Ecopreneurist

Perhaps the biggest challenge to any small business is how to effectively spend a limited advertising budget.  Here’s what ecopreneurs say is the most effective use of their money. 

I interviewed several hundred ecopreneurs about their business when writing a book about how to become an ecopreneur, and one of the questions I asked was, ‘Besides word-of-mouth, what is your most effective marketing?’  It is worth noting that if I hadn’t prefaced the question the way I did, each and every one of them would have said “word-of-mouth”. 

The answers varied across industry, but there was some great information that emerged.  Companies in the green building sector, including remodelers, new construction, and retail operations, all mentioned lunch & learn sessions with tradespeople.  Several in this sector mentioned Educational Workshops with the general public and local green publications including directories. 

Networking events turned out to be prime advertising for…

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Ecopreneurs come in all shapes and styles.  Big thinkers and lifestyle advocates satisfied with a small business;  poor and rich; opportunists seeing a hot trend and sustainability advocates just looking to do something good with their career.  What do they have in common?  What background do they have?  Did they think about what it takes to be an ecopreneur before they just jumped right in? 

We all know a successful ecopreneur or two (or ten).  What characteristics unify ecopreneurs?  Are they all young?  Are they all progressive?  Are they all spending quality time with their organic gardens to get away from it all? 

In conducting the research for Build a Green Small Business:  Profitable Ways to Become an Ecopreneur, I interviewed hundreds of ecopreneurs to find out just what made them tick. 

I asked ecopreneurs about their business, hoping to learn what made them greener than their conventional counterparts, and what might help others succeed.  I was amazed to find out how willing ecopreneurs were to share their business secrets with someone who was going to write a book about it.  The main finding, therefore, is that this ‘ecopreneur personality’, if there is one, is selfless and committed to the betterment of society. 

But we probably suspected that.  What other trends are there? 

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Maybe the title should instead read “How to Fail at ‘Greening’ Your Business”. Often times companies seem to approach “green” or eco-friendly as just another product attribute that can simply be added to packaging or website to reach the “green” consumer segment. In the rush to be eco-friendly, and due to the typical structure of many organizations, the marketing team will take the lead of the greening effort and, in the interest of time & energy, they’ll create a brilliant plan to communicate “green” to a target consumer group, but no internal alignment.

The sustainability and marketing strategies of a typical entrepreneur are often times based on the same model - the shotgun approach. Typically, entrepreneurs start to think about marketing after at least 6 months of hitting the pavement, and then sustainability appears as part of a new “marketing plan” or is seen as some kind of charitable giving / community relations campaign. Sustainable business is neither part of a marketing campaign nor a community relations effort. Neither is it about shifting revenue, but rather how revenue is generated.

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Are you ready for the holiday mail season?  Maybe this is the year to trim your DM waste.  The fundamental problem is that direct mail marketing is inherently inefficient. 44% of all direct mail is thrown in the trash without ever being opened and that which is opened only yields an average of a 2.77% response.  So, if you want to get 1,000 customers to respond to your direct mail piece, you have to mail, on average, 36,101 pieces of mail.  Multiply that by millions of customers and millions of companies and you can see the problem. The good news is that a March 2008 Aberdeen Group study found that direct mail waste reduction is an area where “environmental concerns and shareholder interests coincide.” But, you may already know this. They also found that 40% of companies said direct mail waste reduction was one of the top two areas being focused on for improving eco-friendly business practices.

The goal is to achieve the greatest precision with the lowest number of pieces mailed, but there a lot of other benefits. You can save money and enhance customer satisfaction which will in turn improves customer loyalty, purchase behavior and profitability. Here’s 9 ways:

#1: Maintain good list hygiene. Updating your mailing list to remove unwanted, duplicate and undeliverable addresses regularly and thoroughly is a cheap, quick and effective way to reduce waste. There are several ways to verify mailing lists and all outside list mangers are able to perform this function or you can buy your own address verification software. You will mail fewer pieces and, under some circumstances, lower your mailing rates. Consider offering incentives (such as the offer of a discount on their next purchase) for notification of duplicate mailings and incorrect addresses.
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Marketplace Radio wants to hear from green business owners about how they are doing in the down economy.  Looking at their Web survey form, it seems that they are looking for companies to feature in stories as much as they are in taking the pulse of green business at the moment.

Perhaps it is an opportunity to get some publicity for your business.

Regardless of whether you are able to get any free PR, by participating, you will also be contributing to a discussion about issues that may be critical to your green business’ success. Read the rest of this entry »

No matter which presidential candidate walks away today with a key to the oval office, I’ll be a happy man. It’s not at all that I don’t care who sits in the hot seat on Pennsylvania Avenue - rather I’m just happy that I don’t need to be worried about a military coup or massive riots whether Obama or McCain wins the election.

Beyond the rhetoric, the mud-slinging, the polls, and even the “issues” is the fact that this “American Experiment” of democracy is greater than any candidate running for office, or political party. Like Thomas M. DeFrank at nydailynews says

“After 931 days of campaigning, 109 primaries and caucuses, 47 debates and $5 billion spent, this marathon election nears its historic finish. Whatever Tuesday’s verdict, America will demolish political barriers that have stood through 55 quadrennial contests by choosing its first African-American President or its first female vice president.”

