Sustainability and Fit-Out Finance

Sustainability and Fit-Out Finance: A Green Approach

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As the world moves towards sustainable living, businesses cannot afford to ignore the importance of environmental responsibility in their operations. One of the ways companies can contribute to this cause is by adopting a green approach to their fit-out finance. Fit-out finance is the process of financing the design, construction, and furnishing of office spaces. In this blog post, we will explore why sustainability is important in fit-out finance and how businesses can adopt a green approach to finance their fit-out projects.

  1. Why Sustainability is Important in Fit-Out Finance

Fit-out projects, like any other construction project, have a significant impact on the environment. The materials used in a fit-out project, the energy consumed during construction, and the resulting waste must be carefully considered. Sustainable fit-out finance aims to reduce this impact by promoting environmentally responsible design, construction, and material choices.

Sustainability also benefits businesses in the long run. A sustainable fit-out can result in reduced energy consumption, lower operational costs, and increased employee satisfaction. Green buildings also have a higher resale value and attract more tenants. A sustainable fit-out is not only an investment in the environment but also in the profitability and success of your business.

  1. How to Adopt a Sustainable Approach to Fit-Out Finance

The first step towards adopting a sustainable approach to fit-out finance is to establish clear sustainability goals for your project. These goals should be in line with your business’s sustainability policy and corporate social responsibility initiatives. Next, choose a finance provider who values sustainability and has experience in green financing solutions.

When planning your fit-out project, incorporate sustainable design principles such as daylighting, efficient HVAC systems, and water-saving devices. Choose materials that are durable, recycled, and eco-friendly. During construction, implement waste management practices to minimize the environmental impact of the project.

  1. Benefits of Sustainable Fit-Out Finance

Sustainable fit-out finance offers several benefits beyond reducing your environmental footprint. It can result in a healthier and more productive work environment for your employees, thereby improving your business’s bottom line. Sustainable fit-outs also enjoy incentives such as tax breaks, reduced insurance premiums, and expedited permits and approvals.

Moreover, sustainable fit-outs can help attract and retain eco-conscious employees and customers. Sustainable practices are becoming increasingly important to employees, particularly millennials and Generation Z, who prioritize working for environmentally responsible companies. Sustainable fit-outs can also attract sustainable-minded customers who prefer eco-friendly businesses.

Conclusion

Sustainability is the future of business, and adopting a green approach to fit-out finance is an essential step towards a sustainable business model. Sustainable fit-out finance reduces environmental impact, lowers operational costs, increases profitability, improves employee productivity and satisfaction, and attracts eco-conscious employees and customers. Businesses can adopt a green approach to fit-out finance by establishing sustainability goals, choosing a sustainable finance provider, using sustainable design principles, selecting eco-friendly materials, and obtaining sustainability certifications. By adopting a sustainable approach to fit-out finance, businesses can demonstrate their commitment to environmental stewardship while reaping the benefits of a green building. Contact us to find out more.

net zero winners

Net Zero Business of the Year Winners!

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On Wednesday the 28th September the WestWon group were lucky enough to attend the Buckinghamshire Business Awards held at the glittering Waterside Theatre in Aylesbury. It was a fantastic night out with the team where we dined and met a whole bunch of amazing local businesses.

And just to top the night off we were delighted to be awarded Net Zero Business of the Year! This meant so much to us as team that have been working vehemently towards our green goals the past year. We are also proud to say that we are very much on target to our 5-year goal! And that is to have 100,000 trees planted in the WestWon Woodland, and as a result remove 7,500 tonnes of carbon from the Earth’s atmosphere.

However, not only were we awarded the Net Zero Business of the Year Award, but we were fed a delicious 3-course meal, participated in a game of heads or tails and even caricatured! Not to mention for our win we were gifted a bottle of champagne for the whole team!

Why we think we were awarded Net Zero Business of the Year Award

For the past decade we have tried our best to act sustainably as possible. We started off by becoming a paperless company. We did this by operating off a cloud-based system instead. Not only does this help save trees, but we also found that it has saved us money and office space!

To add, we also invested in LED lighting once we moved to our High Wycombe offices back in 2016. As well as the thickest carpet and ceiling tiles to reduce our energy consumption as much as possible. Additionally, we made this office a gas free one, meaning that it is powered solely by electric.

