How’s business?

It’s a simple question you’d expect to be asked but you probably wouldn’t answer it with an in-depth analysis of your business.

Trouble is, that’s exactly what you could be unwittingly sharing every time you hand over your business card...

The services industry is one of the fastest growing sectors on the planet, yet there are three worrying trends that will adversely affect the success of any company providing services to a time-poor market.

I recently crewed on a yacht called Cyclone for the final races of the Winter Series 2017. I was given the position of trimming the headsail.

A place I really love to be, as the headsail gives the boat lift and can be the main power driver for the boat at critical times.

It's also a high action, adrenalin position because you are most active during tacking (changing direction), and if you stuff it up, you can stop the boat and be dead in the water. 

If you know me, you know why I love this place of pressure!

But something happened that day that taught me a BIG lesson about my personal brand...

It's easy to put a green tinge or add a leaf to your logo and think that's enough but it really is just "greenwashing" your brand.

So you take it a step further and change the paper in your printer to a more sustainable option, pop a few recycling bins round the office, change the lights to LEDs and put some dolphin friendly tuna on the menu to make your brand more environmental.

It's a good start, but did you know your approach to sustainability can include social and environmental factors that add massive brand value?

Triple bottom line reporting is more than accounting for your brand asset on financial terms, it adds sustainably responsible actions of your brand to help evaluate your performance and worth.

And it makes sense for your brands sustainable direction so that you, your staff, partners, suppliers and customers can understand it as well.