The previous 2 presidential elections (2000, 2004) also generated record levels of interest and voters from both sides of the political fence, much like today’s election. Following those elections, the country seemed to become very politically divided and the whole thing created a new breed of partisan-based patriotism. No matter who wins today, the next president will have the challenge of uniting the country and bringing opinions together to reach consensus. So when it comes to eco-policy, just how different are democrats & republicans?

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Despite what you may think, times like these are perfect times to reassess your shipping and transportation practices.  High fuel costs, increased freight rates combined with the demand for shorter delivery times and reduced inventories can lead you to a new way of thinking. There are ways to green your transportation and shipping practices by improving fuel and operational efficiencies, which in turn will also save you money.

Fuel prices cannot be controlled, but transportation costs can be cut by eliminating waste.  For example, according to the National Private Truck Council Benchmarking Survey, approximately 25% of trucker miles are driven empty without cargo on return trips instead of being filled with another company’s outbound transport.  Backhauling, using an empty truck’s return route to carry cargo, has long been used by recyclers, for example, since the cost of transportation often outweighs the value of the cargo. There’s no reason why any business cannot use backhauling as a shipping strategy for deliveries that are not very time sensitive.

What else can a small business do? 
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Environmental Research reports that Cause Marketing can Make a Difference which is good news for social entrepreneurs. A recent survey conducted on consumer packaged goods found that, yes, consumers do prefer and purchase products associated with a charity or cause.

74% increase in actual purchase for a shampoo brand when associated with a cause

(47% of participants who saw the cause-related message chose the brand while only 27% of those who saw the generic corporate advertisement chose the brand)

28% increase in actual purchase for a toothpaste brand when associated with a cause

Triple bottom line entrepreneurs, of course, already know that, or at least have hoped that their efforts to give back will make a difference in sales. But, just giving back isn’t always enough.

Qualitative consumer responses showed that the issue, the nonprofit and the inherent nature of products were key factors in making cause-related purchasing decisions and helped explain why movement in (some) categories was not significant.

In other words, choose well and choose wisely, not only in the non-profit you plan to support, but in how you promote your connection and how you market your product. Read the rest of this entry »

This is a guest post by John Simonetta, owner of ProformaGreen, an eco-friendly promotional items consultancy. John’s blogs are designed to keep us up to date on the “greening” of his industry.

When Proforma Green goes to events we often get asked questions on what the different recycling symbols on plastic items stand for. I thought this might be a question some of our readers would like answered as well and so decided to re-post here information on the symbols first put together by thedailygreen.com.

PET or PETE (polyethylene terephthalate)

Found in: Soft drink, water and beer bottles; mouthwash bottles; peanut butter containers; salad dressing and vegetable oil containers; ovenable food trays.

Recycling: Picked up through most curbside recycling programs.

Recycled into: Polar fleece, fiber, tote bags, furniture, carpet, paneling, straps, (occasionally) new containers

PET plastic is the most common for single-use bottled beverages, because it is inexpensive, lightweight and easy to recycle. It poses low risk of leaching breakdown products. Recycling rates remain relatively low (around 20%), though the material is in high demand by remanufacturers.

HDPE (high density polyethylene)

Found in: Milk jugs, juice bottles; bleach, detergent and household cleaner bottles; shampoo bottles; some trash and shopping bags; motor oil bottles; butter and yogurt tubs; cereal box liners.

Recycling: Picked up through most curbside recycling programs, although some allow only those containers with necks.

Recycled into: Laundry detergent bottles, oil bottles, pens, recycling containers, floor tile, drainage pipe, lumber, benches, doghouses, picnic tables, fencing.

HDPE is a versatile plastic with many uses, especially for packaging. It carries low risk of leaching and is readily recyclable into many goods.

V (Vinyl) or PVC

Found in: Window cleaner and detergent bottles, shampoo bottles, cooking oil bottles, clear food packaging, wire jacketing, medical equipment, siding, windows, piping.

Recycling: Rarely recycled; accepted by some plastic lumber makers.

Recycled into: Decks, paneling, mudflaps, roadway gutters, flooring, cables, speed bumps, mats.

PVC is tough and weathers well, so it is commonly used for piping, siding and similar applications. PVC contains chlorine, so its manufacture can release highly dangerous dioxins. If you must cook with PVC, don’t let the plastic touch food. Also never burn PVC, because it releases toxins.

LDPE (low density polyethylene)

Found in: Squeezable bottles; bread, frozen food, dry cleaning and shopping bags; tote bags; clothing; furniture; carpet.

Recycling: LDPE is not often recycled through curbside programs, but some communities will accept it. Plastic shopping bags can be returned to many stores for recycling.

Recycled into: Trash can liners and cans, compost bins, shipping envelopes, paneling, lumber, landscaping ties, floor tile.

LDPE is a flexible plastic with many applications. Historically it has not been accepted through most American curbside recycling programs, but more and more communities are starting to accept it. Read the rest of this entry »