For many SMEs, the world of sustainability can sometimes feel a little overwhelming. With multiple frameworks, regulations, and conflicting advice, it's no wonder that business leaders often struggle to decide where to start their ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) journey - especially when facing procurement sustainability requirements or regulatory compliance pressures.

We regularly work with companies at the very start of their sustainability transformation. Using the combination of our award-winning SaaS platform FuturePlus, alongside the experience and expertise of our fantastic UK-based team, we've developed practical strategies that help businesses cut through the noise and create a meaningful, business-relevant approach to sustainability.

The challenge? Too much advice, not enough direction

"There's a lot of advice that pushes you in one direction or the other," explains Alex Smith, CEO of FuturePlus.

"You need to do this, or you have to do that. But it has to make sense to the business itself. There has to be a business case for what they're doing.”

“This is particularly acute for growing businesses in sectors like hospitality, healthcare, and facilities management, where sustainability accreditation is increasingly becoming a competitive necessity rather than a nice-to-have.”

This disconnect between generic sustainability advice and business reality is one of the biggest barriers SMEs face. The solution isn't to do less. It's to be more strategic about where you focus your efforts.

Start with the Big Picture

When making a start with defining a strategic sustainability approach, it's helpful to understand the full scope of what sustainability encompasses. Alex recommends starting with established frameworks like the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

"The 17 UN goals give you a really good starting point for what encompasses ESG reporting standards – around the environment and climate, the social and inclusion side, and governance as well.”

“At FuturePlus, we break this down into five key themes that work particularly well for businesses seeking practical sustainability solutions.”

• Climate - your carbon footprint and climate impact
• Environment - waste, pollution, and biodiversity
• Social - community impact and stakeholder relationships
• Economic - sustainable business practices and value creation
• Diversity & Inclusion - creating equitable opportunities

The FuturePlus Framework - from where you are to where you want to be

Our approach centres on three fundamental questions:

1. Where are we now?
Start by auditing what you're already doing. "What is it you're doing at the moment that you can evidence and talk about really confidently?" This isn't about finding problems. It's recognising the positive foundation you already have.

2. Where do we want to go?
Consider what would be positive for your business. This might be driven by employee passion, social value requirements, investor ESG demands, or areas where you have significant potential for positive or negative impact.

3. How do we get there?
Identify the tools, structures, processes, education, and knowledge needed to bridge the gap between your current state and your sustainability goals.

Cutting through the information overload

Polly Milne, COO of FuturePlus, offers practical advice for managing the overwhelming amount of sustainability information out there: "Try and cut through the noise by carefully curating what lands in your inbox. Go out and find leaders in your sector that are doing cool things, inspirational things, and follow what they’re doing."

Rather than subscribing to every sustainability newsletter, be selective.

Focus on:

• Industry leaders and publications relevant to your sector
• Case studies from other businesses
• Sector-specific sustainability challenges and solutions

Don't get stuck on climate alone

While climate action is important, Alex cautions against carbon tunnel vision: "Don't be stuck on climate because it might not be the area that you can have the most impact. There can be things that maybe fit under social or inclusion or economic impact within your business where you have an ability to have a greater impact."

This is particularly relevant for SMEs who may find more natural entry points to sustainability through social impact, supply chain improvements, or employee engagement initiatives.

Making it work for your business

The key to sustainable success is ensuring that your ESG initiatives feel "innately right for the business." As Alex puts it: "You're not doing things for the sake of doing them. You're doing them because they work for the business and you have the enthusiasm and engagement and the business reasoning to go forward with it.”

This approach works whether you are a London-based hospitality company needing to meet regulatory compliance requirements, or a healthcare organisation seeking affordable ESG consulting alternatives to traditional consultancy fees.

Consider factors specific to your situation:

• Your sector-specific ESG requirements
• Your business size and structure
• Geographic location and local priorities
• Industry sector and its particular challenges
• Whether you manufacture products or provide services
• Your workforce composition and working arrangements
• Local sustainability initiatives and regulatory landscape

Taking the first step

Starting your ESG journey for growing businesses doesn't require perfection – it requires clarity of purpose and a practical sustainability roadmap. Begin with understanding your current position, define where you want to go based on your business context and compliance needs, and then map out the practical steps to get there.

At FuturePlus, we help UK businesses navigate their ESG compliance journey with practical, business-focused strategies that work as an affordable alternative to traditional sustainability consulting. If you're ready to cut through the noise and create a meaningful ESG framework for your business, we're here to help.

Find out more by booking a discovery call today.