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Five ways going green can improve your bottom line: A guide for West Midlands SMEs

Sep 12, 2024

4 min

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As sustainability becomes a central focus for businesses across the globe, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the West Midlands are uniquely positioned to benefit from going green.


Whether you're running a corner shop, a hairdressing salon, a manufacturing operation, or any other type of small business, sustainable practices can significantly enhance your bottom line.


Here are five key ways that adopting green strategies can lead to financial gains.



Reduced operational costs


One of the most immediate and tangible benefits of going green is the reduction in operational costs.


Energy efficiency, waste reduction, and resource conservation are all areas where small changes can lead to significant savings.


For instance, simply switching to energy-efficient lighting can reduce electricity bills by up to 75 per cent—a substantial saving for any business, particularly for small retailers or service providers where margins can be tight.


Additionally, the UK government offers incentives to help businesses transition to more energy-efficient operations, making it easier for SMEs to invest in these changes.


Join Aston University’s workshop on 18 September and take advantage of a free energy assessment for your business. Learn practical steps to audit your energy use and uncover cost-saving opportunities tailored to your specific industry needs.



Access to new markets and opportunities


As the UK government and local authorities push for a greener economy, there are growing opportunities for businesses that align with these goals.


SMEs that adopt sustainable practices may qualify for grants, tax reliefs, and other incentives designed to support green initiatives.


For example, local councils in the West Midlands have programmes such as ‘BEAS and Decarbonisation Net Zero’ aimed at helping small businesses reduce their carbon footprint, which can be especially beneficial for almost all sectors where environmental impact is a growing concern.


At the workshop, we’ll delve into the funding options and partnerships available to West Midlands SMEs committed to sustainability, helping you unlock new growth opportunities.



Increased marketability


Consumers are increasingly favouring businesses that demonstrate a commitment to sustainability.


According to a study by Nielsen, 66 per cent of global consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable goods, and this trend is evident in the UK as well.


By adopting green practices, SMEs in the West Midlands can enhance their brand reputation. This can translate to increased sales, customer loyalty, and even the ability to charge premium prices for sustainable products or services. In a competitive market, your environmental credentials can be a powerful differentiator.


Attend Aston University’s workshop to learn from real-life success stories and see how businesses are already turning sustainability into a competitive advantage.



Long-term resilience and competitiveness


Sustainability isn’t just about immediate financial gains; it’s also about future-proofing your business.


As regulations around carbon emissions and environmental impact become stricter, businesses that have already integrated green practices will find it easier to comply, avoiding potential fines and disruptions.


For SMEs in sectors like manufacturing, where regulatory pressures are particularly high, adopting sustainable practices now can help ensure long-term competitiveness and resilience. A prime example of this shift is the NHS, which is actively working towards a Net Zero supply chain by 2045.


The NHS is urging its suppliers to adopt sustainable practices, with a strong focus on reducing carbon emissions. Businesses that fail to align with these expectations risk losing contracts and falling behind competitors who are meeting these sustainability criteria.


At the workshop, you'll learn more about sustainability strategy that can keep your business competitive and resilient in an ever-changing market.



Enhanced employee engagement and productivity


Increasingly, employees are seeking to work for companies that align with their personal values, including a commitment to sustainability.


While this trend is more pronounced among larger companies, it’s also becoming relevant for small businesses, particularly those in industries where attracting and retaining talent is competitive.


According to research, 74 per cent of employees feel more fulfilled when they work for a company that is making a positive impact on the environment.


For small businesses, fostering a sustainable workplace can enhance employee morale, attract top talent, and reduce turnover rates.


However, the degree to which this resonates can depend on your specific workforce.


In sectors like tech, professional services, or among younger employees, sustainability is often a key consideration. On the other hand, in some more traditional industries, other factors like job security and compensation might be more important, though sustainability still adds value.


Sign up for our workshop to discover how your small or medium business—regardless of sector—can implement effective sustainability practices and energy efficiency strategies to drive growth. This event is open to all SMEs across the West Midlands!


Click here to register now.


You'll also have the opportunity to book a free energy assessment on the spot and apply for match funding of up to £100,000 to make your business more energy efficient.

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5 min

Aston University and Birmingham Women and Children’s Hospital developing new devices to improve drug treatment safety

