Sometimes the best ideas start with a simple conversation. But where can business leaders connect with local peers away from the day-to-day, business-as-usual thinking? Stratstone Jaguar Reading dealership faced this exact dilemma. They wanted to feel more connected to their local business community. It turns out they weren't alone.

Thanks to serendipity and a new collaboration with FuturePlus and the Federation of Small Businesses, a new local business network was created. That’s why the Stratstone showroom was transformed into a business hub for the night, where marketing specialists mingled with distributors, energy experts, tech innovators, consultants and manufacturers.

The Business Loop, powered by FuturePlus, is creating a nationwide community of businesses committed to a long-term positive impact. By convening diverse organisations and supporting collaboration with key partners, it seeks to expand knowledge, connect sustainability and profitability, provide support, and drive meaningful action on sustainability.

Focusing on critical areas such as social and economic impact, inclusion, and environmental responsibility, this initiative equips SMEs to adapt, thrive, and lead in a rapidly changing world. Through these collective efforts and conversations, FuturePlus is building the foundation for positive change, unlocking the potential of sustainable practices that benefit businesses and their broader communities.

Sustainability: A Lens for Business Resilience

Sustainability is not about being 'green'. Rather it's a powerful lens through which to evaluate and improve a business. Mike Penrose from FuturePlus shared two real-life examples where sustainability uncovered blind spots in business operations that, when addressed, led to increased resilience and growth.

As a third-generation family business, RH Amar knows how to adapt to changing times. James Amar, Strategy & CSR Director at RH Amar, a FuturePlus client, shared how their efforts started as well-intentioned individual initiatives like green committees, digitisation, and community engagement. They evolved into a structured approach they simply call "Doing Business Better." This framework now guides decision-making across their entire operation, so sustainability isn't an add-on – it's a better way of doing business.

James admitted it took time to realise that sustainability was not about having all the answers upfront. It was about taking that first step, learning along the way, and being willing to share both successes and challenges with others. For RH Amar, supply chain challenges that used to be 'once in a while' are becoming increasingly commonplace - which is why future-proofing is not a nice-to-have but crucial.

Start with Measurement, Not Assumptions

"You wouldn't blindly go under the surgeon's knife without knowing what was wrong with you," Doug Johnson pointed out, drawing a parallel to business investments.

Managing Director of Mesh Energy, Doug, takes the same approach with his clients as he did for his own business. He knew his numbers and started by measuring his waste streams. A simple change that cost £400 in his building management led to 30% savings in electricity bills. His advice is to start with free and most impactful changes, then move to most impactful but least expensive.
This measurement-first mindset is crucial for any business transformation. That's why the FuturePlus platform emphasises defining what sustainability means for each specific business.It uses data to track what they are doing already and what steps they can take while building practical, achievable 3-year roadmaps based on quantifiable ambitions.

But data alone doesn't drive change - you need to bring people with you. Ben Morgan from Circular Accountants, who worked in a Big4 restructuring team for 4 years, including during Covid, where he worked with many distressed companies. While financial planning does lead to cost efficiency or growth, you need to find ways to tell that story. One approach is to choose a metaphor that stays with people through any change. Examples include ‘the plane crash in the desert headed to the oasis’ or the ‘we’re on a bus analogy. Some will get on – some will get off - but we’re going somewhere new’. As a business transforms, leadership needs to grant amnesty for the past and declare a 'new day’ to show a forward, focused vision of a better tomorrow so you can anchor the disruption you’re suggesting in a positive, strategic vision for the future.

Local Knowledge

Gathering local businesses together is a great way to share local knowledge that most people don’t have time to look for. Starting in early 2025, 6,500 new public charge points will be coming to Berkshire, infrastructure that will transform local business operations in the coming years. This was news to almost everyone in the room.

Clare Sharp from Berkshire Local Enterprise Partnership took us behind the scenes of the electrification of transport to reveal a different story to the media headlines and what it means for Berkshire, including some cost-saving, practical support options available right now: workplace charging schemes, EV infrastructure grants, and salary sacrifice schemes that could save employees up to 40% on EV purchases.

These aren't future possibilities but current opportunities for local businesses to take advantage of.

Looking Ahead to 2025

The most powerful moments weren't in the formal presentations but in the connections made before and after. This is exactly what The Business Loop set out to achieve - creating a space where local businesses could step away from their day-to-day operations and see their challenges through fresh eyes, where they could learn not just from experts, but from each other's experiences.

As James Amar noted, "There is a genuine appetite for sharing best practice... the sense of 'we're all in this together' is of greater importance to many businesses."

The Business Loop is just the beginning. 2025 will see more events as FuturePlus continues to engage with businesses nationally who want to future-proof themselves in a rapidly changing environment. Because sometimes, the best business insights don't come from consultants or books – they come from the business next door.

The Business Loop is a collaboration between FuturePlus, FSB, and Stratstone Jaguar Reading, designed to create peer-to-peer learning opportunities for businesses in Berkshire.