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How to build an eco-friendly business

Going green is not just a thoughtful decision to take with regards to the environment. It also enhances the way customers perceive a company. For instance, for the same service, a client might choose one firm over the other just because it is eco-friendly. Firms can thus impress consumers and potential collaborators by opting to protect the environment.

There is no need to make drastic changes. A company can start shifting to eco-friendly means through some simple steps. Building a green business from scratch also involves the same ideas: rejecting practices that harm the environment to adopt those that support it.

Firstly, these are the materials that an environmentally friendly company should avoid using:

  1. Plastics that are made from polyethylene
  2. Multilayered packaging
  3. Styrofoam
  4. Polystyrene
  5. Fossil fuel energy
  6. Materials that cannot be recycled

A firm wishing to go green can use the following instead:

  1. Plant-based plastics
  2. Biodegradable plastics
  3. Alternative energy sources
  4. Recycled materials and products
  5. Recycled moulded packaging
  6. Post-consumer recycled polyethylene bags that are made from recycled waste

Just by changing the products that the firm uses, it is already positively enhancing its ecological footprint. In this sense, going green starts by producing less waste and favouring natural, recyclable energy.

This is only the beginning though, as many other measures can be taken to make a company eco-friendly. The list below shows certain steps than a firm can follow to drive its environmentally sustainable growth:

1. Invest in nature

Planting trees outside the office not only contributes to the protection of the environment, but also beautifies a building’s exterior aspect. Inside the building, plants can be used to purify the air. Scatter potted plants throughout the office, both in the lounge and next to employees. This will brighten up the atmosphere, make clients and new recruits more at ease and increase productivity to some extent.

2. Save energy

Switching off the lights when they are not in use decreases the amount of energy waste that a company produces. The enterprise can also opt for energy-efficient lighting instead of incandescent bulbs. At the same time, it can choose to replace old equipment and machinery with new, eco-friendly items. Adopting this practice also helps to save money on the electricity bills, resulting in an additional fund. This extra money can be used to better the company or to further finance the firm’s green venture.

3. Opt for electronic data management

Getting rid of unnecessary paperwork can significantly reduce a firm’s negative impact on the environment. Computerise as much data as possible. This is not only eco-friendly, but also saves money as there is no need to buy as much paper anymore. Recycling used paper which is no longer needed is another green practice.

4. Reduce oil consumption

A company will truly be environmentally friendly when its employees also adopt this value. For instance, carpooling is a good way to save oil and money. Public transportation and telecommuting are additional options that can be considered.

 

This is only a beginning. Many other measures can be adopted to build an environmentally sustainable business. It is never too late for a firm to decide to go green. The first step can be small, but its impact will undoubtedly be impressive.

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15/02/2019: Free Business Coaching

Have business ideas or want to discuss about your entrepreneurial projects?

Our business coach is here to help you out.

Get a taste of how Incubation program coaching works.

Book an appointment

 

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24/01/2019: Free Business coaching

Got business queries?

Why not discuss them with our business coach?

Book an appointment free of charge for the 24th January 2019.

Register now!

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Why should an entrepreneur make use of Digital Marketing?

In view of our mission to help our incubated start-ups geared up with the best practices, tools and advice from experts, Turbine held a workshop on the Introduction to Digital Marketing. We were honored to have Noor Sheriff, the Digital Marketing Executive of ENL Property,  as our guest speaker, accompanied by Bénédicte de Comarmond, the Communication Manager of ENL Property.

Digital Marketing is a very vast field which is constantly updating. This term frightens many, however, after this workshop, the objectives and context of Digital Marketing was not only clear and easy to understand but also fun!

Noor broke down the components of Digital Marketing step by step, sharing with us insights from Digital Marketing Gurus and free tools that we can use to enhance our online marketing. Entrepreneurs are guaranteed to be happy with all the learning we got through this workshop.

The workshop: An Introduction to Digital Marketing

Noor Sheriff, Turbine, Incubator, Workshop, entrepreneurial event, entrepreneurial workshop, ENL Group, ENL Property, Benedicte de Comarmond

Digital Marketing for entrepreneurs and beginners

Ever thought whether having a website will be a good means to connect with your stakeholders? Wondering if it actually works and how? There are a few components in digital Marketing that actually can help you track the performance of your website, identify the active pages on your website, your audience and many more.

One of the tools that permit you to track and understand what is going on your website is Google Analytics.

According to Noor Sheriff “Google Analytics is the first must-have on your website. It is Google’s free analytics tool to measure data from all your website traffic to give you insights.” Google analytics helps you understand your online audience and how your marketing strategies are performing. He explained the various components of Google Analytics, referring to the terms being used and how to best use its features.

Noor Sheriff also explained the concept of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Search Engine Marketing (SEM). SEO allows the website to rank top on google search based on various keywords used on various pages of the website. He introduced a few effective free tools such as Yoast SEO and demonstrated how it really enhance the website.

