Companies that refuse to adapt to the changing demands of the planet and its people are likely to get left behind. That doesn’t mean to say that any one business is expected to change the world.

Rather, business leaders must begin to recognize that we all have a part to play in preventing climate catastrophe and do something about it.

Why Sustainability is Important For Businesses

As concern about climate change continues to mount, companies of all types would do well to capitalize on the current momentum.

For one thing, it’s the right thing to do. While personal approaches to sustainability are important, there is an increasing awareness of the overwhelming part corporations have to play in emitting greenhouse gases. As such, it’s important that your company attempts to lead the way towards a greener future.

Another reason is that being more sustainable is a necessity if you want to adapt to the changing consumer landscape. And, ultimately, by being adaptable, you can keep your company profitable moving forwards.

The customers of today have very different priorities to those they had even 10 years ago. If you want to stay relevant and avoid getting left behind, you have to adjust your way of doing things.

Perhaps you could look into switching to more eco-friendly packaging or pledge to become carbon neutral. It doesn’t matter how you decide to do it.

The important thing is that you prove to consumers that you’re serious about tackling climate change alongside them.

How Businesses Can Be More Sustainable

If you decide to lead the push towards tackling climate change in your industry, there is clearly a great deal you stand to gain. By choosing to play your part, you will earn customer loyalty as a result.

As such, sustainability for the planet is likely to translate into sustainability for your company. In other words, adopting greener initiatives in the workplace won’t just help ensure the longevity of the planet, but the longevity of your business, too.

If you want to give your company and the world it operates in a fighting chance, there are a few things you can do.

1# Reduce Energy Consumption

Australia relies heavily on coal for its energy consumption, with this fossil fuel accounting for about 75% of the country’s electricity generation.

But, coal is the single biggest polluter on this planet and contributes heavily to climate change.

Show you’re serious about mitigating the harm your company causes by reducing its energy consumption and, in turn, its carbon footprint.

2# Invest in Electric Cars

Another way to reduce the carbon footprint of your business is to invest in electric cars. Unlike internal combustion engine cars, these vehicles don’t pollute as they drive, so they’d make for far more eco-friendly delivery fleets. Or, you could support any employees or customers who drive one, by installing charging stations in car parks.

The best on the market right now are Teslas, but other options are available if you don’t have that much to invest.

3# Work With Your Employees

Your employees will likely care about climate change themselves and will have their own ideas about how to tackle it. Talk to your workers and ask them for their insights.

There could be a more eco-friendly way of doing things in one department that you never would have thought of without their contributions.

4# Be More Transparent

Transparency is key to any good sustainability initiative, and for a couple of significant reasons.

One is that consumers are far more likely to look into your track record on environmentalism these days.

Another is that, by being open about the ways in which you choose to tackle climate change, you have the opportunity to become a trailblazer in your field.

Read Also:

• 10 Best Home Service Business Ideas
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Author: Luke Fitzpatrick

The post How Businesses Can Help Combat Climate Change appeared first on Startup Ideas.

In fact, despite disadvantaging a lot of businesses in all industries, the events of the last twelve months helped to usher in entrepreneurial innovation that was years ahead of its time.

With the sudden demand for new ideas that would help to support remote working, contactless delivery, and people looking for a lockdown pick-me-up, this has in many ways been an exciting time for the country’s startups.

Here’s our list of the best startups on the scene right now.

6 Australian Startups You Need To Know About

1. Gathar

If lockdown taught us anything, it’s that our homes can be anything we want them to be, whether that be a makeshift workspace or a fancy restaurant. And, thanks to Gathar, it’s never been easier to bring the experience of fine dining to your own kitchen.

Users can browse Gathar’s extensive range of menus and book an evening of first class food, which will be cooked especially for them and their friends by a fantastic private chef.

With cooks stationed in Adelaide, Perth, and other cities across Australia, it’s little wonder that this startup has managed to gather such impressive traction barely three years into the game.

