Meet the Founder on a Mission to Help Businesses’ Go Green
Interview with Tim Brazier, Founder of 1000 Green Businesses
Tell us about 1000 Green Businesses. What do you do?
I’m on a mission to help 1,000 businesses, charities & social enterprises begin on their journey to becoming green, ethical and sustainable. I do this through 1-to-1 green consultancy sessions, providing simple action plans & impact reports and providing guidance and support towards international & industry specific certifications. Not only do I help businesses to reduce their impact on the environment but I also show them how to involve & educate their customers in what they are doing to increase their connection to the brand.
What is 1000 Green Businesses’ origin story?
I’m Tim Brazier, I’m originally from the UK but I’ve lived in France, Austria & Japan mainly in the mountains where I enjoy hiking, snowboarding & cycling. I’ve cared about the environment and the challenges of climate change for a long time and studied Environmental Science & Energy Engineering at the University of Leeds. I believe we all have a responsibility for climate change, that’s governments, people and businesses. I’ve gained a great understanding of the impacts that businesses have and what practical things they can do to start improving from my experiences and research over the last few years. That’s why I am on a mission to help 1,000 businesses, charities & social enterprises begin on their journey to becoming green, ethical and sustainable.
Had you been involved in the industry before this startup? What is your background?
I’ve worked in small businesses, digital agencies, events, tourism & hospitality and even ran my own startup, so I understand how environmental issues get pushed to the bottom of the to do list. However I’ve seen the benefits of taking the time to implement some green practices and improvements, both externally in terms of customer engagement but also internally with employee satisfaction. I use my experiences in different sectors to understand the barriers & challenges that small businesses and charities face to making positive environmental changes and what solutions or assistance help them overcome these barriers and make the changes that are necessary for our planet.
Take us through a day in your life. What does the typical day look like?
As the sole founder my days are pretty busy & varied but mostly revolve around delivering 1-to-1 sessions to businesses, following up with them on their progress and researching new ways that businesses can reduce their impact on the planet. I also write posts & articles around a number of environmental and sustainability issues.
What has been the most challenging part of growing your company?
During the covid-19 many small businesses are obviously facing tough times and finances are tight so getting businesses in these situations to sign up has been challenging but once they see the savings and value they can create by going green they really engage with the process and come out the other side in a much stronger position.
What has been your best marketing channel? What are some channels you are looking to explore next?
Social media in particular LinkedIn has been great for me to gain new connections & recommendations from my existing network. Now I’m looking to partner with other organizations providing services to small businesses to provide mutual referrals.
What apps do you use that you would recommend to others?
Everything I do is online so even if my laptop breaks as long as I have access to the internet I can carry on running my business. I really like Canva and their pro features give you so much more versatility with designs. Apart from that Google Drive, Calendly, Mailchimp & Wordpress all integrate excellently together especially if you use Zapier for some simple but time saving automations. I also would highly recommend Green Geeks as a website host provider as they use 300% Renewable Energy and have excellent customer service.
Do you have a book, podcast, or Youtube channel you would recommend to other Entrepreneurs?
Modern Afflatus is a great resource with a fantastic monthly newsletter providing a practical guide to keeping our humanity in the digital age & inspiration to do what matters. I’d also recommend connecting with your local entrepreneurs group to feel connected to what’s going on around you. I benefited greatly from being part of the Leeds Digital Drinks network and attending their Founders events.
What are your short-term and long-term goals for your company?
Long term is pretty obviously to help 1000 businesses begin on their journey to becoming green, ethical and sustainable. Then we’ll see from there. Shorter term I guess I’ll try and get to 100!
If you could go back in time to the day you founded your company, what advice would you give yourself?
Keep going! There will be tough days but also many good days.
What is the best way for people to find out more about your company?
Check out my website: 1000 Green Businesses — https://tim-brazier.com and feel free to send me an email or connect with me on social media @1000GreenBusinesses
