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Yes, We're Building Responsibly — But It’s Not as Easy as It Looks
The Hard Truth About Running a Sustainable Business
Running a small business is hard. Running a sustainable, cruelty-free small business? Incredibly hard. Behind every eco-friendly product is a quiet battle most people never see.
And no — this isn’t a rant. It’s a reflection of the countless challenges that small business owners face when trying to do things the right way.
1. The System Isn’t Built for Sustainability
The truth is, the current business ecosystem doesn’t support responsible production. Finding the right raw materials, reliable information, trustworthy suppliers, or a supply chain that aligns with your values often feels like looking for a needle in a haystack. Everything — from certifications to sourcing to shipping — is harder, slower, and more expensive when you're trying to be responsible.
2. Time Is Not on Our Side
It takes an unbelievable amount of time to bring a thoughtfully made product to market. While fast fashion brands launch new collections every few weeks, small sustainable businesses are still navigating the endless roadblocks of ethical sourcing, packaging, and production.
By the time we finally launch a product, it can feel like we’re already years behind the curve — not because we’re slow, but because doing things responsibly takes time. Every step — sourcing biodegradable materials, ensuring cruelty-free processes, applying for certifications — stretches timelines significantly.
3. Responsibility Comes With a Hefty Price Tag
Not only is the process slower — it's also more expensive.
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Time is money: When you spend months building your product pipeline, you're missing key sales cycles.
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The cost of doing it right: From raw materials to packaging to fair labor, everything about creating a responsible product costs more. And when you're a small business, there are no economies of scale to ease that burden.
4. Business Is Viewed as Evil — Even When You're Trying to Do Good
We live in an age of greenwashing, sweatshops, unethical labor, and performative activism. Rightfully, consumers are skeptical — but this skepticism often turns into distrust of all businesses, even the ones genuinely trying to be better.
As a small business, the stakes are high. You're expected to be perfect — and any small slip-up can lead to backlash or lost trust. It’s a double-edged sword: you’re held to a higher standard (as you should be), but without the grace or understanding often given to larger brands.
And even when you do everything right, there's no guarantee that customers will actually buy. People may love your mission, praise your ethics — and still turn around and buy a $50 alternative that looks similar but is mass-produced, harmful to the environment, and made in unfair labor conditions.
5. Consumer Expectations Are Still Catching Up
The good news is that awareness of responsible consumption is growing. The challenge is — habits are hard to break. Consumers still expect low prices, fast shipping, constant variety, and weekly new collections — all of which are built into the DNA of fast fashion.
Small businesses working sustainably can’t meet those expectations — nor should we try to. But until consumer behavior catches up with consumer values, this tension will continue to be a major hurdle.
So, Why Keep Going?
Because it matters. Because even if it’s not always easy, building something aligned with your values is worth it. Because we’re not just building products — we’re building new standards, new expectations, and hopefully, a better system.
To anyone trying to do this work — I see you. It’s exhausting, it’s expensive, and often thankless. But it’s also brave.
And one day, maybe this won’t be the hard path — it’ll just be the normal one.
At Ittara, we won’t lie — we’re navigating these waters every day. But with every small discovery, every better material, every kinder choice, we move closer to the kind of business we believe in. As more brands (willingly or unwillingly) begin to shift, and as more buyers ask the right questions, we’re hopeful the ecosystem will shift too.