For a lot of SMEs buying equipment for energy efficiency purposes isn’t easy, often requiring a large investment that just isn’t feasible. To make helping your SME customers easier and to win more, get involved with the Resource Efficient Scotland programme by promoting our services to your SME customer base and gain benefits for your own business in the process.
Here are some ways you could be involved and take full advantage of our services:
Promote the interest-free loan by using our supplier cheques
We provide our suppliers with free advice brochures resembling cheques, featuring the amount of money businesses are eligible for through the SME loan scheme. The brochures are a great and fun way to engage your SME client base as it highlights just how much money they could gain, and the savings they could also enjoy by becoming energy efficient.
For a limited time only, eligible businesses applying for the loan can receive 15% cashback of up to £10,000 on completion of their project.
Just recently, we worked with textile manufacturer, Robert Mackie of Scotland, who was keen to take full advantage of the interest-free loan and 15% cashback. This enabled the business to purchase 4 new CNC machines, saving over £95k per annum and 40.8 tonnes of carbon – just imagine how popular you’d be if you saved your customers over £95,000.
The loan also helped Scottish book distributor, Booksource, to capitalise on the latest lighting technology. Booksource were keen to reduce its environmental impact and cut costs on its energy bill so, used the loan to install new LED lights and sensor controls throughout their warehouse. This upgrade slashed over £16,000 off the businesses annual energy costs and significantly reduced their carbon emissions – a win for the business and the environment.
Demonstrate your capability to other potential customers
Promote your equipment by showcasing your projects and attract new customers too, on our interactive searchable tool, the Green Network for Business. The tool is an inventory of case studies about Scottish businesses who have had energy saving equipment installed in their premises.
The tool doubles up as a supplier directory highlighting the supplier who worked on each implementation project. It also provides detailed insight into your capabilities and the opportunity for other businesses to go on a site visit to see the equipment installed first-hand.
By featuring on the Green Network for Business you are not only promoting your own services but also showing that you can be a trusted and transparent supplier who takes pride in their work, and someone who SMEs should consider working with in the future if your services were needed.
Exhibit at our SME training workshops and meet potential buyers
Throughout the year we organise and host multiple training workshops and events for SMEs up and down the country. The purpose of these events is for SMEs to learn about how to become more energy efficient, and what tools and technologies they can use to help them on their journey.
This is why we have dedicated supplier zone at our events. Our supplier zone is a section where suppliers like yourself can come and exhibit, often for free and provide a clear and concise demonstration of your products – re-emphasising the value they could have for the end user.
Our supplier zone provides a great networking opportunity, as you can find out what are the main barriers and obstacles facing SMEs when it comes to purchasing equipment like yours, and again it’s a great chance to meet other potential buyers who you may not get in front of anywhere else.
There are a wide range of opportunities suppliers (like you) could benefit from by engaging with the Resource Efficient Scotland programme. For further information on ways you can engage with the programme and benefit, please download our dedicated supplier pack.
We’re always interested to hear about new businesses undertaken exciting new projects so, if you’re implementing a project for a client, we’d love to hear about it, just give us a call on 0808 808 2268.
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Resource Efficient Scotland is a programme from Zero Waste Scotland. Free support to business is funded by the Scottish Government and by the European Regional Development Fund through the £73 million Resource Efficiency Circular Economy Accelerator Programme.