How to avoid greenwashing with Melissa Hobson
In this episode we hear from Melissa Hobson, a self-employed specialist copywriter and PR consultant working with for-purpose organisations. Driven by her passion for marine conservation, Melissa pursued self-employment in February 2021 to support organisations that are making a positive difference to the oceans, the planet and people’s lives.
Melissa shares with us her advice for founders seeking to avoid greenwashing and authentically implement environmentally-friendly processes within their businesses.
Melissa’s advice:
Putting your own needs first will often lead to the best results for your business and clients
Never mislead or exaggerate
Think about sustainability from a consumer perspective; check the Green Claims Code to ensure none of your claims could be misinterpreted
Setting stringent standards will encourage potential clients to raise their own
Have a purpose/mission-led business to really enjoy your work
In the interests of work/life balance, create boundaries for yourself; for example I always have an ‘out of office’ on to limit the amount of time I spend on email and to filter out unnecessary communications
Connect with other sole traders when you need inspiration or advice
Charge a fee for people who would like to ‘pick your brains’ as your time is valuable
Utilise Zoom to manage your time and only attend face to face events that truly add value to your business
Immediately set tax aside when you receive an invoice to avoid hassle further down the line
Don’t be afraid to be honest about parts of your business you wish were more successful
Keep a log of all the small green things you do that make a difference; you’d be surprised by how they add up
If you’d like to contact Melissa you can reach her on melliehobson@gmail.com
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Recorded, edited & published by Juliet Fallowfield, 2022 MD & Founder of PR & Communications consultancy for startups Fallow, Field & Mason.
FF&M recommends:
LastPass the password-keeping site that syncs between devices.
Google Workspace is brilliant for small businesses
Canva has proved invaluable for creating all the social media assets and audio bites.
For contracts check out Law Depot.
MUSIC CREDIT Funk Game Loop by Kevin MacLeod. Link & Licence
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