Supply chains for consultancies

For consultancies and service-based business, the largest part of your impact likely doesn’t come from your office or your vehicles – it could be from the clients you choose to work with.

Once you’ve done all your switching and green’d up the office, you might need to take a hard look at who your clients are… Most importantly, their activities.

Is there a terrible polluter in your books? If so, by working with them, you’re directly both enabling and endorsing what they do.

Clean Creatives are just one group who name-and-shame the advertising agencies supporting fossil fuel companies.

A single bad client can easily undo decades of positive impact you’ve made, so what are your options?

• Have a chat, see if they’re on a green path themselves (and have your bulls**t radar switched on)
• If there’s no joy and your in a position to part ways, do so graciously and explain your reasons why
• If you’re not in a position to lose a client, create a transition plan – as long as you need it to be – with a goal of replacing the revenue you’ll lose from them with new clients, and move them on when the time is right

That last option might temporarily slow your growth as you work to replace a client rather than simply adding more… but the path you open up after that transition bears a lighter load. You’ll be free of the anchor that’s dragging down all the good you’re doing elsewhere.

These can be tough conversations to have. Be kind, and reach out here if you need help.