Small businesses that will thrive this year

Some successful stories can inspire us to give much more effort to what we do, so we decided to share this with you.

We had the opportunity to interview Alya, the owner of Green Push. It was really interesting to hear about her journey and what inspired her to start teaching others about waste reduction. Here’s a little bit of what she had to say.

What motivated you to start a business like Green Push?

When I embarked on my green journey, I learned a lot about sustainable living from various resources online and started sharing more and more about sustainability with my friends & colleagues during talks and events.
In 2020, I created a neighbourhood community group to nudge people into the habit of giving instead of throwing away and quickly realised the power of knowledge sharing, as neighbours got more and more interested in implementing some green habits into their lives.
That’s how we ended up organising many knowledge-sharing sessions, from “Composting” workshops, Beach Clean-up events, “Tempe & Kombucha making” sessions, to “Climate Collage” workshops…and many more.
So after 2+ years of animating talks & various green workshops and realising the power that communities can have to drive positive change, I decided to create GreenPush.
GreenPush is a knowledge + community platform to help eco-conscious individuals grow.

We are on a mission to share actionable green steps that you can implement as habits and continue your green journey with other like-minded individuals.
How? Through workshops, events, talks & more
GreenPush also offers corporate workshops & talks to any organization who wants to educate their employees in implementing new sustainable green habits, at home or in the office.

What do people need to start a business from scratch?

As I am new in this ‘entrepreneurial’ journey, I know that I still have a lot to learn. One thing I would recommend for sure, is to have a purpose, something that really really drives you. Something’s worth dedicating all of your energy, time, and effort into it. Because at the end of the day, (at least that’s what I told myself!) is that if it does not work out for some reason, I would have at least tried for a cause I strongly believe in (and learn new things along the way). I prefer this than to say to myself in 10 years’ time ‘What if you had created that project at that time?’.

What are your goals for the next 2 years and where do you see yourself and your brand?

My main goals are to grow GreenPush, grow the community, maybe have more people onboard to help me animate the Green Workshops, and continue to educate individuals in implementing green habits in their lives, as many people as possible

On a personal level, I see myself settled somewhere as I am currently what people call a ‘digital nomad’.

I see that you offer corporate workshops for companies’ employers, how can people attend them and where?

Corporate workshops are here to educate individuals within corporations. At the moment, there’s two ready-to-deploy ‘Green Workshops’ that companies can request: ‘Green at work: 20 Greener alternatives you can implement in the office’ and ‘Simple steps to kickstart your green journey’.
For more personalised workshops, companies can reach out to us directly through the website, with their requests or ideas so we can discuss their needs.

How can we motivate people to make their first small green habits and steps?

It’s a good question! I think that once someone has an awakening regarding the climate crisis, the need to change their lifestyle will soon be the next step. Once they have this ‘I want to be a more conscious individual’ mindset, they will be more open to listen to advice & green tips that are shared to them.
Another way would be to nudge people using some influencing techniques. When I was working in an office a few years ago in Singapore, we started with a colleague to reuse plastic containers when going outside for a take-away lunch. After a few weeks, we realised that more and more colleagues followed our initiative, and started bringing with them containers when going outside to avoid single-used-plastic. This is an example of how influencing techniques can work.

We chose you to be part of the “ small businesses that will thrive this year” because while working with you, we saw how much we were missing out. How can every individual help with 0.01% effort do the Green Push for this planet?

Thank you so much for choosing GreenPush! Individuals could start by following our page and maybe get inspired by the green steps that we are sharing on a weekly-basis. When the website will be up & running, there will be able to sign up to our newsletter and receive green steps directly in their inbox.

Lastly, what would you say to new businessmen/women just starting out with green business?

Believe in yourself & in your capacities!
So many times in my life I encountered people who discouraged me from doing something and I often chose to not listen to them. Instead I would focus on my objectif and keep on going.
Another thing is to stay focused on one objectif and avoid doing so many things at once. Instead, don’t be afraid to ask for help, join a community of other entrepreneurs, surround yourself with people who will support you.

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
– African Proverb

We are so thankful to have had the chance to work with Alya and to have such a nice interview with her. Make sure you follow her wonderful Instagram Page ♥

And if you need graphic or social media support for your business, we are always there to help

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https://www.instagram.com/greenpushco/