Sustainable Garden Practices

sustainable garden practices

It can be a chaotic and challenging undertaking to be self employed or running a small business in these unprecedented times of climate change, peak oil and global economic crisis. What does it mean to “surf” the recession? How do we ensure that we perform this complex balancing act?

Surfing any waves of change and transformation involves:

• Choosing our surf-board and learning our surfing skills – being prepared as best.
• Paddling in the shallows, riding the waves, observing currents, ebbs and flows – being courageous in handling circumstances as they arise in the moment. Being open to change.
• Getting back on the board when we fall off – accepting and learning from our mistakes.

To be truthful, I don’t think anyone can be sure of the perfect way to surf the recession that guarantees sustainability. I offer you my ideas for today based on information and experience that I’ve accumulated so far. I’ve stated in terms that my astrology friend calls “suitably broad and vague,” leaving you free to interpret and adapt them to your own unique circumstances. They are presented in alignment with the ‘triple bottom line’ of sustainable business principles – people, planet and profit.

People

1. Remind yourself of your business purpose and mission statement. What’s your core business? Focus on this. If your gut feeling is that your business purpose needs reorienting in the light of recent changes, act now.
2. Educate and inform staff on your business purpose/mission statement and how to hone in on it.
3. Identify firefighting activities (‘urgent but not important’ tasks or distracting activity) and seek to eliminate them through identifying their cause.
4. Learn some conflict resolution skills as personal stress levels are likely to increase. These will help you in your relationships with employees, suppliers and clients. Remember “Fair Trade and Fair Treatment.”
5. Make time for relaxation, spiritual practice, your family and friends in your working week. You still need to nurture your health and wellbeing. This is more, not less, important when handling additional challenges.
6. Pay attention to education and training for a life sustaining society. Formal qualifications and accreditation are likely to be less important in a post peak-oil, post industrial growth society than sustainability and self-sufficiency skills.
7. Devise a power-cut plan. How will your business keep running during a break from energy supplies? Make a contingency plan and test it out.
8. Keep it light when you can – add some fun, lightness and love to each day by noticing the ridiculous, the charming, the tender and the humorous in everyday situations

Planet

1. Remember that cutting your costs usually cuts carbon too, so make sure the two go hand in hand.
2. Keep reminders in your work space of your connection to nature and how your business benefits your environment – plants, natural light, images, fresh water and herbal teas. Spend some time in your garden, the park, or the great outdoors every day.
3. Review the planet part of your business plan (energy, transport, food etc used in your business) for opportunities to collaborate with others, work remotely, piggyback tasks and eliminate waste.
4. Investigate local suppliers of everyday consumables, use them in preference to others and keep their details handy.

Profit

1. Budget at least 6 months ahead and keep on top of your cash flow.
2. If you’re not already banking with an ethical bank (link to resources page), make this a priority now.
3. Review insurance and pension arrangements to make sure they are with sustainable, ethical companies.
4. Increase your supply of ready cash for everyday supplies as power cuts and financial shocks are likely to affect the operation of everyday banking, electronic financial transactions and cash machines.
5. Stay in frequent contact with your suppliers and customers and contract for payment in advance with any whose financial position looks tenuous if this is not already written into your terms and conditions.
6. Maintain margins wherever possible. Add value, durability, flexibility and ease of use rather than reduce prices.

Sally Lever works with those who are downshifting or otherwise moving towards a more sustainable way of living and of running a business. She offers 1-2-1 coaching, workshops and teleclasses in “How to Step off the Treadmill” and “6 Steps to Sustainable Small business” and Fruitful, a free email newsletter. You will gain access to a free report, “Materialism: How to let go” when you subscribe on her website. http://www.sallylever.co.uk

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