What is regenerative business and why is it important? A Q&A with Chamber Member, Regenerative Partners

As part of our series of interviews with Chamber Members, we spoke to Paul Pivcevic, Managing Director of Regenerative Partners about how he brings ‘living systems thinking’ to businesses. 

The company helps firms operate harmoniously within the systems they exist in. Regenerative Partners asks firms what it means to look beyond their organisations and ask: what are the wider systems my business is part of?

Could you introduce yourself and tell me about your business?

Regenerative Partners is all about bringing living systems thinking to how business works and really helping businesses think through their business models using that as a lens. It’s proven around the world to do two things. It enables businesses to become non displaceable in their markets because regenerative businesses create enormous loyalty. 

Secondly, the living systems framework embeds sustainable thinking right at the heart of the business. It makes businesses future fit and prepares them for all the legislation that is coming down the line in terms of things like carbon emissions, impact on biodiversity and pollution. 

Can you give an example of a business you have supported to be regenerative?

Currently, we’re supporting an outdoor learning centre called Wilderness Centre in the Forest of Dean to think through how the outdoors and nature can be part of their value offering, so that when people visit it’s not simply about using the outdoors as an extended room but making the outdoors an opportunity for learning through observation and reflection. 

Through that process of observing and reflecting on nature, people find untold benefits. So, nature in the case of this centre is evolving through Simon the Director, allowing it to rewild itself. It sits within the Forest of Dean where there are lots of wild boar. Normally people would protect the land from incursion from the wild boar, but he’s made the fences open to them, which brings huge biodiversity. 

What that means is that people aren’t just using the outdoors to do exercises, they’re using it to document what they see and how nature interacts with each other. 

Why is regeneration so important for businesses now? 

It’s a critical time for business now. The question must be for firms: how do I maintain a viable value offer as prices go up? Cost of energy is going through the roof, interest rates are going up, which makes investment difficult. What that does, I think, is invite a conversation with customers.  Often when we carry out market research, we use numbers and stats to identify customers, their traits, and we try to target them. This is a relational approach, but the fundamental thing about regeneration is that it goes to the heart of who a customer is, and what they really want. Not just what they want to buy, but what do they want to achieve through buying your product or service?

This is the root of the most effective kind of resilience. It's worth remembering there are different kinds of resilience: 

1.We hunker down making only necessary changes, and believing we’ll get back to some sort of normal 

2.We shore up the defences: becoming as lean as possible across all processes and all sites

3.We prepare for a future of permanent white water: we go back to fundamentals, ensure the value offer reflects what we can uniquely do; we build strong relationships with customers that help us design new offerings; and we see thriving communities and healthy Nature as the source of resilient business.

Behind each of these is a completely different mindset and communication style. The third kind is increasingly proving the kind of resilience that will last. This is the regenerative approach.

Finally, why did you become a Chamber Member?

Business West is a great support and joining the community has been a great way to market our courses starting at the end of September, which we hope businesses will take the opportunity to join. I mean, it's a critical time, right? And business must be careful about every cost. But every crisis is also an opportunity to pause, step back and to ask, should we be doing it this way? Could we be doing it differently? 

There’s also something powerful to say about businesses working together at a local regional level, for change. That's why I would encourage other businesses to join because it's a great platform where we can develop a shared sense of belonging.

Does your business need support to become more sustainable?

Business West is running a series of lunch and learn events which will be delivered every other month throughout 2023. 

We’re also running Aiming for Net Zero workshops which will give you advice and inspiration to progress along your journey to Net Zero. These are free for Chamber Members. Find out more about these events and book on here.

If you’re interested in becoming a Chamber Member where you can gain access to a wide range of business support, access events like the ones above for free, all while raising your business profile, you can join here.