Finding Better Ways

With the drive towards sustainability continuing apace, franchisors, existing / potential franchisees, and the wider public care more than ever about the impact a business has on the planet. Last year, the Westpac New Zealand Franchise Awards introduced a category for Excellence in Sustainability for the first time. It’s an indication how important the issue has become for franchise brands and franchise buyers alike.

According to www.business.govt.nz, making your business more sustainable is about looking at what you do, what you buy, and how you use and dispose of things. Customers are increasingly expecting their favourite brands to take a responsible approach to the environment and, with last year’s weather events still top of mind, to do their bit towards addressing climate change. Brands are also coming under increased scrutiny from the media, industry partners, organisations and their own employees.

In many ways, franchises are ideally positioned to do this. While supply chain management and system development are handled by specialists at the franchisor end, the actual delivery of the products or services is handled by franchisees – local business owners who can have a real impact in the communities they serve. They can ‘think global, act local’, as the old saying puts it.

All this means that if your franchise embraces sustainable practices, you can both preserve our planet and power a profitable business. In addition to doing your bit for the environment. you can also boost reputation, loyalty, and generate advocacy for your brand.

But true sustainability is about much more than supermarkets removing single-use plastic bags, or cafés switching from plastic straws to paper ones. We talked to the winners of the inaugural Excellence in Sustainability Award to find out more.

Thinking ahead

Paramount Services has been recognised for its pioneering work in sustainability spanning several decades – founder Galvin Bartlett was outlining the commercial cleaning franchise’s environmental initiatives in Franchise New Zealand magazine over 20 years ago. Today, Avi Rao, one of the company’s directors and Sustainability Lead for Paramount, praises Galvin's vision, which he says paved the way for the franchise to position itself as an early adopter ...

This article appears in full in Franchise New Zealand magazine (Year 33 Issue 1). You can read the whole article for free in the digital magazine here or request a free print copy here.

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