2. Complete Home Filtration

Another business that has benefited from the additional time we’re all spending at home is Complete Home Filtration.

Despite being only a year old when the pandemic hit, this whole-home water filtration system was able to stay afloat even when restrictions were put in place.  In fact, not only did the business survive, it thrived during these otherwise turbulent months.

At the start of the new year, Complete Home Filtration had made enough profit to open up a new office in Brisbane. Now, with sales of around $1,000,000 each month, the business is looking to expand to other cities throughout Australia and beyond to the US.

3. Employment Hero

Companies of all types have had more to put up with in recent months than ever before. And, not only that, but they have also had less money and people power with which to tackle the new obstacles they’ve faced. Thankfully, Employment Hero has been on hand to help with some of the more hectic, admin-heavy jobs.

A software programme designed to manage payrolls, human resources, and employee benefits, Employment Hero offers users a range of different services that reduce paperwork and improve efficiency. As such, it really has been a superhuman help to HR departments struggling to keep up with increased demand and exceptional strain.

4. Assembly Payments

Another startup that has been making life easier for companies across Australia is Assembly Payments. Offering simple solutions to complex payment workflows, Assembly Payments’ software can enable authentication, liquidity, payment and settlement with zero wait times.

After just three years in operation, they are already considered to be a trustworthy financial service adviser, which is not always the easiest reputation to build. And, the business plans to live up to the name that it’s made for itself, by continuing to deliver secure payment solutions that comply with regulatory standards.

5. Power Ledger

With sustainability being one of the biggest concerns shared by Australian consumers and companies in the modern-day, businesses that can offer solutions to the climate crisis are experiencing greater success degrees.

One such business is Power Ledger, which uses Blockchain technology to connect electricity distribution networks and grids to renewable sources of energy.

Innovative in the way that it brings together existing energy supplies and sustainable energy sources, Power Ledger’s software has received tens of millions of dollars in funding. It looks set to continue its impressive growth in the coming years.

6. Spaceship

Many young people are concerned about their future. So, in comes Spaceship to offer the younger generation a helping hand with investing their money and building wealth.

With investment options to suit all budgets and the ability to track your portfolio’s progress through a smartphone app, it’s the next big thing with money-savvy youngsters.

Resources:

• 10 Best Small Business Ideas in Australia 2021
• 40+ Best Startup Ideas For Entrepreneurs 2021
• 10 Best Home Service Business Ideas

Author: Luke Fitzpatrick

The post 6 Australian Startups You Need To Know About appeared first on Startup Ideas.

But, let’s say that your finances are uncertain after a life event beyond your control and you’ve lost whatever good credit you might otherwise have had.

Let’s say you’ve come through that relatively unscathed (minus the bad credit) and you want to get your credit score back on track in order to facilitate the purchase of a new house.

Well, there are a number of ways to do this, and here are some effective ways you can make your credit score go from zero to hero.

First Things First: What is a ‘Bad’ Credit Score?

Bad credit scores are usually determined to be numbers that are below 500, typically anywhere in the range of 300 to 500. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll be disqualified from obtaining a mortgage.

However, it does mean you may qualify for what is known as a ‘bad-credit mortgage’, which means you can expect higher deposit fees, higher processing fees, and higher interest rates. Your bank may, of course, refuse your request for a loan altogether.  

What’s average’ and ‘good’ when it comes to your credit score?

There are two types of numbers generally thrown out there for ‘good’ credit scores and ‘average’ credit scores. If you’re going to reach a goal, you need to have something concrete to aim for.

Average credit score: The average credit for most Australians tends to hover around 550, which means that if you approach a bank with such a credit score, you’re going to be approved for a mortgage.

A ‘good’ credit score is a number ranging from 600-700+. This means you will likely have to pay less in processing fees, deposits and have access to lower interest rates!

Banks love people like you because you’ve displayed the financial discipline necessary to give them a high degree of confidence that they’re going to get their money back.