Moreover, we are proud contributors to the circular economy, you can read more about this in our blog here.

However, more recently we have been pushing our green agenda more than ever. As of the start of this year we launched the WestWon Woodland, and late 2021 we became a climate positive company. This year we also introduced the use of electric vehicles, with two directors of the business now having a Tesla and a Polestar.

What is the WestWon Woodland?

The WestWon Woodland is whereby we have tree plant for EVERY MONTH of any finance agreement made through us. For example, for a 5-year agreement, that’s 60 trees planted in the WestWon Woodland!

Then as a thank you, once your agreement is activated, we will send you a certificate outlining how many trees you have planted. As well as how much carbon you have reduced through financing through WestWon!

What does it mean to be a climate positive company?

Being a climate positive company means offsetting all employee carbon emissions. We do this through a company called Ecologi. They offset our employee carbon emissions through conducting various climate positive projects around the world. This can be anything from the protection of the Peruvian rainforests to the generation of solar energy in Egypt.

Contact Us

Should you have any questions on our green agenda, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Give us a call on 01494 506 385, or send an email to hello@fitout.finance and a friendly member of our team will get back to you.

 

plants in the office are a good idea

Why plants in the office are a good idea

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In this blog we will be discussing the importance of plants in the office and the benefits that come along with them. There are many benefits to having plants around the office. This includes the easy installation process, the increase in productivity and satisfaction, the overall design and brand image it creates as well as showing your sustainability practices throughout the company. All of these are expanded on below. Therefore, if you would like to find out more, please read on. Alternatively, you can get in touch with us by using the contact details at the bottom of the blog.

Benefits of using plants in the office

The first benefit is that they are easy to install, as well as maintain. Whether you are looking to install an artificial plant wall, or have real ones lining your office floor, they are easy to maintain. Fake ones do not bring as many benefits as real ones do. However, depending on the placement and frequency of visitation, they can be easier to manage. The living and breathing plants on the other hand don’t require too much maintenance considering the health benefits that come of having them around. There’s a lot of flexibility about where they can be installed. It’s an easy way to add colour and life to any space.

The next benefit is that they increase both employee satisfaction and productivity. It has been proven that plants increase the physical and mental health of people. This in turn increases satisfaction and productivity. This is essential for any business to grow and succeed. Having plants in the office brightens the space, and therefore has an impact on those that work there. And as we all know plants produce oxygen, so they are also a simple remedy to clear stuffy office air!

The design of your office is also enhanced. You can express your brand image by making your office your shop front to the world. Having plants around can show that you have a sustainable and modern company culture. This is perfect when showing around new clients, partners, or suppliers. However, it’s also great for recruitment purposes. After all, everyone wants to work for a company that cares.

Sustainability

Lastly, it can show the sustainable side of your business to others. Today, with climate conscious customers on the rise, making sure you are part of the environmentally friendly driven shift is very important. And rightly so. A green agenda is essential for any business. Below is a bit more information on the work we have already done here at Fit Out Finance.

Green agenda

Here at Fit Out Finance, we are excited to have our own green agenda through our parent company, WestWon Limited. We now plant through an organisation called Plant for the Planet, as well as offset 25 of our employees’ carbon emissions through a company called Ecologi. So far this year, we have managed to plant over 10,000 trees and offset nearly 400 tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere. We are thrilled to continue this scheme to do our part for the environment. No matter the size of your business, any change you make goes a long way.

We are aim high here at Fit Out Finance. We have an ambitious target to plant a whopping 100,000 trees, and subsequently offset 7,500 tonnes of CO2 through the WestWon Woodland by 2027. However, we believe that we, along with the help of our customers, can reach these. Together, we can make a difference to the devastating impact of climate change on our world today.

Contact Us

If you would like more information on why plants in the office are a good idea, then head over to our contact page on our website to speak to a member of our team. Furthermore, if you would like to talk to us over the phone then please call 01494 506 385 or email hello@fitout.finance.

circular economy

How Fit Out Finance supports the circular economy

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Here at Fit Out Finance, saving the planet is at the top of our priority list. That is why we like to act as sustainably as possible.

As you may already know, for every month of a lease agreement made through us, we will have a tree planted on your behalf.

