Only when the last tree has died and the last river been poisoned and the last fish been caught will we realize we cannot eat money.
-Cree Indian Proverb

2001 was when it first hit him. He was in a public rest stop on a highway in upstate New York using the men’s room. While there, he noticed a big poster on the wall saying “Proud to be cleaned by Lysol”.

He thought to himself, “They’re proud to be using Lysol? That’s horrible!” [Note: Lysol has known carcinogens- chemicals quite toxic to humans.] Cleaners in public spaces should be all natural and non-toxic for all involved. Including the planet.

Shortly thereafter he started Ecologic Solutions, Inc.in his apartment. Eight years later it is one of the most successful all-natural commercial cleaning supply companies in the country with 100% annual sales growth for the past three years. Rejecting a corporate buyout offer, they are wrapping up a multi-million dollar round of investment financing.

The man who started the company is my baby brother, Anselm.

People frequently ask me “Can a business really thrive in being ‘green’?” I tell them about Anselm and several of my clients whose companies are all growing at similar rates in their “green” companies.

They often also ask, “Is ‘green’ business just another modern-day gold rush, like the internet boom in the late ’90’s and the real estate boom that just collapsed?”

My answer usually surprises them, “‘Yes’, for some. And ‘no’ for everyone else.”

Continuing I explain, “50% of the world’s wetlands have been lost in the last 100 years, 50% of the world’s forests have been chopped down, 70% of the world’s major marine fisheries have been depleted, 100% of the world’s coral reefs are at risk, and 6.3 billion people on the planet with another 3 billion coming in the next 40 years. This might be a fad for some, and for everyone else this is a permanent change we must address now. By showing businesses how to make money taking care of the planet will be the fastest way we’ll reverse these trends.”

In order to successfully launch a new “green” product or company, the following eight steps might be helpful:

1. Pick from the Top Ten Environmental Issues for one(s) you are most passionate about.

2. Build your product/service around that issue. If you do not see a relationship between what you know how to do and that issue, create one. For example, you’re a chiropractor and you are passionate about air pollution, find creative ways to reduce customer travel to your office, use low energy consuming equipment in the office, start or contribute to a fund for pollution control, or have your office offer discounts to those who bike to your office.

3. Define your target customer. Who would be most interested in your new product/service or company? What are their demographics and psychographics (interests).

4. Study your competition. What are they doing towards your chosen issue? How are you better or different? In order to avoid “greenwashing” (promoting being “green” without really being “green”), you must be authentic and accurate.

5. Establish your credibility. To add to the legitimacy, show your experts on staff, credentials (licenses, degrees, etc.), testimonials from credible sources/clients, case studies of those who have used your product/service (or ones similar), and/or scientific resources backing up your research/claims.

6. Determine start up costs. Do you need to finance the project? There are many government-backed financing programs starting now with the “green jobs” initiative being pushed heavily in Washington. An expert on this is Franklin Madison at Industrial and Technology Assistance Corporation here (ITAC) in NYC. Frank and ITAC have a 10 year history of working with and providing access to funding for green businesses (particularly technology-based businesses.)

7. Hit the market. Make sure you present your product/service in a way your target customers are going to get it. Speak their language when explaining how it benefits both them and the planet. Use stories and examples. Masters at explaining their products are The Body Shop and Patagonia.

8. Have a blast. Make sure it is what you are passionate about. You will get knocked around a lot and when you do, what will get you back up is your passion for making it happen.

And by following these steps just might get you to where my brother, Anselm’s, business is right now.

Action Steps for the Week

Although green businesses started gaining traction in the early ’90’s, only recently has it become a really hot market. For this reason, it will take some serious focus and intention for you to catch up to the wave. Here is what you will need to do ASAP:

* Determine what “floats your boat” regarding environmental issues.

* Research that environmental topic until you understand the key issues.

* Define your product/service new business.

* Study your competition. Who is doing this already? How are you unique or better?

* Integrate plan into your business.

* Write up your marketing strategy.

* Got expenses to start? If so, where will you raise the capital?

Do not get discouraged or delay on this. The time for this is now, because in this economy and this hot market you can imagine how many people are innovating just like you.

Get going and Be UnReasonable!

By: Stefan Doering

About the Author:

In the summer of 1989 I was taking a subway home with some friends that I co-founded an environmental non-profit with here in Brooklyn. I remember complaining about how tired I was of having to search and buy eco products in mail order catalogs (this was pre-internet days).

Basic eco-products like toilet paper made from recycled and non-chlorine bleached paper.

Back then there were no stores in NYC that sold it. In order to get it, you had to buy a case via mail order. A case of 96 rolls.

I remember complaining, “What am I going to do with 96 rolls of toilet paper in my small apartment!”

And that is when it hit me. What about having a retail store that screened all its products for their environmental impact? The task of researching and learning about the environmental (and social) issues that go into making products can overwhelm most customers.

I asked them, “So what if we created a store that did that for the customer? And you did not need to buy 96 rolls of something to get it.”

At the age of 25, that was the beginning of Earth General, which opened two years later in 1991.

Within six years Earth General grew to being one of the largest environmental retail stores in the country with over 3,000 products all screened for their environmental impact. Things like organic cotton clothing, natural body care, green cleaning products, recycled office supplies and stationery, all natural gardening products and so on.

Yet while our stores were popular in New York City, the concept was a bit ahead of its time and my investors and I closed them in 1998. Today, 10 years later, they would probably do quite well.