How To Fix A Bad Credit Score?

There are many steps you can take to raise your credit score off the ground, starting with the following:

1. Pay Off Your Debts

It is imperative you pay off any existing debts. This will display to your creditor that you have the financial discipline to pay off any debt you incur. Take your time, but get it done.

2. Make Routine Payments On Time

In a similar vein to paying off your debts – make sure that you’re paying your utility bill, phone bill and other bills on-time in general. Over time, this will display good financial discipline and financial stability.

3. Keep Unused Credit Cards Open

Keeping credit accounts open is a great way to ensure you have access to credit, should you need it, even if you’re not drawing from it. But this will lower your credit utilization ratio and show that just because you have credit, doesn’t mean you’re going to use it.

4. Regularly Check Your Credit Report

Darren Robertson, a Realtor in Northern Virginia, explains, “One of the other things you can do is to regularly check your credit report yourself and dispute any inaccuracies you find in your report. This will show a willingness to engage with the process which will instill confidence from a lender.”

5. Setup a payment calendar

One of the most important things you can do for your financial organization and mental health, in fact, is to set up a payment calendar, so you can keep track of all your expenses and all of your fixed payments and when they’re to be made so you can make them automatically and not lose track of them, putting you in a greater risk of financial ruin.

Your financial health is determined by your credit score. It’s crucial you keep it at a healthy number and try to bounce it back over-time if you’ve undergone a financially damaging event that has damaged your credit health.

This will take time, as you have to essentially rebuild trust as a borrower between you and the financial institution from which you request a loan. But don’t stress – you can rebuild your credit score from the ruins, just start by following those five simple steps above.

Read Also: How To Start An Online Business For Free

Author: Luke Fitzpatrick

The post 5 Steps To Improve Your Credit Score appeared first on Startup Ideas.

Our work is done online. Much of our lives are lived virtually and while experts and society-at-large will argue whether or not that is a good thing, one thing it is good for is the advent of new businesses that rely on the power of the internet to survive.

You, too, could be capitalizing on this new business space and starting your own online business. What business, you ask? Here are some suggestions.

6 Steps To Start An Online Business For Free

1. Social Media Management

In an age where we’re all spending a lot more time on social media, individuals and companies find themselves strapped for time but not for content. They have lots of content but no time to pump it out to their followers.

That’s where you come in! If you’re adept at social media and understand how to use it effectively, companies will be flocking to hire you in droves. Your particular expertise will help them to reach more customers.

This can often be done initially on an as-and-when basis and turn into something a bit more long-term. If you want to sell yourself, spend your spare time creating some social media pages for your own business, or your friends, and start filling them up with content. It’s a great portfolio.

2. Online Tutoring

School has long-since gone majority-online in many parts of the world. This means that people who are struggling with their academic studies will be hankering for someone to tutor them. If you were particularly good at a particular school subject, say you excelled at mathematics.

Well, there are plenty of high school students who could use your expertise. Online tutoring can be arranged either on a per-hour or per-week basis, giving you flexibility. You can either find work online, or simply print off some paper flyers and put those up around your town and see what happens.

3. Video Tutorial Creation

A lot more people are doing a lot more watching nowadays than they are reading. You can say so much more, so much faster in a video clip.

If you think that you have a good narrative style and can tell a story well, then you should look into creating videos – whether they be a tutorial, or simply a lifestyle video, creating video content and putting it out there could lead to a significant income, providing you are consistent. If you don’t see yourself on video, you might consider a podcast instead.

4. Content Writing

One of the easiest and quickest ways to make some extra cash online is to do some content writing. This can be done via freelance writing websites, which allow you to bid on jobs and complete them, and get paid via PayPal.

Content writing can be pretty much any type of writing done for websites, whether that’s travel articles or technical copy. Whatever written web content you can think of – a content writer was paid to do that work. If you can string together a few sentences, you could be too!

5. Technology Associate

If you have a flair for technology and are familiar with the minutiae that most people are not, consider taking a dive into the tech field.