To add to this, we are proud to say that we are a climate positive workforce. This means that all employee emissions are offset through sustainable projects and tree planting across the world. Therefore, with these two factors combined, the WestWon Woodland is expanding at a vast rate. Currently, the WestWon Woodland consists of 12,315 flourishing trees! We have also made it so you can follow the development of the woodland with our very own virtual WestWon Woodland.

Track our progress here

 

But it doesn’t stop there. We are also proud contributors to the circular economy. Which you can read more about below.

So, what is the Circular Economy?

The circular economy is an integral part of the green big 3. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. The circular economy covers all three of these elements. When materials go instantly to landfill after usage this process is linear as its life ends there. However, the circular economy basically ensures that the lifespan of materials is prolonged. This is done through either reusing, recycling, or remanufacturing of products, thus reducing the quantity of waste going to landfills.

How does Fit Out Finance come into play?

When lease agreements are over, there is the option to retain or return the equipment to us, we always make sure that all used equipment is re-loved. This meaning that no equipment goes to landfill.

So, by any means we will avoid equipment going to landfill. When equipment is in good condition, we will send it onto a second-hand furniture reseller.

However, should the equipment do with a little TLC, we will send it off to get restored. Then from there, we can make sure that it is rehomed too.

And in the worst case, when the equipment is beyond repair, we will make sure that the materials are recycled. Either way, our clients’ preloved equipment will get a second chance at life.

The circular economy leasing cycle:

  1. Customer selects product to then place a purchase order
  2. They can then choose a lease term that suits them over either 3,4 or 5 years
  3. The customer makes their monthly payment (whilst we plant a tree for each of these!)
  4. At the end of the lease the equipment is either reused, recycled or remanufactured

Therefore, our leasing cycle allows our clients to renew their equipment at the end of their agreement whilst their preloved equipment either gets rehomed, restored or recycled.

If you have any questions about our circular economy, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Give us a call on 01494 506 385. Or, send an email to hello@fitout.finance and member of our friendly team will get back to you.

Why you should want to work in a sustainable office

Why you should want to work in a sustainable office

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Why you should want to work in a sustainable office

There are several reasons why you should want to work in a sustainable office. Firstly, there is mounting pressure on businesses to be sustainable from employees themselves. Studies have shown that more and more of us are more likely to work for a company that has a sustainability policy in place. Employees are now looking out for companies who care about the environment, and ensuring you not only attract but retain these forward-thinking individuals is one reason why you should become more environmentally conscious.

Another reason is to future-proof your business. With governments telling companies to up their sustainability responsibility and putting carbon negative targets in place, the working world is moving towards a greener future. Making sure your business is future proofed within any department of your business is crucial.

Importance of being green for the environment

Obviously, the most important benefit of working in a green office is the benefits towards the environment. Reducing carbon footprints and ensuring you recycle make the world a cleaner and greener place to live. Global warming will be reduced to stick to the targets worldwide leaders have set in terms of earth’s temperatures. Habitats and animals will be saved, and ocean sea levels will stop rising. These are very serious and big achievements. Every small contribution counts, so making your office sustainable could be the first initial step to take.

What are things you can do to be more green

There are several things you can do to be greener, some of which are:

  • Recycling bins on all floors whilst bringing in less plastic (for example less lunch packaging)
  • Installing LED lighting throughout the office
  • Digitalising all your files to be a paperless office and making sure all essential paper is recycled
  • If you have company cars make sure they are electric!

We have implemented all of these here at Fit Out Finance.

We have a tree planting scheme taking place with a company called Plant for the Planet. With them we plant a tree for every month of a finance agreement you undertake with us. We are also offsetting our employees’ carbon emissions by teaming up with Ecologi.

Contact Us

If you would like more information on why you should want to work in a sustainable office, then head over to our contact page on our website to speak to a member of our team. Furthermore, if you would like to talk to us over the phone then please call 01494 506 385 or email hello@fitout.finance. You can also see more over on our LinkedIn page.

Our new tree planting partner

Our new tree planting partner

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Here at Fitout Finance we are proud to be a climate positive workforce. In order to do this we teamed up with, through our parent company WestWon Limited, a company called Ecologi. Ecologi work towards a better and greener future. Through them we were able to plant just under 6,000 trees. We have also been offsetting our employees’ emissions since the end of last year with them. This has all contributed to our green agenda and how we can make our business more sustainable. Now, we are welcoming WestWon’s new tree planting partner, Plant for the Planet.

