Sustainability is vital to any company that wants to remain relevant and endure into the future. Almi will help you focus on the next stage of your company’s sustainable development.
Sustainability drives profitability
Customers, businesses, and the planet are placing higher demands on companies. This holds true regardless of your target audience or whether you offer products or services.
Demonstrating that you practice systematic sustainability management can give your company a competitive edge. It may be the reason customers choose to buy from you and not somebody else.
No-one can do everything, but everyone can do something. The most important thing is to begin your sustainable transition and we can help you identify and prioritise the most essential measures for your company.
This is not a matter of doing as much as possible; rather, it is about pinpointing the issues on which you and your company can have the greatest sustainability impact – those that are important to your customers and that align with your business.
We can help you to:
- prioritise;
- kickstart your company's sustainability efforts;
- link your efforts to relevant global goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development;
- provide support material for sustainability initiatives in your communication, branding and marketing;
- boost your knowledge of sustainability issues and opportunities to involve key personnel or other employees;
- identify new business opportunities;
- identify your company's sustainability risks;
- identify your company's strengths and weaknesses and turn them into business and development opportunities;
- develop an initial sustainability strategy and concrete action plan for your company; and
- apply for funding for your green initiatives.
First meeting: Discussing your needs
During our initial meeting, we will discuss and assess your company’s needs and challenges and explore how Almi or other actors can help you meet them. We ask the questions and provide you with the tools, you have the answers and, together, we make a plan for the future.
Before we take you on as a client
Your Almi advisor will propose a course of action for your approval. Whenever we initiate a business relationship, we also ask the client to fill out a Customer Dues Diligence (CDD) form. This is so we can protect ourselves, our customers and society at large from criminal activities such as money laundering, trafficking, drug dealing, terrorist financing, the illegal arms trade and tax evasion.
Learn more about Customer Due Diligence (CDD) here.
A sustainability dialogue to equip you for the future
Whether the next step in your relationship with us is a loan or a business development service, you will be expected to enter into a sustainability dialogue with us. Sustainability is a vital issue not only for the planet but also for you, and your customers and employees expect you to engage with it. This is where our sustainability dialogue comes in. Whenever you avail yourself of Almi’s services, we will conduct a sustainability dialogue focused on your company’s sustainability management.
You will obtain basic knowledge of sustainability in general and how it affects your business and development opportunities in particular. You and your Almi advisor will enter into a dialogue about your operations. They will also help you prioritise your next steps. This will leave you better prepared to face the future and more confident that you are investing your time and money in the right areas.
A sustainability dialogue generally lasts for between one and three hours and is entirely free of charge.
What you will take away with you
The route of your journey with Almi depends on the conclusions you and your advisor reach. However, you will always take the following away with you:
Relevance analysis
Not everyone can do everything, but everyone can do something. A relevance analysis allows you and your advisor to identify relevant focus areas for your company to work on.
Double materiality analysis
A double materiality analysis looks at both the impact of your company on people and the environment and the potential financial impact of sustainability issues on your company.
Performance analysis
A performance analysis helps you understand the gap between expectations and the actual/achieved or potential results of your operations. The analysis can be a useful tool to answer questions such as: Where are we? Where do we want to be? And how do we get there?
Risk and opportunity identification
Together with your advisor, you will identify new business opportunities when you incorporate sustainability into your business, as well as the risks associated with failing to do so.
Action plan
After the meeting, you will have an overarching action plan setting out the next steps for your company – whether you take them with Almi, with another partner or by yourselves.
The next stage
Once you and your Almi advisor concur that you have implemented the agreed action plan, we will always call you to follow up the results. This is an opportunity to reflect on questions such as: What measures have been taken? How did it go? And what is your next step?
We may not have the solution you need
Almi is a state-owned enterprise and our mission is to smooth the way for you and all of Sweden's entrepreneurs. Sometimes, we may not be able to offer the solution you need.
In such cases, thanks to our extensive network we can refer you to another institution or agency that may be able to assist you with your ongoing work.