Noor used a few tools to vet the website of our incubated start-ups, giving them real and concrete advice accordingly. He further explained how SEM can be used for adverts. SEM is actually one of the most effective ways to grow your business in an increasingly competitive marketplace. Noor made our incubated start-ups get acquainted to the different ways of conversions using the digital marketing.

Inbound Marketing which involves content and context forces one to be client centric. Nowadays, in order to compete, a business need to be different and provide as per clients’ demand. As per Noor,  inbound marketing is focused on attracting customers through relevant and helpful content and adding value at every stage in a customer’s buying journey, empowering the customer.

Digital Marketing is not so complicated after all

To be honest, this workshop went on for more than 3 hours without any break, it was that intense and fun. The above mentioned topics were not the only ones that we covered, there were also Google Adwords, CRM etc. Noor not only tackled each question of the start-ups but also gave a lot of tools, insights and advice. Each person who attended this workshop is sure to have grasp the context and we can see that our start-ups have already started to work accordingly.

Seeing the importance, intensity and quality of this workshop, Turbine wishes to extend it to other entrepreneurs and digital marketing intrigues in Mauritius. Let us know if you wish to attend the workshop.

Drop us an email on hello@turbine.mu with reference to Insightful introduction to Digital Marketing workshop.

 

Mauritius Conscious, Mauritius, Startups, Fundkiss, Digital Marketing, Turbine, Incubator

 

 

 

 

 

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Cash flow and Budgeting

Turbine incubator is making sure that our incubated start-ups have all the up to date information and tools needed to better prepare them. In that view, our 5th workshop for our incubated start-ups has been Cash flow and Budgeting.

The Guest Speaker

Jean Roland Béchard, Director at KPI Chartered Accountant and Associates Ltd and Financial Director at Early Birds Consulting Services Ltd. JRB is an expert in reinventing finance and accounting to promote innovation. He helps companies on their annual report and advises on their business platform and financial strategies.

The workshop

From the various types of budgeting to the items we need to consider, JR Béchard explained the whole concept of budgeting.  He emphasized on its importance and benefits which are to better attract investors, have clear sales goals, better decision making, tax preparation, liquidity and line of credit.

JR Béchard also explained cash flow and used case studies to make it simpler. He showed our start-ups tools to use, such as the “youngentrepreneursltdfinancials.xlsx” doc he prepared which makes it easier to record and process the cash flow. He explained that there are however many cash flow problems; poor business management, poor inventory, decline Sales, no KPI, poor credit and debtor management. 

He mentioned “Business Reengineering and Rescue”which can reiterate a business cash flow issues. This includes to identify and analyse  potential problems or current ones and tackle them. Although, the business reengineering and rescue depends mainly on the management and normally they may take too long to identify, analyse and implement the changes needed to save a business in distress.

Accounting is no easy task but remains essential. All entrepreneurs, even if you may employ an accountant or get help, it is a must to understand the concept of accounting. Here is an article JRB recommends reading.

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Fintech: The future of Finance, a live webchat with American Experts of Financial Technology

We proudly collaborated with the US Embassy Port-Louis on the GIST TechConnect  event – a live webchat on Fintech: The Future of Finance, on the 12th of June 2018.

The aim of this live webchat was to allow people, especially entrepreneurs, to learn how their startup can benefit from fintech through a series of questions on Financial Technology, from giving and receiving payments to getting loans and managing your financial accounts and how they can apply its knowledge in their business.

The Fintech Revolution

Financial technology is by far one of the biggest transformations going on in entrepreneurship. Fintech is technology that allows a company to better shape its financial aspects.

Blockchain is a Fintech innovation which will allow companies and individuals to directly manage contracts and transactions. Mobile technology, biometric information, machine learning and more, are making financial transactions not only easier and cheaper but also faster and more secure.

Fabrice Boullé, David Reimer, Paul Stempler, Diane Maigrot, Fintech, Finance, US Embassy, Turbine

Bestowed with the presence of the US Ambassador David Reimer,  the US Embassy staff, Turbine, Red Dot and 60 Fintech curious participants, the live webchat started at 6 pm sharp. Along Mauritius, a few other African countries joined in the live webchat.

Miles away in the United States of America, two Fintech experts sat for 1 hour to answer questions on finance and its future;

Dale Nirvani Pfeifer,CEO & Founder, GoodWorld, social media payments company that makes charitable giving frictionless, viral and secure and works with over 3000 of the world’s top charities.Goodworld was recently named one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies and a World Changing Idea by Fast Company magazine, one the Fast Growing Companies in Washington DC, and won a Timmy award as DC Best Tech Startup in 2016.

Viktor Brandtneris, Owner, Brandtneris Consulting Group Inc,  started his career in financial and strategic planning roles in the computer industry with IBM & Computervision. He subsequently co-founded a start-up in the financial services industry with responsibility for daily operations, investor reporting and regulatory compliance.He is active in consulting and coaching early stage companies employing the Business Model Canvas, and is a National Science Foundation’s I-Corps instructor.