We will now be planting all our trees from our ‘lease-a-tree’ campaign with them. This means that for every month of a lease agreement we undertake, we will plant a tree. It’s as simple as that! For example, a 5 year lease would amount to 60 trees planted! This is how you can help us make the transition towards a more sustainable future.

Who are our new tree planting partner?

Plant for the Planet are a not-for-profit organisation. They work with world leaders and large corporations all over the world in order to fight climate change. Being mostly youth led, the driving force of the organisation is led by a younger generation, passionate about the environment. They took over the billion tree campaign from the UN in 2011, and have now rebranded it to the trillion tree campaign. They are doing incredible work and we are thrilled to now be a part of their journey.

Our green agenda and the all important numbers

Here at Fitout Finance we too are passionate about sustainability. Currently, we have planted over 9,000 trees in the WestWon Woodland and have reduced over 350 tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere. These numbers will only continue to grow the more we work together. If you would like to help us reach our goals within the next 5 years, then please contact us with the details below.

Contact Us

If you would like more information about WestWon’s new tree planting partner, then head over to our contact page to speak to a member of our team. Additionally, if you would like to talk to us over the phone then please call 01494 506 385 or email us on hello@fitout.finance.

green office

5 Top Tips to a Greener Office

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Many businesses across the globe have started to take sustainability more seriously. Employees feel better working for a company that cares, and customers will appreciate this too.
During this blog I will be listing some small changes that you could make to your office that could make all the difference over time, by making it greener. These are ways by which you can support the restoration of our planet daily.

Go paperless

A good first step towards sustainability is digitalisation. This means making that shift from paper to cloud-based file storage. This will inevitably reduce your company’s paper wastage. And the more companies that do this, the less demand there will be for deforestation. It’s all about the accumulative effect.

Did you know that our parent company, WestWon, has been a paperless company for nearly a decade now? We will only use paper if necessary, and if we do, you can be assured that it is 100% recycled. For example, the WestWon Woodland certificates are made from 100% recycled materials.

The majority of our files and documents are uploaded onto our custom-built CRM system, as well as cloud-based software. This has not only contributed positively to the environment but has also saved us a lot of space and money over the years! As you are probably aware, some offices will have whole rooms dedicated to the storage of their paper documents. But, by converting to cloud-based file storage, you can put this space to better use, and help save the planet!

Restrooms

Paper towels are so 2008. Upgrade to hand dryers, or even have roller towels installed. This will again reduce your company’s demand in paper usage.

Fix that leaking tap! Did you know having leaking tap dripping per second can waste up to 25 litres of water a day?

Utilities

Save energy and ultimately cut down on your utility overheads by investing in LED lighting and solar power sources.

LED lighting is 50% more efficient than your standard lighting. LED bulbs emit less heat, provide more light, and cost less! These bulbs also have a longer lifespan, this means fewer bulbs and less waste and fewer expenses. There is not much reason to remain with conventional lighting. Here at Fit Out Finance our offices are fully fitted with LED lighting. This is just another way by which we are contributing to the health of our planet.

Solar panels are the most sustainable energy source of the renewable energy options. This is because the energy manifests in two forms. These being heat and light. But we understand that solar panels can be an expensive upfront cost, that is why we believe leasing is the best route for minimal harm to your cash flow. You can read more on solar panel leasing for your business here.

Recycle

Recycling is key to the restoration of planet. The UK alone, generated a whopping 37.2 million tonnes of commercial and industrial waste back in 2019. We can all help reduce these figures year by year by recycling at both work and home. Here at Fit Out Finance we have equipped each floor of our office with recycling bins. This has encouraged our team to recycle during the workday as well as at home.

Office plants

You can literally make a greener office through the use of plant decor. However, office plants not only add to the atmosphere of the office, but they also provide oxygen to the air that your employees breathe. This is a great way to improve your office’s air quality whilst also adding to the aesthetic of the workplace.

Contact Us

Here at Fit Out Finance, we can help make your office more environmentally friendly without compromising a healthy cash flow. Give us a call today on 01494 506 385. Or, send an email to hello@fitout.finance to find out more about how we can help finance your greener office.

