Wholesome changes for a healthier planet

Wholesome Hub is a Victorian small business founded in 2016 to create change. The e-commerce venture offers a carefully curated range of organic, ethical and sustainable brands for eco-conscious consumers, offsetting 100 per cent of their shipping-generated carbon emissions.

Co-founder Sandy Abram started the venture soon after having twins, working hard on successful prioritisation, efficiency and productivity and doing work that matters to juggle the responsibilities of a young family with making the business viable.

Sandy describes the ethos as the business as making it easier for people to live more gently, live healthier, tackle climate change and make feel-good choices.

“We want people to realise that they have the power and tools to make change happen and that by choosing organic, ethical and planet-friendly goodies, we can all make a positive difference in our world,” Sandy explains.

“To us, it’s not about sales at all costs and at the expense of people and our planet.”

This sustainable ethos means making some difficult short-term decisions for the greater good. They recently, for example, delisted a whole range of products that contain palm oil, many of which performed well in terms of sales.

“We know going palm oil-free is the best decision for our planet in addressing deforestation, animal welfare and climate change so we’re willing to potentially lose some sales (hopefully in the short-term) in return for fulfilling our vision and remaining true to our values,” Sandy explains. “To us, it’s not about sales at all costs and at the expense of people and our planet.”

The business, which has eight employees, takes its customers and processes seriously.

“Being a small company that may be unable to compete on size and marketing budgets, means we need to stand out by finding efficiencies in our operations, continually reviewing what we’re doing and how we can do it better,” Sandy says. “We have our customer and their experience at the forefront of our minds at all times, treating them as we would like to be treated ourselves.”

Sandy revels in the fact that she’s to do something she truly loves, believes in and is passionate about every day, and that helps her get through the bumpy days and find solutions to what may seem like impossible problems at the time.

“There is no giving up! As a human race, we’re facing the biggest challenge of our time, so my highlight is being able to do what I do, knowing that whatever happens in our future, I gave it my best shot,” Sandy says.

This story first appeared in issue 26 of the Inside Small Business quarterly magazine.