do you know the impact your materials have on the environment? Where do they come from? How are they produced? Thinking about these questions will help you find the important factors. Also, think about what you want your business to be in the future. Planning this out now will help you start to build towards that goal.
2. Do Some Research
Now that you know what's important and you know what you want it’s time for you to do some research. Research can seem difficult but it really isn’t. You can start by figuring out what you do and don;t know about your products materials. Be honest with yourself. Being honest with yourself will let you know what to focus on. Do you know how the materials used are farmed, do you know how they are processed, and do you know how they are assembled? Once you’ve identified these, you can start asking and researching these questions. Maybe you want to switch from non-organic materials to organic materials. Before you start these changes you need to look at the pros and cons. An example of a pro would be organic materials are better, a con would be organic materials can be more expensive. You want to do your research so you can see the advantages and disadvantages so you can make the right decision for your business.
3. Make a Plan
Now that you’ve found what's important to you and you've done your research it’s time for you to make a plan. In your plan, you want to find what's important to you and your research. You also want to set short-term as well as long-term goals. Long-term goals can seem intimidating, so set little milestones in between so you can reach your long-term goals in increments. You want to ask questions like where would each milestone be? How long will it take to find new suppliers? How long would it take to produce products? While you’re making your plan make sure somewhere in that plan you make time for a reassessment. Reassessing your plan will let you see your business's evolution.
4. Apply Your Plan
Now that your plan is done it’s time for you to apply it. This part of the process is exciting. Don’t forget that when you make changes it can change your routine. It can change something like production costs. Don’t forget to put those changes in your plan. Also, make sure you’re informing your customers of the changes. Your customer will appreciate this, it will keep everyone engaged. Applying your values into your materials is a great and exciting thing.
Bottom Line
You can source materials responsibly, you just have to try! Now that you know how to source materials responsibly it’s time for you to apply it to your business! Are you going to source materials responsibly? Do you already have processes involving responsibly sourced materials? If you do let us know in the comments! Check out our blog for more tips, ideas, and inspiration!
