From hassle to better business:
Create competitive advantages and new revenue streams with a sustainable strategy
On 29 January, Business Center Bornholm (BCB) is hosting a workshop at Møbelfabrikken focusing on the exciting business opportunities presented by the green transition. Take part and get practical tools to ensure your business is in a strong position in the market of the future.
Political pressure, rising customer demands and a rapidly changing market make the green transition more relevant than ever – also for small and medium-sized enterprises. Yet many hesitate to take the first steps, often held back by limited resources and uncertainty about where to start.
That exact challenge is addressed by experts Anders Christian Haahr from Milestone Pro ApS and Niels Lund from Four Squares ApS in the workshop 'The Sustainable Business Strategy of the Future', where companies can get help with a climate-conscious growth model.
Lund elaborates: ”Many people still associate sustainability with hassle and burdens, but if you only view compliance as a duty, it quickly ends up as heavy administration. Therefore, our message is that you should try turning things on their head!”
Haahr adds: ”Instead of just looking at what you can save by switching to LED lighting in your business, for example, you should also focus on ideas and opportunities to profit from the green transition – unfortunately, that is a perspective that is all too often overlooked.”
Many people still associate sustainability with hassle and burdens, but if you only view compliance as a duty, it quickly ends up as heavy administration. Therefore, our message is that you should try to turn things on their head.
From idea to action – a direct approach
The workshop discards the heavy theories and focuses instead on practical solutions. Participants are introduced to tools such as the ’Business Model Canvas’, which helps to structure and conceptualise sustainable business ideas.
”We want to ensure that every participant goes home with at least one concrete idea they can get started with immediately,” promises Lund. He stresses that it is precisely this hands-on approach that makes the workshop unique.
Experience shows that companies typically generate 10-15 ideas during the workshop – often to their own great surprise. ”The key is then to prioritise the ideas that are both realistic and have the greatest growth potential,” explains Lund.
A strong example of what this can lead to is a company that tripled its revenue by rethinking its approach to sustainability. ”It created products with a longer lifespan and introduced new service agreements that both reduced material consumption and waste, thereby securing a new, stable source of revenue,” says Haahr.
”And that is only one example among many,” he continues. ”We have numerous inspiring cases that show how small and medium-sized enterprises can turn sustainable ideas into concrete results – always based on their unique situation and opportunities.”
Become part of something bigger
Networking and knowledge sharing are of course a bonus of the workshop, which gives participants the chance to discover new ways of working with sustainability in their companies.
”Although it is not something we can plan, we see time and time again how participants find partners in each other and develop joint solutions that strengthen both their own business and the entire value chain, explains Niels Lund.
The workshop also offers concrete insight into how businesses can navigate the rising demands for sustainability from both customers and suppliers.
”Small and medium-sized enterprises are already feeling the pressure from customers and business partners who are themselves subject to green transition requirements. At the same time, we live on a planet under massive pressure – the Earth has high blood pressure and is running on steroids. This is unsustainable,” says Lund, emphasising the need for action.
How do you then tackle both the demands and the business opportunities? ”It's about asking the right questions,” says Anders Christian Haahr. ”Who are our customers? Which new, sustainable products or services create value for them? And how can we ensure growth by developing and implementing new business concepts?”
Participants learn to pressure test ideas by taking their starting point in customer needs and market demand. At the same time, the workshop delves into underlying factors such as key partners, resources, and activities that must be in place to make sustainable solutions profitable and scalable. For example, it can be crucial to find new partners who bring the expertise that the company itself lacks.
Way too many hesitate because they think they need to have everything under control, from ESG reporting to complex strategies, before they can begin. In reality, it is about starting in one place and building from there.
Start small, but think big!
In conclusion, the two experts urge all SMEs to take the first step in a greener direction, no matter how small it may seem. ”Far too many hesitate because they think they need to have everything under control, from ESG reporting to complex strategies, before they can begin. In reality, it is about starting in one place and building from there,” says Anders Christian Haahr.
Niels Lund recommends starting with a carbon footprint account to get a clear overview. ”But be careful not to drown in data,” he points out. ”And if the process seems overwhelming, consider bringing in an external consultant early on – at least at the beginning. A good adviser can help you find the low-hanging fruit and get the process underway without unnecessarily complicating it,” he adds.
For businesses that are already up and running, it is about raising the level of ambition. ”Proactivity is crucial for capturing market share,” says Haahr. ”On Bornholm, our workshop is an obvious place to start. We cannot solve everything in one day, but we create the framework that gets management thinking big and seeing possibilities rather than limitations.”
Sustainability is also a magnet for talent, so if you have challenges with recruitment, you should not underestimate this factor. ”Younger employees are more value-driven than ever. They ask: Can I see myself here? Can I develop here? How does the company contribute to solving the world's challenges? If you want to recruit and retain top competencies, sustainability becomes a must,” Haahr emphasises.
BY TINA TOFT MØLLER
Niels Lund (TV):
Niels is an expert in combining technology, organisation and sustainability to drive growth and innovation. With a background in economics from Aarhus University and over 20 years’ experience as a consultant, director and start-up owner, he has built a career on thinking big and innovatively. His focus is on delivering solutions that prepare businesses for the future.
Read more at: foursquares.dk
Anders Chr. Haahr (th):
With over 300 companies on his CV, Anders is an experienced strategist who helps businesses develop sustainable solutions that deliver both green results and a black bottom line. A graduate engineer from Aalborg University with a single-subject MBA in organisational learning, he has built expertise in connecting strategy with action.
Read more at: milestone-pro.dk
Join the workshop: The sustainable business strategy of the future
This workshop is for anyone who wants to take a proactive approach and focus on sustainable business strategies to ensure that their organisation is well equipped to deliver economic, environmental and social value.
Date: 29 January 2025
Time: 08:30 – 14:00 (breakfast from 08:00)
Location: The Furniture Factory, Gl. Rønnevej 17 A, 3730 Nexø
Organiser: Business Centre Bornholm
Price: Free to attend (registration is required and can be done via this link)
Presenters: Anders Christian Haahr (Milestone Pro ApS) and Niels Lund (Foursquares ApS). Anders and Niels are experienced trainers and process consultants with practical leadership experience at a strategic and tactical level. They are also the founders of the consultancy collaboration Circular Impact (circularimpact.dk), where the consultants' diverse competencies and experiences complement each other in various company projects and value chain collaborations.