The Green Ledger - Tips for a Sustainable Small Business
What if your business could not only survive the ups and downs of the market but actually thrive during uncertain times? What if, instead of constantly putting out fires, you had systems in place that let you step away—maybe even take a real vacation—knowing that everything was running smoothly in your absence?
The Green Ledger - Tips for a Sustainable Small Business is the show where making money meets making a difference. This podcast is your guide to building a profitable, planet-friendly, and people-friendly business. In each episode we explore strategies and insights used by big companies and adapt them for the small business landscape.
Whether you're serving up meals, brewing drinks, crafting goods, or making an impact in your own unique way, The Green Ledger equips you with practical tips, proven tools, and forward-thinking methods to build resilience, create long-term value, and give you a competitive edge. Join our community of forward-thinking small business owners, and let’s turn sustainability into your secret weapon for success—one entry in The Green Ledger at a time.
The Green Ledger - Tips for a Sustainable Small Business
Episode 6 - Are Your Suppliers Helping or Hurting you?
Are Your Suppliers Helping or Hurting You?
Your business depends on other businesses, but do you really know if your suppliers are supporting your goals… or quietly undermining them?
In this episode, I share the story of a bakery owner blindsided by a last-minute supplier collapse, just as her busiest season was kicking off. And then I zoom out to look at the bigger picture: how to evaluate, strengthen, and even rethink your supplier and vendor relationships as part of your business resilience strategy.
Whether you buy ingredients, packaging, or use services like janitorial support or software providers, this episode gives you the tools to spot risks, assess values alignment, and build stronger partnerships that help your business thrive.
📦 What You’ll Learn
- Why suppliers and vendors are often your biggest hidden risks
- How to tell the difference between a reliable partner and a vulnerability
- A 5-category Supplier Scorecard you can start using this week
- Early warning signs that a supplier relationship may be failing
- A 90-day action plan to evaluate and strengthen your supplier ecosystem
🧾 Quick Tool Highlight: The Supplier Scorecard
Evaluate your top suppliers in five categories:
- Delivery & Reliability
- Quality & Consistency
- Values & Standards Alignment
- Communication & Responsiveness
- Financial Health & Backup Readiness
📉 Any partner scoring below 7? Add them to your resilience radar.
💌 Questions? Feedback?
Reach out at anca@3pimpactconsulting.com - I’d love to hear from you.
🎧 Listen now - and take the first step toward a more resilient business.
I am the founder of 3P Impact Consulting and I help small businesses build long-term resilience through sustainable practices. I adapt tools used by big corporations to fit the reality of purpose-driven small business owners - so they can grow with confidence, even in uncertain times.
💻 Learn more about my work at www.3pimpactconsulting.com/services
📬 Subscribe to my blog and newsletter at www.3pimpactconsulting.com/resources