by Christine Southam, CEO and Founder of CS Virtual Assistant.
Women, Youth, Indigenous Leaders and those from the Global South are those people less frequently invited to the decision making tables. Their livelihoods are most affected by the climate crisis and the planetary emergency; all of which we are watching unravel before our eyes. There is a great deal of ambition, growth, and opportunity in the environmental sector to raise awareness, give voices to those who have none and take action and this is creating a very real need for Virtual Assistants who can provide bespoke, professional and much sought after support from home.
Creating environmentally friendly workspaces and businesses is beneficial in so many ways and the journey is not as tricky as people think. If you need convincing, I’ll do a little persuasion later on, but first and foremost making a change is about taking positive action.
Here are several ways to eco your Virtual Assistant business with ease. Let’s take a look at just a few of the most impactful ones:
1. Choosing ethical computer programmes or website browsers that plant trees:
As an environmentally friendly VA, you can choose to invest in ethical companies whilst avoiding those that are unethical.
How many Google searches do you make a day? Collectively, 3.65 million Google searches are performed every day!😲. Imagine if your internet searches could help heal the planet? 🤯.
Here are two environmentally friendly search engines to consider using:
2. Choosing an ethical bank and pension:
Did you know that a sustainable pension or better banking cuts your carbon footprint more effectively than choosing not to fly!
While we may think that our money, pensions, or our savings are securely stored for our future use, the truth is that these funds are actually being utilised for investment purposes e.g. worst-case scenario providing £2 trillion to fossil fuel companies.
Take some control and choose to invest in banks and pensions that align with your moral values, those that are committed to sustainability and environmentally friendly projects e.g. solar panels. Banks actually specify which assets they will and won’t buy in their policies.
Make My Money Matter offers guidance on how to ‘green your pension’ and Bank Green helps you see which bank accounts to switch to. Heads up! The better ones include Co-operative, Triodos, and Nationwide.
3. Choosing clients:
Being self-employed, you have the power to choose the clients you work with. It's important to choose individuals and businesses that share the same values as you and at best are already purpose-led.
As an advocate of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and protecting the environment, I strive to normalise sustainable practices and raise environmental consciousness with all my associates and clients alike. This in turn strengthens their own businesses' green credentials.
The global stage, in the environmental sector, is now set for collaboration between all the big players and by supporting purpose-led clients you can liberate them from the administrative tasks that have been holding them back and they can invest their expertise in the places it’s needed, increase their visibility amongst their peers, and propel their environmental and sustainable impact.
To Conclude:
Making the conscious decision to be an environmentally friendly VA can have far reaching consequences just by making a few simple changes.
Being known as the environmentally friendly VA gives you a badge of honour (kudos) but, if there is no substance to this then it could quickly be labelled as “green washing”.
Genuine passion attracts a particular kind of client; a client with a big heart, a conscience and a sense of global responsibility. Everyone will be happier working with people they actually like.
You are more likely to feel great by being on a sustainable trajectory for your children’s futures.
The happier and more motivated you are, the more productive, efficient, and proactive you will be when faced with challenges.
There’s also never been a better time to get started - it’s an unsaturated niche that will help to set you apart in the VA community. There are many great opportunities in the virtual world and huge growth in the environmental niche, so you can both grow your business and also take care of the planet at the same time.
Book a call to have a chat and find out how you can make your VA business more eco-friendly.
Website:- https://www.csvirtualassistant.co.uk/
Facebook:- https://www.facebook.com/CSVirtualAssistant/
Twitter:- https://twitter.com/virtual_cs
Instagram:- https://www.instagram.com/christine_cs_virtual/
Christine Southam is the CEO and Founder of CS Virtual Assistant. Before having a child, Christine spent more than a decade building up experience as an Executive Assistant in London and Berlin in social sectors: local government, higher education, and environmental not-for-profit. As a Virtual Assistant, she supports and amplifies the clients who are thought leaders and change-makers in the purpose-led industry. Christine’s commitment, work ethic, and attention to detail are held in high regard by her clients.
This blog was prepared or accomplished by Christine Southam in their personal capacity. The opinions expressed in this blog are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Kayleigh Johnstone or COZ PR.