I am sitting at my desk, all my papers tucked out of sight of the camera and a glass of water at the ready for when I need to refresh from the constant talking. My meeting partner is accustomed to video calls. He owns a small company with a fully remote team. All communications happen while separated by many miles. And thus the first objection to my pitch appears: Why improve impact when no impact is really being made?

It is an interesting question. On the surface, it really does seem like no impact, certainly of the environmental variety, is being made. No water usage, no commuter emissions, no land development, etc. If a company has only a few employees, benefits are generally limited, and the majority of workers may be independent contractors anyway.

And yet… there is a sustainability spectrum of fully remote companies. Are they all truly the same? Is there no discernable difference? If a fully remote company is claiming to be impact-focused, is that greenwashing?

The fact is that every company makes an impact. If they didn’t, then they would be making no money, as they have to produce something to make a profit. Maybe the product is intangible, like a marketing campaign or legal advice, but it is there.

Let’s break this down. There are two main types of impact made when people are talking about sustainable business models. The first is operational. This is the kind that every company makes. When you operate, you are affecting the world in some way. In a traditional company, this could be waste generated, commuter emissions, employee benefits, etc. A huge amount of sustainability work exists in addressing operational impact to lower emissions, reduce waste, treat people better, and the list goes on. Operational impact is often what regulations focus on.

I am going to tell you right now, fully remote companies have operational impact. They just do. If you are sending emails, hosting video calls, employing digital marketing, or essentially using any modern internet infrastructure, then there are emissions as a result of that. There is land use as a result of that. There is water use as a result of that. I am not telling you to stop! I am not here to force your company out of existence, but there is no point in denying reality. Furthermore, companies impact the people in and around them. Employees, contractors, business partners, customers, etc. all are touched by the organization. When a company takes this impact into serious consideration, then lives can be improved.

The second type of impact is from the company’s business model. A company can set itself up to be making a positive impact simply by existing. This is where ideas like the triple bottom line, shared value, and stakeholder governance can appear. When you tie business growth to positive impact, then success can go beyond the pocketbook.

This is where you can have fun with it. Get excited! What is your company for? Why do you exist? Do you have a mission, a goal, some way you want to make the world better? You don’t have to become a monk, but surely there is a way to think about your business such that the people and the planet are at least on equal footing with profit. Many companies already take such an approach but never formalize it, lacking the framework to fully implement such a concept. Whether it is in the products you make, a commitment like 1% for the planet, or in the hiring and employment practices you use, an impact business model sets you up for success.

I am not going to deny that having a remote job can mean better environmental and social outcomes. The reduction in emissions, increased time spent in community and with family, and potential shift in land development are all important. But we shouldn’t stop here. If we can do better, we should. If you aren’t sure where to improve, ask folks in your network, find a sustainable business consultant, and look for resources that target their information for companies like yours. You can make an impact, no matter what kind of company you are.