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By joining together, BWC and Aston University are combining clinical, academic and engineering expertise to create a sensor that can detect extravasation at its earliest stages. Karl Emms, lead nurse for patient safety at BWC, said: “We've done lots of work across our Trust that has successfully reduced incidents. While we've made fantastic progress, there is only so much we can do as early signs of extravasation can be difficult to detect with the human eye. “The next step is to develop a technology that can do what people can't - detection as it happens. This will make a huge impact on outcomes as the faster we can detect extravasation, the less likely it is that it will cause serious harm.” The focused work to date addressing the issue has recently been recognised by the Nursing Times Awards 2024, winning the Patient Safety Improvement title for this year. This new project is supported by SPARK The Midlands, a network at Aston University dedicated to providing academic support to advance healthcare research discoveries in the region. SPARK The Midlands is the first UK branch of Stanford University's prestigious global SPARK programme. It comes as a result of Aston University’s active involvement in the delivery of the West Midlands Health Tech Innovation Accelerator (WMHTIA) – a government-funded project aimed at helping companies drive their innovations towards market success. The SPARK scheme helps to provide mentorship and forge networks between researchers, those with technical and specialist knowledge and potential sources of funding. SPARK members have access to workshops led by industry experts, covering topics such as medical device regulations, establishing good clinical trials, and creating an enticing target product profile to engage future funders. 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This means this test sometimes does not work. “A medical device that can detect misplacement can potentially stop harm and fatalities caused by these incidents.” SPARK will bring together engineers, academics and clinicians for both projects to develop the devices for clinical trial, with a goal of the technologies being ready for clinical use in three to five years. Southan said: “BWC is one of our first partners at SPARK and we're really excited to work with them to make a vital impact on paediatric healthcare in the Midlands and beyond." Notes to editors About Aston University For over a century, Aston University’s enduring purpose has been to make our world a better place through education, research and innovation, by enabling our students to succeed in work and life, and by supporting our communities to thrive economically, socially and culturally. Aston University’s history has been intertwined with the history of Birmingham, a remarkable city that once was the heartland of the Industrial Revolution and the manufacturing powerhouse of the world. Born out of the First Industrial Revolution, Aston University has a proud and distinct heritage dating back to our formation as the School of Metallurgy in 1875, the first UK College of Technology in 1951, gaining university status by Royal Charter in 1966, and becoming the Guardian University of the Year in 2020. Building on our outstanding past, we are now defining our place and role in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (and beyond) within a rapidly changing world. For media inquiries in relation to this release, contact Helen Tunnicliffe, Press and Communications Manager, on (+44) 7827 090240 or email: h.tunnicliffe@aston.ac.uk About Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust (BWC) brings together the very best in paediatric and women’s care in the region and is proud to have many UK and world-leading surgeons, doctors, nurses, midwives and other allied healthcare professionals on its team. Birmingham Children’s Hospital is the UK’s leading specialist paediatric centre, caring for sick children and young people between 0 and 16 years of age. Based in the heart of Birmingham city centre, the hospital is a world leader in some of the most advanced treatments, complex surgical procedures and cutting-edge research and development. It is a nationally designated specialist centre for epilepsy surgery and also boasts a paediatric major trauma centre for the West Midlands, a national liver and small bowel transplant centre and a centre of excellence for complex heart conditions, the treatment of burns, cancer and liver and kidney disease. The hospital is also home to one of the largest Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services in the country, comprising of a dedicated inpatient Eating Disorder Unit and Acute Assessment Unit for regional referrals of children and young people with the most serious of problems (Tier 4) and Forward Thinking Birmingham community mental health service for 0- to 25-year-olds. Birmingham Women’s Hospital is a centre of excellence, providing a range of specialist health care services to over 50,000 women and their families every year from Birmingham, the West Midlands and beyond. As well as delivering more than 8,200 babies a year, it offers a full range of gynaecological, maternity and neonatal care, as well as a comprehensive genetics service, which serves men and women. Its Fertility Centre is one of the best in the country, while the fetal medicine centre receives regional and national referrals. The hospital is also an international centre for education, research and development with a research budget of over £3 million per year. It also hosts the national miscarriage research centre – the first of its kind in the UK - in partnership with Tommy’s baby charity. For interview requests please email the Communications Team on bwc.communications@nhs.net

3 min

Aston University researcher develops new optical technique that could revolutionise medical diagnostics

New light technique could revolutionise non-invasive medical diagnostics Orbital Angular Momentum could be harnessed to improve imaging and data transmission through biological tissues Could eventually have potential to make procedures such as surgery or biopsies unnecessary. An Aston University researcher has developed a new technique using light which could revolutionise non-invasive medical diagnostics and optical communication. The research showcases how a type of light called the Orbital Angular Momentum (OAM) can be harnessed to improve imaging and data transmission through skin and other biological tissues. A team led by Professor Igor Meglinski found that OAM light has unmatched sensitivity and accuracy that could result in making procedures such as surgery or biopsies unnecessary. In addition it could enable doctors to track the progression of diseases and plan appropriate treatment options. OAM is defined as a type of structured light beams, which are light fields which have a tailored spatial structure. Often referred to as vortex beams, they have previously been applied to a number of developments in different applications including astronomy, microscopy, imaging, metrology, sensing, and optical communications. Professor Meglinski in collaboration with researchers from the University of Oulu, Finland conducted the research which is detailed in the paper “Phase preservation of orbital angular momentum of light in multiple scattering environment” which is published in the Nature journal Light Science & Application. The paper has since been named as one of the year’s most exciting pieces of research by international optics and photonics membership organisation, Optica. The study reveals that OAM retains its phase characteristics even when passing through highly scattering media, unlike regular light signals. This means it can detect extremely small changes with an accuracy of up to 0.000001 on the refractive index, far surpassing the capabilities of many current diagnostic technologies. Professor Meglinski who is based at Aston Institute of Photonic Technologies said: “By showing that OAM light can travel through turbid or cloudy and scattering media, the study opens up new possibilities for advanced biomedical applications. “For example, this technology could lead to more accurate and non-invasive ways to monitor blood glucose levels, providing an easier and less painful method for people with diabetes.” The research team conducted a series of controlled experiments, transmitting OAM beams through media with varying levels of turbidity and refractive indices. They used advanced detection techniques, including interferometry and digital holography, to capture and analyse the light's behaviour. They found that the consistency between experimental results and theoretical models highlighted the ability of the OAM-based approach. The researchers believe that their study’s findings pave the way for a range of transformative applications. By adjusting the initial phase of OAM light, they believe that revolutionary advancements in fields such as secure optical communication systems and advanced biomedical imaging will be possible in the future. 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2 min

Aston University researchers to explore using AI and fibre-optic networks to monitor natural hazards and infrastructures

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