Sustainable and ethical behaviour isn’t limited to environmental practices. It translates into all areas of business including providing opportunities for people who may find themselves excluded from the workforce. 

Alex Head is the founder of the leading sustainable catering company, Social Pantry. As one of the first 15 UK companies employing ex-offenders to be awarded the prestigious YOUNITED Flag award, Social Pantry is a dedicated champion of equity and opportunity within the workforce. 

In this episode, Alex shares her advice on how founders can overcome the stigma of starting up a business differently and why now is the right time to declare what your intentions are with your ESG goals.

Alex’s advice: 

• Always employ the best possible people
• Make sure your staff feel valued / enjoy their work / do not feel out of their depth
• Crucially, ensure that they learn as they go, so that they benefit from working with you
• Give junior staff responsibilities
• Have a sustainability expert, as standards are constantly changing
• Put sustainability at the heart of your business
• Be transparent in everything you do; be honest about what you can’t do
• Always work with the best suppliers; every part of your product has to be excellent
• Celebrate your wins
• Move staff around in order that they learn different skills
• Be honest about challenges, be flexible and keep learning

Head over to Speakpipe to leave your voice note for future guests too.

FF&M enables you to own your own PR.

Recorded, edited & published by Juliet Fallowfield, 2023 MD & Founder of PR & Communications consultancy for startups Fallow, Field & Mason.  Email us at [email protected] or DM us on instagram @fallowfieldmason. 

Let us know how your start up journey is going or if you have any questions you would like us to discuss in future episodes. 

FF&M recommends: 

• LastPass the password-keeping site that syncs between devices.
• Google Workspace is brilliant for small businesses
• Buzzsprout podcast 'how to' & hosting directory
• Canva has proved invaluable for creating all the social media assets and audio bites.
• For contracts check out Law Depot.

MUSIC CREDIT Funk Game Loop by Kevin MacLeod.  Link & Licence

Text us your questions for future founders. Plus we'd love to get your feedback, text in via Fan Mail

Support the show