Fintech is disrupting the traditional banking industry.

A few questions were raised on whether traditional banks will disappear with the new fintech services.

We all know that the banking sector has reduced their borrowing and how difficult it is for SMEs and start-ups to successfully access finance. With the rise of FinTech entrepreneurs delivering innovative products and services, the gap between banks and SMEs and start-ups can now be significantly reduced. By acting intelligently and making best use of the available Fintech innovations, entrepreneurs can now expect greater flexibility, price, transparency, access and convenience from banks. Even banks will have to be compliant , though major banks might survive.

Fintech is an opportunity for entrepreneurs to benefit from various existing and upcoming programs since major banks will have to build adapted programs in order to keep going. Other opportunities may also include partnerships with large commercials and the big banks.

David Reimer, Fabrice Boullé, Turbine, US Embassy, Fintech, Finance

The main questions asked on Fintech

There were many other questions such as

1) can alternatives of credit cards be an app allowing people to pay through purchase orders and others, since in many countries people do not have access to credit cards

2) blockchain evolution

3) how to adapt with this digital movement going on

4) whether crowd lending and crowd funding is a legitimate source of financing for start-ups.

5) can Fintech play a role in developing economy.

6) how can Fintech facilitate international money transfer

7) how can a social entrepreneur integrate fintech in their venture.

We recorded a Facebook live of the webchat. Do check it out here on our Facebook page to learn what the experts had to say about the above questions!

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Welcome to Turbine Matina! CEO of SAYNA, best social enterprise awardee of Madagascar!

Turbine has the pleasure to receive 20 years old Matina Razafimahefa, CEO and founder of award winning best social enterprise of Madagascar, SAYNA. The competition was organized by “l’Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie” in March 2018 and a Madagascar incubator, Incubons.

Matina is spending one week at Turbine as part of her prize, the aim being for her to know better the entrepreneurial ecosystem, meet key people and make partnerships.

We bring you her exclusive interview with Turbine!

1. Hey Matina, tell us about you and what best describes you.

I am a young Malagasy woman, student in sciences politics at Sorbonne and a social entrepreneur! If I have to choose 3 words to describe me, I would say : fearless, crazy and adventurous ! I love having new challenges, being out of my comfort zone and I am not afraid of the unknown.  I am passionate about meeting new people and knowing their story so that i can help them or learn from them.

2. Tell us about your start-up, SAYNA.

SAYNA means intelligence. I launched SAYNA in November 2017. However, SAYNA has been on my mind since 2013  when I discovered the educational system of France, which compared to Madagascar, is free and of great quality. Back then, I thought that being a woman and that too so young, I cannot do this project. I changed my mind last year when i met Emma Rosman who built the Welcome app which helps immigrants to find jobs, friends and family in Sweden, who also happens to be young and a woman. Inspired, I decided to go for my dreams and launch SAYNA. I am so happy I did. Sometimes, just a single step and a little encouragement lead you to dare and break barriers.

SAYNA help young people rise out of poverty by training them to be a web developer. We have 12 students finishing their 4 months intense training this week. They will each be joining a company, notably Acces Bank, La Star, Axian, P4H among others.  We have 12 more trainees joining us as from Monday 18th June, pre-selected by the companies who will be recruiting them. The company pays for their training,  which is 800 Euro per student, the most affordable code training in Madagascar.
SAYNA has educational partners such as the Hacking Project and hopefully very soon Simplon, who train the students at our premises in Madagascar.

SAYNA exists because I want be part of that generation that will make this world a better place and provide better quality education.

3. Tell us about the competition you won.

I am here in Mauritius and  at Turbine because SAYNA won the competition of the best social company of Madagascar 2018 awarded by the « International organization of Francophonie» and « Incubons » a local incubator in Madagascar. Out of 30 projects, only 10 reached the final destination; the pitch. SAYNA came out as a star project. Check out the sneak peak of the award night here.

4. What brings you to Mauritius?

The prize was a business trip in Mauritius with Turbine so that I will be able to meet new clients, build new partnership and help create a good atmosphere of collaboration in our beautiful region, the Indian Ocean!

The things that I want to achieve here is simple : have new clients and partners  & give the opportunity to the Mauritian firms to have a huge social impact beyond their borders by working with our students !

How is your journey in Mauritius so far?

It is totally crazy. I am meeting interesting people, potential big clients and partners. Turbine is really an incubator with a vast network. They planned all my visits, gave me contacts, invited me to their events and even gave me a Mauritian welcome lunch!

Turbine is really such a beautiful place, the atmosphere is so fun yet productive. People here are so helpful, constructive and amazing.  One week here is too little. I am coming back for sure!

What is your vision of SAYNA?

I want to see SAYNA grow and have 10,000 digital workers all around the world in the next 6 years.

A tip?

Yes! Imagine what you would do if you get an unlimited credit card? And when you know what you would do, set your goals, plan, find the ways to achieve your goals and just go for it!

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