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Here are 10 reasons why everyone having an online business could be more environmentally, socially and financially sustainable.
Online business has the potential to allow for geographical, time and financial freedom.
This article assumes the best case scenario where everyone gains a level of sustainable success that meets their day to day financial needs.
If everyone had the ability to work remotely. Then the daily commute no longer needs to be the norm.
Imagine the environmental impact if our roads were almost empty during rush hour. The TUC state that the average uk commuter spend over an hour a day commuting with some Londoners travelling for almost 2 hours a day.
The commute also impacts on family life. Adding extra hours to an already long working day.
When working from home you are working because there is work to be done. In an office environment you can find yourself being busy for the sake of being busy.
Plus no commute. Breaks are taken when you are ready and in a place of your choosing. Not just in the office canteen because it’s convenient.
With working hours going up, commuting time increasing we are all missing out on social time. What would the impact be on society if we all had more time to spend on each other?
Less exhaustion and stress would improve quality of time spent with loved ones.
What would you do with or for your loved ones if time and money weren’t an issue?
Even when I was in school during the 90’s and 00’s there was an uncertainty about what kind of jobs the student body was being prepared for. Teachers and students alike gripped tightly to the certainty that getting good grades and eventually a degree would be the predominant factor in your quality of life.
I graduated in 2008 right into the birth of a recession. Admittedly with a degree in Media arts. Nonetheless there were certainly no employers crying out for graduates.
When I entered the workplace I found that the majority of my education was utterly irrelevant. Don’t get me wrong I’m grateful for my education.
I had to learn a complete set of new skills that hadn’t been mentioned in the wider curriculum when I entered the work place.
I’m a governor of a primary school now and I’m blown away by the ingenuity and the skills of teachers and the awareness of the skills.
However, the work place is shifting so rapidly that no one could predict what we will be doing to make money in three years let alone in 20.
Objectively schools and universities are centres where we can place resources such as knowledgeable people, books and occasionally equipment. The internet gives us access to any knowledgeable person on any subject at any time.
We now understand that different people learn in different ways we can find individuals who we resonate with and think in the same way we do.
Setting up each individual with an education tailored to them. That will set them up for life.
If you do something you love. You can find your tribe. The people that are like you and that bring out the best in you. No need to fit into a role or a persona that people expect you to be.
In a work environment people are expected to fit in. If you are nothing like your colleagues and have to try to fit in everyday, at least 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. That will take a toll on your mental health.
Have you ever worked somewhere that you felt different to your colleagues?
Most businesses offer a product or service. The reality is there are not many things/products we really need but people’s businesses rely on inventing something that helps potential customers save time.
A key example; premade food is a relatively new phenomenon. My Nan used to spit at the idea of “shop brought”.
Now one of my greatest pleasures is going to a cafe or restaurant and having something made for me by someone who is passionate about what they do. However often for big food business to flourish that food has to be made imperishable and wrapped in plastic. That’s not good for the planet, the food, or your body.
If people have more time and money they can go to the places where businesses are passionate about using the best ingredients and sustainability.
With more people working online there are more helpful resources. Online businesses require people to create value.
The value will help others whether people buy anything or choose to soak up the value. The extra resources help others to build a better life.
I love being able to help people from around the world solve problems that I’ve had.
Following on from above. The businesses that provide the best value thrive in a digital economy. Likewise, less valued products/services have a fast decline or no success.
This self regulation encourages people to provide quality products/services.
We are animals, we are part of nature.
That doesn’t mean we need to go live in a hole in the ground but we do need to recognise that our physical and mental health improves massively when we live a little more naturally.
Traditional business has most people up before their bodies are ready. Caffeinating themselves and eating convenient or cheap food just to get them through the day. We then get into cars, trains or busses and sit for hours a day in a stressful environment.
Our bodies are designed to move. We have more space in natural places to move. Our minds are more relaxed in natural places.
Todays work life takes people away from their most natural environments. With more time people would be to spend it where our bodies and minds get the most benefits.
When was the last time you did something for your community?
Often people have little time left to do something extra for their community.
There is no denying that giving back feels good. Being part of a community feels good too. If people see you doing something, they want to be part of it. Before you know it there is a domino effect of people making their communities better.
Communities coming together can make an impact socially, financially and environmentally.
If these aren’t enough reasons to switch to a digital economy. Then what is? Have you made the switch? Are you thinking of switching?
Get in touch we would love to hear your thoughts on the digital economy.
