Helping businesses establish a circular value proposition

It is one thing to create a sustainable product or service that can make the world a better place; it is quite another to make it successful.

When it comes to doing business better, it is not enough to create a product or service that achieves circular outcomes in theory – businesses need to meet customers where they are with an offer that resonates and compels them to purchase or engage with it.

Understanding this, Zero Waste Scotland wanted to create a free step-by-step toolkit that start-ups and businesses developing a new offering could use to craft compelling – and viable – circular economy value propositions that would help their products or services stand out.

To achieve its aims, Zero Waste Scotland commissioned Resource Futures (through the Scottish Ecosystem Fund) to test and develop a bespoke practical toolkit aimed at helping sustainable entrepreneurs better connect with customers.

This began with a series of in-person workshops in Glasgow and Edinburgh, led by Resource Futures’ circular economy experts, for entrepreneurs and founders establishing businesses across a range of sectors – from food and drink and hospitality to textiles and clothing.

The workshops confirmed that businesses often find it difficult to put themselves in their customers’ shoes; in several cases, the adoption of circular strategies did not align with attendees’ understanding of their customers’ priorities, or those of the market at large.

Through these workshops, participants were supported in using a range of tools including sustainable business model canvassing, customer journey mapping, and value proposition mapping; these helped them take a more customer-centric view of their products and services and informed the development of their circular value propositions.

Following on, online customer feedback panels were established, which allowed participating businesses to get one-on-one constructive feedback from potential customers, other business owners or circular economy experts on their value proposition.

Participating businesses and panellists alike reported that they found these online sessions valuable, explaining that it challenged their thinking on what value means to customers and how circularity fits into this picture.

Reflections and feedback were gathered during all stages of the work from participants and facilitators. These were used as the basis for developing the final toolkit: ‘Developing a circular value proposition for your business’.

This toolkit takes users through a structured, five-step process to go from business idea to a fully-fledged circular value proposition for their business, with a number of freely available templates and guidance to facilitate the process.

The published toolkit – available on the Zero Waste Scotland website – provides businesses with the resources they need to effectively assess whether their product or service aligns with potential customers’ expectations.

It also equips businesses with the skills they need to clearly communicate the unique benefits of their product or service to their target audience, helping customers to understand why they should choose them over competitor brands.

This approach is crucial for businesses striving to adopt circular economy principles, helping them to advocate more effectively for better solutions while providing a competitive proposition in their chosen marketplace.