Fit Out Finance a climate positive workforce

Fit Out Finance – a climate positive workforce

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Here at Fit Out Finance we pride ourselves on being a climate positive workforce. Through our parent company, WestWon Limited, we have teamed up with a company called Ecologi. You may have seen us mention them in a couple of blogs and pages already. We joined them over 6 months ago now and became a climate positive workforce when we joined. We did this as we were (and still are) offsetting our employees’ carbon footprints. But more about that later. Below is a bit more information on how we are a climate positive workforce. Also see below for how you can make your business more sustainable.

How Fit Out Finance is a climate positive workforce

When we first decided to become a climate positive workforce, we were recommended a company called Ecologi. After numerous Teams meetings and emails back and forth, we found they were an extremely trustworthy and transparent company to team up with. We started to research the different ways in which we could help. Now, we offset all our employees’ carbon footprint (which includes 2 short haul return flights).

At the start of this year, we also launched our lease a tree campaign, whereby for every month of a lease agreement with us, we will plant a tree. So, for a 3-year deal, that’s a total of 36 trees planted! And a little goes a long way, because as of March 2022, we have planted over 5,600 trees in the ‘WestWon Woodland’. We have also been sending out certificates with an extra incentive for customers to repost them on LinkedIn. And just for that, we will have an 10 extra trees planted in the WestWon Woodland.

Make your business future proof

Currently, there is a big push towards businesses becoming more sustainable. We have started taking the necessary steps but wish, and will, in the future do a lot more. Some ways that we have made this step and that you can also do for your business are, for example, becoming a paperless office. The rate of modern technology is rapidly growing, and it’s time that all businesses took advantage of this. With the help of our state-of-the-art CRM system, we have managed to move all our documentation online. Apart from our certificates that are sent out (on recycled paper however) we have been paperless for over a decade now. You can also install LED lighting, crack down on recycling in the office and encourage staff to use public transport or walk to work if they can. Bigger ambitions include installing renewable energy resources and driving electric cars if needed.

Contact Us

If you would like more information on our green agenda here at Fit Out Finance, then please don’t hesitate to give us a call on 01494 506 385. Or, you can drop us an email to hello@fitout.finance. You can also see more over on our LinkedIn page.

Our green agenda here at Fit Out Finance

Our green agenda here at Fit Out Finance

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The WestWon Woodland scheme

Here at Fit Out Finance, we are a trading name of WestWon. At the end of last year, WestWon decided to start investing in the environment. Through a company called Ecologi, we have made the aim for ourselves to plant 100,000 trees and reduce 7,500 tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere within the next 5 years. We hope that by giving ourselves this impressive aim, we can strive to reach it, and will in turn do our bit for the world we live in.

We have named this scheme the WestWon Woodland, however here at Fit Out Finance, we are striving to help WestWon reach this goal and will be a part of this green agenda. Ecologi works with a huge number of organisations whose aim is also to plant trees in order to contribute positively to the climate. We will be planting a tree for every month of a lease deal. We will be monitoring this at the end of each month, so that no trees are left unplanted!

Carbon offsetting

Along with this tree planting scheme we have also taken advantage of Ecologi’s carbon offsetting service. This means that every month, Ecologi counteracts the carbon that we offset as a business by investing in projects that remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. Ecologi has a tool that calculates our carbon emissions. It then uses this to show how many trees we would need to plant to offset this. In doing so, WestWon has become a climate positive workforce, which we have been for over 4 months now.

One of our main goals is to also become a carbon neutral company. We know this will come in time, however we are on the right path towards achieving this goal. We have taken steps to ensure the trees that are planted are actually real! This includes speaking with Ecologi on numerous occasions. As well as in depth research and looking at their transparent paper trail of their accounts, live on their website.

More about our green agenda here at Fit Out Finance

We are excited to get this project underway. In doing so it brings many benefits to the environment. This includes benefits such as carbon sequestration, flood control and improvements to the air we breathe and the habitats of animals around the world. If you would like to read more about this then please head over to our sustainability page on our website.

Contact Us

If you would like more information on what we can offer you and your business then head over to our contact page on our website to speak to a member of our team. Furthermore, if you would like to talk to us over the phone then please call 01494 506 385 or email hello@fitout.finance.

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