The Environment & Business

Environmental Issues

All businesses have some impact on the environment. In recent years, many businesses have been put under pressure by customers, governments and employees to reduce their negative impact on the environment. Companies can impact the environment through:

Traffic congestion

Companies can cause traffic congestion because of their staff, delivery drivers or consumers using cars around the company’s offices, warehouses or shops.
- This is particularly noticeable for manufacturing businesses that use just in time (JIT) production processes like Jaguar Land Rover. More goods are delivered to the manufacturing locations on a more regular basis.

Careless waste disposal

Businesses can reduce the impact that they have on the environment by making sure that there is a suitable recycling scheme in place for the waste that they produce.
Materials that are harmful to the environment, like soft plastics, can be recycled instead of being disposed of in a landfill site or the sea.
Companies could be more careful about where they dispose of the waste that can't be recycled in order to minimise pollution.

Air and noise pollution

Noise pollution affects the local community where a company operates.
- Factories and construction sites can be a source of disruption for the local community and businesses can minimise this by only working at certain times.
- Some shops, like Debenhams, will only deliver to stores near residential streets during daytime hours.
Using renewable sources of energy, as well as more efficient machinery can reduce air pollution too.

Poor choice of materials

Banks like Barclays and Santander have recently encouraged their customers to go “paperless”.
Instead of receiving paper bank statements, they can now receive emails containing the same information.

Lack of encouragement of public transport use

Businesses can also encourage employees to carpool, use public transport or cycle to work.
Larger businesses could even subsidise the use of public transport to gain local authority Green Business Awards (as with Birmingham City Council).

Business and Sustainability

Sustainability means acting so that the Earth and all of its resources are fit for use for future generations. Businesses can improve their contributions to sustainability by:

Using renewable energy resources

Many of the resources used by businesses to generate energy (coal, oil, natural gas) are non-renewable. Non-renewable resources cannot be replaced once we run out of them on Earth.
To be sustainable, a business could use renewable energy, but this may be more expensive and the business may have to invest in new machinery.

Contributing to global warming

Many of these non-renewable resources release greenhouse gases, which contribute to creating a warmer climate. This could lead to disastrous weather and flooding events for future generations.
Businesses in many industries produce a large amount of greenhouse gases and therefore these businesses have a responsibility to help make the planet useable for future generations.
Reducing air pollution may increase a company's costs.

1Investigating Small Business

1.1Enterprise & Entrepreneurship

1.1.1The Dynamic Nature of Businesses

1.1.2Risk & Reward

1.1.3The Role of Business Enterprise

1.1.4The Role of Business Enterprise 2

1.1.5The Role of the Entrepreneur

1.1.6End of Topic Test - Dynamic Nature of Business

1.1.7Grade 9 - Dynamic Nature of Business

1.2Spotting a Business Opportunity

1.2.1Customer Needs

1.2.2Market Research

1.2.3Market Segmentation

1.2.4The Competitive Environment

1.2.5Primary & Secondary Market Research

1.2.6End of Topic Test - Business Opportunities

1.2.7Application Questions - Business Opportunities

1.2.8Exam-Style Questions - Market Segmentation

1.2.9Diagnostic Misconceptions - Competition

1.3Putting a Business Idea into Practice

1.4Making the Business Effective

1.4.1The Options for Start-Up & Small Businesses

1.4.2Limited Liability

1.4.3Franchising & Not-For-Profits

1.4.4Business Location

1.4.5The Marketing Mix

1.4.6Business Plans

1.4.7End of Topic Test - Effective Business

1.4.8Application Questions - Effective Business

1.4.9Exam-Style Questions - Business Plans

1.5Business Stakeholders

1.5.1Business Stakeholders

1.5.2Technology & Business

1.5.3Legislation & Business

1.5.4Legislation & Business 2

1.5.5The Economy & Business

1.5.6External Influences

1.5.7End of Topic Test - Business Stakeholders

1.5.8Grade 9 - Business Stakeholders

1.5.9Diagnostic Misconceptions - Recessions

2Building a Business

2.1Growing the Business

2.1.1Business Growth

2.1.2Finance

2.1.3Changes in Business Aims & Globalisation

2.1.4Ethics & Business

2.1.5The Environment & Business

2.1.6End of Topic Test - Growing a Business

2.1.7Application Questions - Growing a Business

2.1.8Exam-Style Questions - Business Growth

2.2Making Marketing Decisions

2.2.1Product

2.2.2Product Life Cycle

2.2.3Price

2.2.4Pricing Methods

2.2.5End of Topic Test - Product & Price

2.2.6Grade 9 - Product & Price

2.2.7Promotion & Advertising

2.2.8PR & Sales Promotions

2.2.9Sponsorship & Product Placement

2.2.10Promotional Mix

2.2.11End of Topic Test - Promotion

2.2.12Application Questions - Promotion

2.2.13Exam-Style Questions - Promotional Mix

2.2.14Place & Wholesalers

2.2.15Direct to Consumer

2.2.16E-commerce & M-commerce

2.2.17Diagnostic Misconceptions - Decreasing Price

2.2.18Diagnostic Misconceptions - Advertise vs Promote

2.2.19Diagnostic Misconceptions - Social Media

2.3Making Operational Decisions

2.3.1Job Production

2.3.2Batch & Flow Production

2.3.3Working with Suppliers

2.3.4Effective Supply Chains

2.3.5Just In Time & Just In Case

2.3.6Managing Quality

2.3.7Total Quality Management

2.3.8The Sales Process

2.3.9End of Topic Test - Operational Decisions

2.3.10Grade 9 - Operational Decisions

2.3.11Exam-Style Questions - Managing Stock

2.3.12Diagnostic Misconceptions - JIT vs JIC

2.4Making Financial Decisions

2.4.1Gross Profit & Net Profit - Definitions

2.4.2Gross Profit - Calculations

2.4.3Net Profit - Calculations

2.4.4Rate of Return

2.4.5Rate of Return - Calculations

2.4.6Research & Financial Data

2.4.7Marketing Data

2.4.8Percentage Change - Calculations

2.5Making Human Resource Decisions

2.5.1Organisational Structures

2.5.2Organisational Structures 2

2.5.3Recruitment

2.5.4Effective Recruitment

2.5.5Training a Workforce

2.5.6Motivating a Workforce

2.5.7End of Topic Tests - Human Resources

2.5.8Application Questions - Human Resources

2.5.9Exam-Style Questions - Human Resources

2.5.10Diagnostic Misconceptions - Owners vs Shareholders

2.5.11Diagnostic Misconceptions - Internal Recruitment

2.5.12Diagnostic Misconceptions - Employee Motivation

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