Every time I open the news these days, it’s frightening. Bombs falling, prices rising, global chaos. It’s a scary time to be alive, let alone run a small business. It’s enough to make any business owner pull back and reconsider anything beyond pure cost cutting and survival mode.

When things get shaky, sustainability plans can be the first thing business owners think about shelving. We tell ourselves we’ll get back to the “people and planet” stuff once the world calms down.

But here’s the thing: we’ve seen this before.

Six years ago, we were all similarly glued to the news as the world went into lockdown and a pandemic took hold. Times were ‘unprecedented’, and consumers were tightening their belts. Logic suggested that “ethical” or “sustainable” options, which are sometimes seen as a luxury, would be the first things people dropped to save a buck.

The reality? The exact opposite happened.

From mindless consumption to intentional spending

During the pandemic, when people felt everything was out of control, they started looking for agency elsewhere. They found it in their wallets. Spending money became a way of voting for the kind of world they wanted to see survive the crisis.

We saw a surge in “intentional” shopping. People didn’t just want a product; they wanted to know that the business they were buying from was looking after its staff, sourcing ethically, and contributing to the community.

And the numbers backed this up. While high streets were facing a wave of closures, businesses that put purpose at their core were proving to be remarkably resilient. Data from B Lab showed that 66% of B Corps actually saw their revenue increase during 2020.

In a year defined by economic collapse, two-thirds of purpose-driven businesses grew. Why? Because when the world feels like it’s falling apart, people don’t retreat from their values – they hold onto them tighter. 

In fact, 60% of consumers reported making more environmentally friendly, sustainable, or ethical purchases in the year following the start of the pandemic. Willingness to pay and web searches for more sustainable products also increased.

“Feeling good” translates to real commercial benefits

Small business owners often mistakenly view sustainability as an expensive add-on. But during a crisis, it actually functions as a buffer against the storm.

Take supply chains, for example. Just like now, global shipping was heavily disrupted by the pandemic. The businesses that survived best were often those that had spent years building strong partnerships with local suppliers. When stock got low, those relationships meant they were the ones who still got deliveries, or could even pivot with those trusted partners to devise new solutions to meet demand.

Another key benefit is differentiation and customer loyalty. At the start of Covid, social enterprise Thankyou went all into making hand wash and sanitiser. And despite being a small, relatively new entrant to the category, customers chose to support a brand where they knew profits are redirected to support health and sanitation projects, enabling them to outperform larger brands in retail as well as beating them out to win a major government supply contract.

What this looks like in practice

Doubling down on sustainability doesn’t mean launching a big, expensive initiative or overhauling your entire business overnight. For most small businesses, it’s about making practical, visible choices that align with your values and communicating them clearly.

For example, say the price of the ‘ethical’ ingredient you’ve chosen has gone up. Instead of quietly switching to a cheaper option, talk to your customers about why that ingredient choice makes a difference and how it benefits the people of that community or the environment. Your customers will almost certainly be willing to pay a small amount more if they clearly see how they are contributing to good.

They may even go out of their way to buy it again, because with their purchase they receive a side of satisfaction and hope.

It’s not enough to just ‘do more good’ – you also need to talk about it!

I find small businesses are actually really good at doing the ‘right thing’ in their business, acting in a way their customer would support. But they also do it quietly, behind the scenes, without making a fuss.

That is a huge missed opportunity for your business and your community.

In the HERO method, we talk about do less harm, do more good, know why and – critically – talk about it. The “talking about it” part isn’t about bragging and it doesn’t have to be polished PR; it’s about inviting your customers into the story.

Talking authentically about your values and the choices you’ve made, even the challenges that has created along the way, creates trust with your customers. And trust is gold in uncertain times.

But if you don’t tell them what you’re standing for, they can’t choose to stand with you.

Holding the line

In uncertain times, people don’t just buy products or services. They buy into what those businesses stand for.

With every purchase, they vote for the world they want to live in.

You don’t need a massive budget to tap into this opportunity. You just need to be clear about your convictions, what you want to be known for, and how that flows through to your business decisions.

So, I want to ask you: What is your business standing for right now? How are you showing your customers that you’re part of the solution?

I’d love to hear how you’re showing your values in your business and how I can help you navigate these ‘unprecedented times’. And there’s heaps more tools and resources coming soon to help!