If you feel like you’re a leader and think you’d be a good fit for a company, don’t hesitate to put your resume in for positions like a freelance project manager.

But if you prefer to stay on your own, a great option for you, if you’re tech-savvy, is to go into remote computer repair services. Transition your in-house, on-bench tech skills to the web and help people fix their software problems.

6. Web Designer

If you love computers but have no idea how to fix them, you could look into web design instead. These days, there are so many different platforms available for website creation that you no longer need to understand coding to design something amazing.

Web design is fun and allows you to get creative. You could tie writing into the role as well, and become a one-stop-shop for websites.

Summing Up

No matter what your online acumen, there are many, many avenues for you to explore if you wish to create an online business.

The best part about online businesses is that the overheads are usually relatively small or non-existent, which means that apart from your time, it’s all profit, profit, profit!

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Author: Luke Fitzpatrick

The post How To Start An Online Business For Free appeared first on Startup Ideas.

Whether it’s the how-to, when to, or the where to that you’re questioning, the following article will help you understand more about what you can do to retire happy, healthy, and wealthy.

How Much Money Do I Need?

Truth be told, there’s no real minimum needed to start your investment account with an investment broker. It is far better to invest now and start small than to wait until you build a couple of thousand dollars, which may take some time depending on your financial situation.

While, as mentioned, there’s no real minimum, a reasonable $200-$1000 is the oft-quoted number, to begin with as an investment.

How Long Will I Need To Invest?

You should know that investments are made for the long-term. Whatever amount you’re investing, you should be prepared to lock that money away for at least several years – sometimes decades – before you can access it again.

Keep in mind that where you invest your money will determine the length of time you’ll be required to lock it away for.

How Do I Choose Where To Invest?

The good thing about investments is that it’s a wide-open playing field. You can invest your money wherever you want to. If you have a particular favorite company, you could invest in them. You could invest in an industry if you think they’re going to be particularly profitable in the future.

Pro-tip: do not invest your money in something that is insecure or flexible with value. For example, the oil and construction industries fluctuate in value ALL the time, as the price of oil goes up and down like a yo-yo.

Or, as the cost of materials for construction fluctuates. Pick an industry or company that is going to see large-scale profits in the future or an industry that is going to be incredibly necessary to humanity.

Where Do I Make My First Investment?

Investments can be made through online or in-person brokerage firms. Tech blogger Antoine Bechara says, “For those who are new to stock exchanges, stock brokerages, and just stock investments in general, it is a good idea to go with a professional brokerage firm and have a financial advisor guide you through the process and give you the best advice.”

Online brokerage firms have exploded in popularity in the last decade, largely due to their fire-and-forget model of stock investment. If you’re experienced at all with stock investment, an online broker might be a better choice for you, rather than those who need the extra assistance when first-time investing.

Another advantage of online brokerage firms and online investment is that it is typically cheaper for first-time investors. For example, fees for online brokerage firms can be as little as $10.00, while in-person investment advisors will usually advise their clients to invest a minimum of $500.00.

How To Build A Portfolio?

One of the most important things in the investment game is to build a portfolio. This is otherwise known as diversification. The basic principle is that you want to invest as much as you can in as many different industries or companies as you can. This will help to maximize the potential return on investment.

Diversification is a solution for new investors in order to lower their risk of losing everything because they put all of their proverbial eggs into one basket. Spreading your assets through numerous investments is the best way to ensure that if one investment doesn’t pan out, you won’t have lost everything.

Your portfolio doesn’t always have to be an investment in an industry or company, though. It can be other things like a second home, or an “investment property” – essentially a property that you buy cheaply and invest some money in to hopefully bring you many times return-on-investment in several years. This is particularly true of rental properties. Another simple enough investment is a savings account, they grow year-on-year and require very little to open.

Investments are all about making your own money work for you. And the end goal is to give you the happy, healthy, and wealthy retirement that you deserve.

