Sustainable ventures that innovate from how

Under slogans such as Free of plastic and Zero waste, Argentine entrepreneurs review the traditional forms of production and structure of a business and innovate from how to do things. The focus transcends the business per se, seeking to generate a positive environmental impact and social change.

1. START WITH THE PURPOSE

After three years of research on the sustainable development of the production of fabrics with bamboo cane fiber, and finally making the decision to take the leap into entrepreneurship, the Get Wild clothing brand was born. For its founders, the focus is on the mission: Discovering what the purpose is, because undertaking is quite difficult, you have to endure a lot of pressure, so it is important to understand that, if there is a purpose, a mission that transcends you, you all get up the days wanting to continue carrying out this venture, shares Agostina Trovato, co-founder of Get Wild. None of us comes from the textile industry, which is why our mission and purpose was something that transcended us, and so it materialized in a clothing brand, adds Gabriela Rivero, her partner.

At the beginning of 2015, a gap in the market was the driving force behind the creation of Linda Cosmética. At that time in Argentina there were very few references for natural cosmetics and it was what motivated us to undertake, to satisfy a growing demand for the item, shared Macarena Camporeale, co-founder. Our main objective is to achieve collective awareness about the responsible, ecological and sustainable consumption of the products that we choose to apply on our body.

Slowing down was what gave Martin Valese the kick to create Liveslow, the brand of glass water bottles that seeks to replace single-use ones. Liveslow started out as the idea to cut through the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Of downshifting and thinking about the things that are most important, recalls Martín Valese. After more than ten years of corporate experience developing brands, it was during a trip to Sweden that he was struck by the development in the world of sustainability and well-being. This discovery set him on a path guided by the purpose of sharing more sustainable lifestyles.

Innovating from how it becomes, then, the guiding purpose of a sustainable SME for the future.

2. BUSINESS IN A SUSTAINABLE WAY

After reinventing herself after a previous project, María Sol created The Mash Store in 2017, developing the first Argentinian solid shampoos made with a surfactant derived from coconut oil. For me the key is to be original and pioneer, differentiation, customer service and quality are very important. Today, for example, there must be more than 200 brands of solid shampoo. The ideal would be to look for a product that is not known in the country. For the entrepreneur, inspiration can be sought in other countries that are more advanced on the subject. If you are an entrepreneur and you have an idea, launch it without fear and with whatever you have, it is not necessary to have the perfect image and logo, that will be done with time.

Seeking to educate and train the client is another way to generate a positive impact at a social and environmental level. We put a lot of emphasis on that, on showing people that what they choose matters, not only for them but for the example they set with their choices, says Martin Valese. We say that Liveslow is a small gesture that we do together and that can inspire many more. Precisely because it is a small habit change for a person, but at the same time a big change on a social and environmental level.

For Macarena Camporeale, generating an impact in the community is a key driver to guide SMEs on a path of sustainability. We are already generating a different impact, because the contact is direct between those who create and those who consume.

3. PARADIGM SHIFT

Customers have changed: they are increasingly demanding and consume more consciously. “I think we are in the midst of a paradigm shift. Little by little we are going from a society that lives using invaluable resources and discarding them as garbage, to a society that preserves the value of its resources. From a society that looks forward to excessive consumption to one that takes care of what it has and chooses it carefully, says Valese. I think that the rise of sustainable ventures like Liveslow, which occurred in the last 2 or 3 years, has to do with that, with choosing products or brands that represent a way of saying how we want our world to be and how we want to live our lives. .

In general, we are not used to being close to the producers and the production processes, nor to the raw material used, reflects Camporeale. From our place we believe that we shorten that distance to which mass consumption has accustomed us and can be a kick for our customers to rethink their other consumption.

Although the change is gradual, a sector of society begins to get closer and closer to brands with greater awareness. There is a niche, a sector of society that is definitely highly aligned with a concept of caring for the environment, of generating positive social and environmental impact, it is a person who consumes responsibly, that is, who is much more aware when choosing which products to consume or not consume, says Trovato.

How to do things is no longer just another component in the construction of a business, but it takes on an even stronger meaning in the context of a change in the way a client consumes that demands greater awareness and commitment. Innovating from how becomes, then, the guiding purpose of a sustainable SME for the future.

By Magdalena Villar Founder of Meraki CraftSource: Infopymes