Andrea Pugh
Founder
IT Won’t Cost The Earth
Andrea Pugh
www.itwontcosttheearth.com
What led you to setting up your own business?
I had just finished my business degree through the OU and suddenly found myself with free evenings again. I was bored, scrolling through Instagram on the sofa with the dog and saw a post detailing simple swaps we could all make in our homes to alleviate some single-use plastic. The one that seemed simplest to me was switching to bars of soap rather than pumps, so I started browsing the internet for some nice artisan soap, thinking why not support a small business at the same time? It was strangely difficult to find what I wanted. When it eventually turned up, my soap was wrapped in bubble wrap.
Something so simple as soap really shouldn’t cost the earth – that was my lightbulb moment and It Won’t Cost The Earth was born
I’m a mother with a vision to help other families live sustainable lifestyles with minimum effort. If you’re anything like me, you’re working two jobs, bringing up kids and just trying to get through each day. It isn’t easy to then bear the burden of eco-guilt too! Sometimes it just felt too hard to make the ‘right’ choice when I purchased things. This is why I wanted to create this platform, I hope it removes the stress from shopping sustainably for you and makes your life that little bit easier.
What has been your biggest challenge?
Ooo that’s easy – giving up control definitely! I have learnt that I am a complete control freak and that I really struggle to delegate any sort of decision making. When you operate a platform where sellers are in charge of setting up their own shop fronts, that can be hard!
“It’s not about safeguarding the world for the future anymore; it’s about sorting out the huge crisis we are currently in”
What advice do you have for people/ business owners now that our lives have changed so much with Covid-19?
I’m a broken record – I keep telling people that there has never been a more important time to support small businesses. They are the lifeblood of our society – when you buy from a small business you aren’t helping a CEO buy his 2nd holiday home – you’re helping a family pay for their kid’s school shoes. It’s a big difference I wish people thought about more.
What keeps you motivated each day?
Definitely my children! They are so invested in sustainability and looking after our planet – they put us grown ups to shame! It’s great that they are learning about plastic pollution in schools now. People talk about the importance of protecting the planet for future generations, but I think there is a more pressing urgency – protecting the planet for the current generation. The emergency is here, it’s happening right now. It’s not about safeguarding the world for the future anymore; it’s about sorting out the huge crisis we are currently in.
What is the best advice you’ve received?
The best advice I have ever received came from my ex father-in-law. He told me to listen to all relevant opinions but ultimately to make my own decision – I use this advice in all aspects of my life!
What advice would you give to someone starting out?
My advice would be to jump! There will always be that nagging feeling that something will go wrong, or someone telling you that you won’t achieve your dreams, but I promise you that never knowing what could have been will feel worse! Take the leap – you might fly.