In fact today, most things (authentically) “going green” are looking very promising. For example, one of the mainstream issues on everyone’s mind is energy. And of the many things being developed in the energy sector, one segment to really watch in the very short term is nanotechnology.

If you are not familiar with nanotechnology, you need to be, as it looks likely to be dramatically changing our lives within the next couple of years.

According the Center for Responsible Nanotechnology (CRN) Nanotechnology is the engineering of functional systems at the molecular scale. It is all about building things and using materials at a very small level. From this things like new, lighter, yet sturdier materials can be built.

For example, imagine cars made from materials as light as plastic, yet sturdier than steel. Lighter materials in our automobiles mean more energy efficiency, which in turn means more miles per gallon.

For more about this as well as a sense of the many, many applications currently being researched in nanotechnology, read “GreenBiz” recent article, Sweating the Small Stuff: A Market Opportunity.

Still need convincing that going green is a wise choice? On May 12th, The Wall Street Journal published an excellent story, Does Being Ethical Pay?

While the authors found consumers would be willing to pay a premium for ethical products, they also found consumers would also punish an unethical company… to a much greater degree (by only buying that company’s products at a steep discount.)

Perhaps it’s time for you to consider ramping up your green factor?

10 Steps to Determining Your Green Product / Service:

1. Pick your passion- what about the environment are you most passionate about? What do you notice really “burns your bacon”? For help, refer to January 30th’s Power Boost: Top 10 Business Issues into Environmental Opportunities.

2. Define your target-who is your market? What customer base are you most comfortable serving?

3. Get in their head-what is the need of that customer base? What are their pains? Remember to relate this to what you are most passionate about in the environment (remember my frustration that created Earth General?)

4. Relief is on the way!-what is your solution to your target market’s pain and to their needs? Especially if they do not even know they have it! Be clear as possible on this one. Make it really stand out.

5. Support is the key-who is on your team? What expertise do you need and who will have it? What are these people’s motivations for working with you (hint: your vision on where you would like to take your business.)

6. Name the players-who is your competition? How are you better and/or different? How can you authentically show your strengths over them? No competition, then your product/service niche is too small!

7. Be a hurdle jumper-what are the barriers to entry for competition to join you down the road? Is it difficult to gain entry? If not, how can you make it difficult or how will you retain customer loyalty (hint: focus on the green/social impact of what you do!)

8. Keep clearing those hurdles-how to keep in front of the barriers to entry. As the market continues to develop, what new, cool, authentic green (and social) components can you add to the mix? Stay ahead of the pack. Stay on top of your market research.

9. It’s all in the girth-and how scalable your product/service is. Compare it with how big you want to go with this idea. Look to balance the two. It’s OK if you want to stay small, just get clear before you take off.

10. Review your passion-how do you feel about your product/service? If you feel something is off, you must address it before moving forward. If not, it will bite you in the butt later. Don’t step over this. Find solutions to what is keeping you from really playing full out.

Once you’ve worked through these 10 steps, you should be ready to rock. I’d love to hear what cool, unreasonable green business you’re ready to launch.

Action Steps for the Week:

Whether you’re working for the man or the man is working for you, it might behoove you to examine your green business game plan.

If you have one, review it again and see what of the 10 steps (from above) might need some refining. And if you’re new to the subject, really take inventory on how and what to implement into your business.

The more thought you put into this, the more likely you’ll be whistling Dixie later on.

By: Stefan Doering

About the Author:

GREEN Signage and Display Solutions for Business

Did you know?

Many people do not realise the impact to the environment that a simple sign, display or graphic has to the environment. Let me start by saying that i am not a scientific expert and have no collected data, but i will tell you what i know and what practical steps and questions you can undertake the next time you advertise. WHY? because the Earth is OUR HOME!

What Impact?

For an Example, let’s start with a basic product that is used commonly in nearly every store in nearly every part of the world. A Perspex board sign with vinyl lettering.

Ok, so at the factory in Malaysia, they will use acrylic resin (a byproduct of oil) which may be useful instead of putting it in the ground. Each sheet has a low tack PS or PE mask to protect the sheet (please use PE or plastic masked as it can be re-cycled and is easier to peel off).

Next we come to the vinyl lettering, A real environmental disaster. Most advertising signs use this product which involves a wax coated liner and a pre-mask that gets thrown away and can’t be re-cycled. On top of that, eventually the actual signs get thrown away and the vinyl itself can’t be recycled. Probably tens of thousands of meters of vinyl clogs landfill every day.

What can we do?

Everybody can do something. I’m sure there will be some study in the future of digital signage vs traditional (electrical costs etc) but in the mean time, there are some great alternatives out there.

For all outdoor and most indoor wall advertising boards, use Aluminium composite boards (contact us for different brands). Aluminum composite boards are not only light weight (which cuts down on structure material), but they are rigid and come in a large range of colours. This material is 100% recyclable and re-usable, has sound and thermal properties and uses efficient manufacturing process.

For illuminated signage, switch to LED solutions. Lexan makes a great Polycarbonate opal panel which is suitable for LED lights without spotting.

For all printing and graphics use the latest technology – Flatbed printing. Flatbed printing will allow direct print to most substrates (including the above suggestions). This will prevent all the wax paper land fill.

Recycle!

Some companies will offer to recycle existing displays and signs. Some businesses think this involves more labour, but we’d rather follow the mentality of – why throw it away, it’ll come in handy for something. Materials like Plexiglass can also be recycled or re-used.

B Green

By: Stephen Francia

About the Author: