After careful consideration, we reached a mutual decision as a group to continue exploring the business and sustainability domain.
Through our conversations with experts (small and large business owners and experts in the field of sustainability), we understood that we should focused on the question – “How can a small business reduce waste to create a better world?”
To sharpen our understanding of the world of sustainability among the self-employed, we met with a dean at the School of Sustainability for a conversation where we raised the issues we identified. From the conversation, he knew how to guide and focus us to different conclusions.
As part of our third week assignment, we went to interview 5 people from our target audience (small business owners). For this purpose, we prepared a list of 12 questions, with an emphasis on providing examples from the interviewee.
The questions are:
1. Tell me about yourself.
2. Tell me about your business, what is it, and what is your role?
3. What type of goods do you purchase?
4. What are your considerations when ordering goods?
5. Do you order from multiple places?
6. If yes, is the expected delivery time different from place to place? By how much?
7. How do you know how much time in advance to order goods?
8. Tell me about the shelf life of the products you purchase, are there any that you don't use?
9. What are the main reasons for unused goods?
10. How do you feel when such a situation occurs?
11. Do you have mechanisms in your business to prevent product waste? If yes, would you use them?
12. As a business owner, do you have ideas/experiences to prevent product waste?
From the various interviews we conducted, several issues and needs emerged repeatedly;
Firstly, users often turn to various suppliers to secure goods at favorable prices, leading to difficulties in tracking orders. This approach has resulted in supply issues and varying delivery times. Some business owners noted that incomplete deliveries force them to frequently purchase goods, affecting overall merchandise costs.
Secondly, small business owners struggle with controlling and monitoring their inventory. Those without monitoring systems face financial consequences and wastage of goods.
Additionally, an economic challenge was identified during the interviews, Small businesses sometimes lack the financial flexibility to cope with rising prices.
Several needs and possible solutions were raised by small business owners who participated in the interviews. For example, exploring opportunities for selling excess inventory or considering the reuse of items. Additionally, there was a recognized need for external tracking of merchandise.
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