Read Also: 40+ Best Startup Ideas For Entrepreneurs

Author: Luke Fitzpatrick

The post Portfolio Diversification: Are Stocks Right For You? appeared first on Startup Ideas.

Contrary to popular belief, there are plenty of typical comfort foods that can actually be very healthy and nutritious. When taken literally, the meaning is actually just food that brings us comfort when we feel weak, or estranged, or vulnerable. Check out our top ideas for healthy comfort food below:

4 Best Healthy Comfort Food Ideas

1# Crockpot Meals

Crockpots and slow cookers both lock in moisture, which is a key component of comfort foods. So, when it comes to making comfort foods that are also healthy, your crock-pot will be your secret weapon.

Simply throw in some lean meats, vegetables, and beans, with plenty of herbs, and spices and a few hours later, you’ve got yourself a deliciously healthy, home-cooked meal.

It’s so easy to simply whip up some tasty, gourmet-style meals like slow-roasted chicken or beef, turkey meatballs, veggie soups, or even braised bisque chicken, perfect to serve up to family and guests alike.

1# Brussels Sprouts

If you feel like some comfort food that helps keep you warm with an extra serving of carbs or some additional starch, cook up some roasted brussels sprouts. Half of your dinner plate should be vegetable-based anyway, so this is perfect.

Don’t forget that using canola oil is much better than other oils when baking or roasting under high heat, and it also provides some healthy monounsaturated fat.

Besides, brussels sprouts are an excellent source of cancer-fighting antioxidants, fiber, and other vitamins.

2# Mashed Potatoes

Mashed potatoes are a true classic comfort dish, but it’s well known to be quite high in both fat and calories because it’s often made using lots of butter, cream, whole milk, and cheese.

Simply by substituting these with some lower-calorie ingredients like salt-free butter, skim milk, and reduced-fat cheese, you’ll dramatically slash the amount of fat and calories. The skin of potatoes is also quite nutritious.

They’re low in calories and packed full of potassium, vitamins, and fiber, so always be sure to keep the skins in the recipe for your mashed potatoes. Another excellent idea is to replace around half the potatoes with some cooked, mashed, or pureed cauliflower. Not only is it the same color and texture as mashed potatoes, but cauliflower also contains about half the number of calories.

If you peel the potatoes, keep the skins for later, and transform them into healthy chips, suggest zero waste and living blogger Antonia Ko.

Wash them thoroughly, then spread the skins over a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil (or your favorite vegetable oil), sprinkle spices of your choice such as salt, paprika, oregano, or thyme. Bake until they are crispy looking and voila – you have two healthy dishes without creating any waste.

3# Chicken Noodle Soup

Chicken noodle soup is one of the most popular of all comfort foods, often at the very top of people’s lists. It turns out that chicken noodle soup actually has a range of health benefits.

It’s well-documented as providing relief from symptoms of upper-respiratory illnesses, while the steam from a nice and hot bowl of soup can also help open up blocked nasal passages.

Recipes for chicken noodle soup can also be easily customized based on your desired flavors and needs, and broth-based soups can also be frozen easily. That means you can store any leftovers to enjoy again the next time that you have a craving.

4# Oatmeal

What’s not to love? It’s very warm and comforting food, especially during the colder winter months when the weather is anything but.

Not only is oatmeal is incredibly easy to make, but it’s also low in calories, high in fiber, packed full of nutrition, and can also lower your risk of a number of chronic diseases, like heart disease.

The key is not to counteract these amazing benefits by lumping on the butter, sugar, or salt. Instead, try adding some dried fruit, nuts, milk, and spices to really make this a delicious and well-rounded meal.

And for those in need of comfort food who simply don’t feel like making it themselves, you could always consider booking a private chef to come to make some at your home using Gathar. So, when it comes to comfort food, you really can have your cake and eat it, too.

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Author: Luke Fitzpatrick

The post The Best Healthy Comfort Food Ideas appeared first on Startup Ideas.